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Strengthen the Evidence for Maternal and Child Health Programs

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Items in this list may be obtained from the sources cited. Contact information reflects the most current data about the source that has been provided to the MCH Digital Library.

Displaying records 1 through 20 (51 total).

Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. n.d.. Pregnancy and opioids: What families need to know about opioid misuse and treatment during pregnancy. New York, NY: Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, 20 pp.

Annotation: This guide provides information for a pregnant woman’s family about opioid misuse and treatment during pregnancy. The guide explains what an opioid use disorder is and discusses the importance of comprehensive prenatal care and treatment for pregnant women with the disorder, delivery, newborn health, breastfeeding, social supports, and what to expect in the weeks and months after delivery.

Keywords: Consumer education materials, Infant health, Narcotics, Perinatal addiction, Pregnant women, Substance abuse treatment

Barzel R, Holt K, Kolo S. 2026. Opioids and pregnant women: Information for oral health professionals(updated ed.). Washington, DC: National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center, 4 pp.

Annotation: This paper provides information on pain management, including opioid use, for pregnant women during dental procedures. Pharmacological considerations, including indications, contraindications, and special considerations for pharmacological agents are presented. Neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome is discussed, and guidelines for prescribing opioids are presented. Also included is information about prescription drug monitoring programs and managing acute dental pain, as well as recommendations for discharging women with prescriptions. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Keywords: Drug addiction, Guidelines, Narcotics, Neonatal abstinence syndrome, Oral health, Pain relieving drugs, Pregnant women, Prescription drugs

Silverman K, Benyo A. 2024. Building healthy futures: Addressing mental health and substance use disorders during pregnancy and postpartum. Hamilton, NJ: Center for Health Care Strategies, 26 pp.

Annotation: This report examines the critical impact of mental health and substance use disorders on maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States, highlighting how suicide and substance use-related overdoses account for over 20 percent of postpartum deaths. It presents promising approaches from states including Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, New Hampshire, and California that integrate maternity care with behavioral health services and social supports. The report outlines six key recommendations for improving care: supporting dedicated multidisciplinary care teams, centering people with lived experience to drive health equity, normalizing substance use care, training all staff on bias and stigma, expanding the community-based workforce including doulas and peer recovery specialists, and implementing harm reduction and street medicine approaches. The authors emphasize that with nearly every state now providing 12 months of postpartum Medicaid coverage, there are unprecedented opportunities to implement integrated, trauma-informed, non-punitive care models that can significantly reduce maternal mortality and improve outcomes for families.

Keywords: Substance abusing pregnant women, Community participation, Disorders, Health care reform, Initiatives, Maternal morbidity, Maternal mortality, Medicaid, Mental health, Model programs, Perinatal addiction, Perinatal care, Postpartum care, Quality improvement, Risk factors, Service integration, Substance use disorders

Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center. 2023. Strengthen supports and access to perinatal addiction services for individuals with substance use disorders. Chapel Hill, NC: Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center, 11 pp. (White House blueprint evidence to action series)

Annotation: This issue brief highlights Action 1.4 from the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, which focuses on strengthening risk-appropriate care in rural and urban areas through implementation of the CDC Levels of Care Assessment Tool (LOCATe). The document examines how this standardized assessment tool helps states evaluate and improve the distribution of maternal care capabilities across birthing facilities. It presents current data on maternal mortality rates and disparities across populations, discusses the challenges of providing appropriate levels of care particularly in rural areas, and outlines specific state-level innovations being implemented to strengthen perinatal regionalization. The brief includes detailed examples of successful LOCATe implementation in states like Montana and North Carolina, along with evidence-based measures for tracking progress in establishing risk-appropriate care systems.

Keywords: Access to care, Data, Evaluation methods, Perinatal addiction, Perinatal care, Risk assessment, Rural populations, State initiatives, Substance use disorders, model programs

O'Connor E, Thomas R, Robalino S, Senger CA, Perdue LA, Patnode C. 2020. Interventions to prevent illicit and nonmedical drug use in children, adolescents, and young adults: Updated systematic evidence review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 221 pp. (Evidence synthesis; no. 190; AHRQ publication; no. 19-05258-EF-1)

Annotation: This systematic review examined the benefits and harms of primary care-relevant interventions to prevent illicit and nonmedical drug use in children, adolescents, and young adults to inform the United States Preventive Services Task Force. Data sources included MEDLINE, PubMED, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials; in addition, references of relevant publications and government web sites were also searched. The review identified 29 trials that met inclusion criteria; 26 of the trials were general prevention trials that focused on nonpregnant youth covering the ages 10 through 24 years. The review found low strength of evidence on the benefits of behavioral counseling interventions to prevent illicit and nonmedical substance use in young people.

Keywords: Adolescent behavior, Adolescent health, Child health, Drug abuse, Drug addiction, Families, Interventions, Literature reviews, Prevention, Substance abuse, Substance abuse prevention

U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 2018. Clinical guidance for treating pregnant and parenting women with opioid use disorder and their infants. Rockville, MD: U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 159 pp.

Annotation: This guide provides guidance for the optimal management of pregnant and parenting women with opioid use disorder (OUD) and their infants, based on recommendations of experts as of 2017. The guide is designed to help health professionals and women determine the most clinically appropriate action for a particular circumstance. In addition to offering background information, the guide includes fact sheets divided into the following sections: prenatal care, infant care, and maternal postnatal care. Each fact sheet includes a clinical scenario, clinical action steps, supporting evidence and clinical considerations, and links to and descriptions of online resources on the topic.

Keywords: Guidelines, Narcotics, Parents, Perinatal addiction, Pregnant women, Prenatal addiction, Substance dependence, Substance use disorders, Treatment

Surgeon General of the United States, Public Health Foundation Enterprises, Institute for Healthcare Improvement. 2016. Turn the Tide. [Washington, DC:] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, multiple items.

Annotation: These resources for health professionals and their clients provide information about opioids and describe ways to reduce the risk of opioid addiction and overdose. Information about taking opioids, safe storage and disposal, a help line, and options for sharing personal experiences are also included.

Keywords: Consumer education materials, Drug addiction, National initiatives, Opiates, Public awareness campaigns, Resources for professionals, Risk factors, Safety, Self help programs

National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services. 2016. Families in crisis: The human services implications of rural opioid misuse. [Rockville, MD]: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services, 9 pp.

Annotation: This policy brief discusses the unique rural challenges related to opioid use disorder and the experiences of families in crisis and recommendations for federal action. Topics include the opioid epidemic as a national problem with rural differentials, opioid abuse trends in rural communities, substance abuse and child welfare, the role of federal block grants, and barriers to treatment and services. Opportunities for creating a stronger treatment system for opioid use disorders are also addressed including the role of support services, care coordination and mental health workers to address current shortages in rural communities, increasing the availability of treatment programs, and research. A case study from Indiana is included.

Keywords: Access to health care, Barriers, Child welfare, Crisis intervention, Drug addiction, Family support services, Federal initiatives, Health care systems, Health policy, Interagency cooperation, Mental health, Opiates, Policy development, Program coordination, Rural population, Service coordination, Substance abuse prevention programs, Substance abuse treatment services, Substance use disorders, Systems development, Work force

Rudd RA, Seth P, Felicita D, Scholl L. 2016. Increases in drug and opioid-involved overdose deaths: United States, 2010–2015. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 65(50–51):1445–1452,

Annotation: This report examines overall drug overdose death rates during 2010-2015 and opioid overdose death rates during 2014–2015 by subcategories (natural/semisynthetic opioids, methadone, heroin, and synthetic opioids other than methadone). Rates are stratified by demographics, region, and by 28 states with high quality reporting on death certificates of specific drugs involved in overdose deaths. Implications for public health practice are included.

Keywords: Chronic pain, Collaboration, Drug addiction, Heroin, Illicit drugs, Methadone, Mortality rates, Opiates, Prescription drugs, Substance abuse prevention, Substance abuse treatment services

National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation. 2015. Reducing neonatal abstinence syndrome in Tennessee. Washington, DC: National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation, 2 pp. (Women, children & adolescents)

Annotation: This fact sheet highlights partnerships to address the neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) epidemic in Tennessee. Topics include efforts to expand a community-based program to assist mothers with substance abuse problems and ensure a drug-free and safe home for their newborns; provide start-up costs for a regional detox center for women addicted to prescription drugs; research the effectiveness of detox from opiate drugs during pregnancy, and the long-term effect of detox treatment on NAS rates in the state; and establish a hospital-based NAS treatment process.

Keywords: Drug addiction, Drug use during pregnancy, Financing, Neonatal abstinence syndrome, Newborn infants, Opiates, Postpartum care, Pregnant women, Prenatal care, Prevention program, State initiatives, Substance abuse treatment, Tennessee

Ramakrishnan M. 2014. Neonatal abstinence syndrome: How states can help advance the knowledge base for primary prevention and best practices of care. Arlington, VA: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, 24 pp.

Annotation: This report describes opportunities to avert or ameliorate the outcome of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) along a continuum of care spanning timeframes in the mother's and infant's life and the role of state health agencies. Topics include surveillance for NAS-affected infants and the sources of maternal opiate use; reimbursement for using screening protocols to detect substance abuse early in pregnancy and withdrawal signs in newborns; development of measures to ensure follow-up with opioid-dependent women and receipt of comprehensive services; and collaborative efforts to strengthen clinical standards for identification, management, and follow-up with NAS-affected infants and their families. A state index of resources is included.

Keywords: Comprehensive health care, Intervention, Neonatal abstinence syndrome, Neonatal addiction, Newborn infants, Opiates, Population surveillance, Primary prevention, Screening, State health agencies, Substance use

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. 2014. Designed for addiction: How the tobacco industry has made cigarettes more addictive, more attractive to kids and even more deadly. Washington, DC: Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, 42 pp., exec. summ. (6 pp.).

National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. 2014. Neonatal abstinence syndrome: Strategies for states and health plans. Washington, DC: National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation, multiple items.

Annotation: These resources, from a webinar held on July 16, 2014, highlight strategies for preventing and treating neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Contents include a recording of the speaker's presentations (1 hour, 27 min., 23 sec.), the webinar agenda and speaker biographies, and related materials. Topics include recent trends in opioid abuse and NAS, with an overview of federally-led prevention efforts; the impact of rising NAS rates across the states, including implications for Medicaid and examples of state-level action; a health plan-led initiative to improve care coordination and social support for pregnant women in treatment for addiction; and the latest in NAS treatment, and an assessment of where public and private investments would be most beneficial.

Keywords: Analgesic drugs, Collaboration, Drug addiction, Drug effects, Federal initiatives, Health care systems, Model programs, Neonatal abstinence syndrome, Newborns, Opiates, Pregnant women, Prevention programs, Public private partnerships, State MCH programs, Substance abuse treatment

American Dental Association. 2014. Summary of policy and recommendations regarding tobacco: 1964–present. Chicago, IL: American Dental Association, multiple items.

Annotation: This resource summarizes the American Dental Association's policy and recommendations related to tobacco use. Topics include tobacco cessation, tobacco and harm reduction, sources of tobacco-use-prevention and -cessation materials, and tobacco-free schools. The list shows the original adoption date for each policy and recommendation, and revision dates as applicable.

Keywords: Drug addiction, Intervention, Nicotine, Oral health, Resources for professionals, Smokeless tobacco, Smoking cessation, Tobacco use

Delta Dental; Wisconsin Dental Association; and University of Wisconsin, Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention. 2013. Treating tobacco use and dependence: A toolkit for dental office teams. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin, Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention, 73 pp.

Annotation: This toolkit for dental office staff focuses on integrating the U.S. Public Health Service recommended clinical practice guideline for treating tobacco use and dependence into standard office procedures. Contents include resources for implementing a brief intervention to help individuals who use tobacco quit. Topics include perceived barriers to tobacco treatment; tobacco dependence treatment roles for dental hygienists, dental assistants, and receptionists; medication resource materials for clinicians; consumer-education materials; and clinician reference materials.

Keywords: Adolescents, Drug addiction, Guidelines, Intervention, Model programs, Oral health, Pregnant women, Preventive health services, Reimbursement, Resources for professionals, Smoking cessation, Tobacco use, Wisconsin

U.S. Office of the Surgeon General. 2012. Preventing tobacco use among youth and young adults: A report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Office of the Surgeon General, 899 pp., exec. summ. (11 pp.).

Annotation: This report provides information about the scientific evidence on smoking among adolescents and young adults. Topics include research on diseases caused by early tobacco use, the addiction process, epidemiology, risk factors, the tobacco industry’s influence, and prevention. An executive summary, consumer booklet, fact sheet, parent and physician conversation cards, public service announcements, and promotional buttons and e-cards are also available. The consumer booklet and fact sheet are available in English and Spanish.

Keywords: Adolescents, Chronic illnesses and disabilities, Drug addiction, Epidemiology, Health behavior, Marketing, Prevention, Risk factors, Smoking, Spanish language materials, Statistical data, Tobacco use, Young adults

National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. 2011. Adolescent substance use: America's no. 1 public health problem. New York, NY: National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 406 pp.

Annotation: This report provides information about adolescent alcohol consumption and substance abuse, including the abuse of prescription drugs and illegal drugs. The report explains the problem and discusses its magnitude, consequences, messages that promote adolescent substance abuse, adolescent perceptions and expectations,factors that compound or reduce the risk of adolescent substance abuse and addiction, prevention approaches and barriers to improvement, and treatment.

Keywords: Adolescent attitudes, Adolescent behavior, Alcohol abuse, Alcohol consumption behavior, Alcohol dependence, Alcohol intoxication, Drug addiction, Health promotion, Mass media, Prevention, Substance abuse, Treatment

U.S. Center for Mental Health Services. 2010. About evidence-based practice KITS: Shaping mental health services toward recovery. Washington, DC: U.S. Center for Mental Health Services,

Annotation: This series of program toolkits promotes the use of evidence-based practices in mental health. Programs include illness management and recovery, assertive community treatment, family psychoeducation, supported employment, and integrated treatment for co-occurring disorders. Each kit contains information sheets for stakeholder groups (in English and Spanish), practice demonstration videos, and a workbook or manual for practitioners. Topics include information on how to use the kit, getting started, building the program, using multimedia to introduce the program, training staff, and evaluating the program. Each kit also includes a review of the research literature and a selected bibliography.

Keywords: Addictions, Evidence based health care, Interdisciplinary approach, Mental health, Mental health programs, Multimedia, Resources for professionals, Service integration, Spanish language materials, Substance abuse treatment

Sidransky D, Norman LA, McCarthy A, Taylor PL, eds. 2010. How tobacco smoke causes disease: The biology and behavioral basis for smoking-attributable disease. Washington, DC: U.S. Office of the Surgeon General, 706 pp.

Annotation: This report describes the ways tobacco smoke damages organs in the body and causes disease and death. Topics include how and why smokers become addicted and how nicotine compares with heroin and cocaine in its hold on users and its effects on the brain. In addition, the report discusses how chemicals in cigarette smoke impair the immune system and why smokers are more likely to suffer from chronic disease than are nonsmokers. Companion booklets for consumers and clinicians and additional online resources are also available.

Keywords: Addictions, Biomechanics, Chronic illnesses and disabilities, Drug use behavior, Smoking, Tobacco use

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health. 2010. How tobacco smoke causes disease: What it means to you–A report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 pp.

Annotation: This document summarizes scientific findings about how deadly cigarettes are, how quickly they can damage the body, and ways that tobacco companies have altered cigarettes to make them more addictive. Topics include the chemicals in tobacco smoke; nicotine and addiction; how smoking causes cancer and circulatory and respiratory damage, harms reproduction and children's health, and makes diabetes harder to control; and how secondhand smoke harms nonsmokers. Information about the reasons people chose to quit smoking and resources to help them is included.

Keywords: Adverse effects, Advertising, Child health, Consumer education materials, Drug addiction, Nicotine, Oral health, Research, Smoking, Smoking cessation
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The MCH Library is one of six special collections at Georgetown University, the nation's oldest Jesuit institution of higher education. The library is supported through foundation, private, university, state, and federal funding. This information or content and conclusions are those of the authors and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by Georgetown University or the U.S. Government. Note: web pages whose development was supported by federal government grants are being reviewed to comply with applicable Executive Orders.