The number of rural counties in Alabama with labor and delivery units has fallen from 45 to 15 since 1980, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. But it’s not just a rural problem. The recent closures also leave Shelby County without a hospital that delivers babies, making it the largest county in Alabama without those services. Alabama already struggles with high infant and maternal mortality rates compared to the rest of the country.

Producer/Writer/Editor/Voiceover: Amanda Khorramabadi