Search Results: MCHLine

Annotation: This set of posters depict services needed for the health and welfare of infants. They address the topics of birth registration, proper care before birth, infant welfare stations, baby clinics, and child hygiene bureaus.

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Keywords: Birth certificates, Child welfare, Community health services, Infants, Mothers, Posters, Prenatal care

Annotation: This perinatal mental health screening protocol and briefing guide is designed to provide a culturally responsive framework for screening Black birthing persons. The protocol aims to address the urgent need for improved screening and quality care for this population, which is at higher risk for perinatal depression and anxiety. Informed by focus groups with Black birthing people, Black birth workers, perinatal service providers, and a literature review, the guide outlines five key steps for conducting screenings: fostering an atmosphere of trust and safety, starting a conversation, providing choice and transparency, discussing results with patients, and making referrals with follow-through. The briefing includes considerations for providers before screening, such as assessing biases, serving with cultural humility, understanding community fears and stigma, and recognizing common phrases used to indicate anxiety or depression. The protocol also provides guidance on establishing an organizational screening process and building culturally responsive referral partnerships.

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Keywords: Blacks, Child birth, Culutral sensitivity, Mental health, Ohio, Perinatal care, Protocol, Quality improvement, Screening, State initiatives

Annotation: Podcast host Christie Allen talks with Amy Romano, founder and CEO of Primary Maternity Care. Romano, a nurse midwife with an MBA, who shares her experience blending clinical expertise with system-level healthcare leadership to revolutionize maternity care in rural communities. They discuss the critical role of freestanding birth centers, their capacity to offer low-risk, community-based care, and how these centers could be a key part of the solution to the growing issue of maternity deserts. Romano also dives into the challenges of regulatory barriers, the importance of risk-appropriate care, and the unique quality improvement strategies needed for safe community births. From pandemic-driven innovations to rethinking the future of rural maternity care, this episode is packed with actionable insights for improving maternal health outcomes in underserved areas. It is part of the AIM for safer Birth podcast series that dive deeper into the rising severe maternal morbidity and maternal mortality rates in the United States through a data-driven, quality improvement lens.

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Keywords: Birthing centers, Childbirth, Maternal health, Quality assurance, Risk factors, Rural health, Safety, Underserved communities

Annotation: This patient safety bundle was revised in 2023 to incorporate respectful care concepts, revise existing elements, include new elements related to evidence-informed practices, and update data collection plans. The bundle provides actionable steps to support labor and care processes that can be adapted to a variety of facilities and resource levels to improve quality of care and safely reduce cesarean births. Implementation details and resources, a data collection plan, an evidence-informed "change package," and learning modules are included on the website. Some materials are available in English, Spanish, and French.

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• Printable Patient Safety Bundle

Keywords: Cesarean section, Childbirth, Data collection, Measures, Obstetrical care, Prevention, Protocols, Quality improvement, Resources for professionals, Safety, Vaginal birth

Annotation: This toolkit to support vaginal birth and reduce primary cesarean sections includes evidence-based tools and resources to support pregnant patients who transfer to the hospital from a community birth center and to effectively integrate midwifery care and doula support into the hospital setting. The toolkit serves as a “how to” guide to help educate and motivate maternity clinicians to apply best practices to support vaginal birth. Included are strategies to (1) improve the culture of care, awareness, and education for cesarean reduction; (2) support intended Vaginal Birth; (3) manage labor abnormalities and safely reduce cesarean births; and (4) use data to drive reduction in cesareans. Twenty appendices include checklists, guidelines, partograms, performance measures, and assessment tools for healthcare providers.

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Keywords: Birthing Centers, California , Cesarean section, Childbirth, Doulas, Hospitals Quality assurance, Labor, Midwives, Model programs, Pregnant women, Prevention, Vaginal birth

Annotation: This manuscript presents findings from a literature review examining the implementation of community health workers (CHWs) to improve birth outcomes among Black and Latina women who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The document analyzes how nurse-trained CHWs can decrease healthcare costs and improve maternal-child health outcomes through education and support services. It outlines evidence that CHWs help reduce preterm births and low birth weight infants, particularly through home visits and culturally appropriate care. The review includes systematic reviews, qualitative research studies, prospective cohort studies, and longitudinal analyses published between 2017-2022, focusing on populations experiencing low income and poor birth outcomes.

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Keywords: Childbirth, Community health workers, Cultural competence, High risk groups, Literature reviews, Low birthweight, MCH Services, Preterm birth, Prevention, Vulnerability

Annotation: This consensus study report reviews and evaluates maternal and newborn care in the United States; the epidemiology of social and clinical risks in pregnancy and childbirth; research on birth settings; and access to and choice of birth settings in America. Maternal and neonatal interventions and health outcomes are compared across birth settings, including hospitals, birthing centers, and home birth environments.

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Keywords: Access to care, Birthing centers, Cesarean section, Childbirth, Health facilities, Home childbirth, Hospitals, Infant care, Maternal health, Maternal morbidity, Maternity hospitals, Measures, Midwifery, Policy , Pregnancy, Pregnancy outcome, Risk factors, Social factors, Statistics, Trends

Annotation: This brief identifies evidence-informed strategies that state Title V programs may consider implementing to increase the percentage of very low birth weight (<1500 gm) infants born in hospitals with a level III or higher neonatal intensive care unit. Contents include information about the methods and results of the evidence review, key findings, and implications. The full review is also available. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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Keywords: Block grants, Childbirth, Evidence-based practice, High risk pregnancy, Hospitals, Infant mortality, Intervention, Literature reviews, Low birthweight, Measures, Model programs, Neonatal intensive care units, Newborn infants, Perinatal care, Policy development, Program planning, Protective factors, Regional medical centers, Regional planning, Resources for professionals, State MCH programs, Systems development, Title V programs

Annotation: This document identifies evidence-informed strategies that state Title V programs might consider implementing to increase the percentage of very low birth weight (<1500 gm) infants born in a hospital with a level III or higher neonatal intensive care unit. Contents include an introduction and background; review methods and results, including search results, characteristics of studies reviewed, intervention components, summary of study results, and evidence rating and evidence continuum; and implications of the review. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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Keywords: Block grants, Childbirth, Evidence-based practice, High risk pregnancy, Infant mortality, Intervention, Literature reviews, Low birthweight, Measures, Model programs, Neonatal intensive care units, Newborn infants, Perinatal care, Policy development, Program planning, Resources for professionals, State MCH programs, Title V programs

Annotation: This fact sheet describes national and state initiatives to scale up and implement programs that encourage and facilitate first trimester prenatal care and help at-risk mothers commit to behaviors that reduce the numbers of low birthweight infants. Topics include a group prenatal care model called CenteringPregnancy®, smoking cessation programs, quality improvement initiatives related to the elimination of early elective deliveries, and Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait Community Programs®.

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Keywords: Childbirth, Collaboration, Community based programs, Community based services, Evidence based medicine, Financing, Health behavior, Health promotion, High risk infants, High risk mothers, High risk pregnancy, Low birthweight, Models, National initiatives, Peer support programs, Prenatal care, Preterm birth, Prevention programs, Smoking cessation

Annotation: This website provides tools for optimizing the outcomes of labor safely and reducing the risk of primary cesarean delivery among lost-risk women. The site describes the American College of Nurse-Midwives' Healthy Birth Initiative: Reducing Primary Cesareans Project; presents statistics on primary cesarean sections; and links to additional resources and tools to help reduce non-medically indicated cesarean sections, share decision-making with patients, promote and support physiologic birth; and improve the quality of maternity care. Clinical guidelines for the care of women during each stage of labor are also provided.

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Keywords: Cesarean sections, Childbirth, Guidelines, Midwifery, Prevention, Safety, Social support, Vaginal birth

Annotation: These consensus guidelines provide information for clinicians on the safe prevention of primary cesarean delivery. Developed jointly by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), the document includes background information on cesarean delivery; discusses the importance of balancing risks and benefits of vaginal and cesarean sections; describes indications for primary cesarean delivery, presents, clinical management questions and answers; and provides inks to more than 100 reference citations. C-section trenda data is also included.

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Keywords: Cesarean section, Childbirth, Guidelines , Prevention, Safety, Vaginal birth

Annotation: This technical assistance brief discusses strategies for accessing vital records for quality measurement and improvement efforts related maternal and infant health care in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. The brief also gives guidance and describes resources available to states for linking vital records and Medicaid/CHIP data to increase states' capacity to report two measures in the core set of children's health care quality measures: low birth weight rate and Cesarean section rate.

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Keywords: Cesarean section, Children's Health Insurance Program, Data linkage, Low birthweight, Measures, Medicaid, Program improvement, Public health infrastructure, Quality assurance, Resources for professionals, Technical assistance, Vital statistics

Annotation: This paper, which focuses on the Infant Health and Development Program, a randomized multisite study of 985 low-birthweight infants and their families, examines the following three questions: (1) What are the different patterns of home visits? (2) Which child, maternal, and family demographic characteristics and qualities of the home visit are associated with these home-visitation patterns? (3) Are higher frequency patterns of home visits associated with positive effects for children's cognitive and behavioral outcomes and mothers' depression, social support, and knowledge of child development? The authors also examine the significance of the home environment. The paper includes a literature review and a description of the study method, measures, data analysis, and results.

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Keywords: Behavior disorders, Behavior problems, Child behavior, Cognitive development, Depression, Early childhood development, Families, High risk groups, Home visiting, Infant development, Infants, Low birthweight infants, Low income groups, Mothers, Parent support programs, Postpartum depression, Programs, Young children

Annotation: This paper discusses the results of a study on children born in Florida from 1992 to 2002, and the effect of birth weight on cognitive development from kindergarten through middle school. Study methodology is reviewed and results are discussed in the following categories: heavier versus lighter twins; testing; results by grade; differences by genetics, gender, maternal race, ethnicity and immigrant status; and family socioeconomic status. Topics also include birth weight discordance, school quality and the effect of birth weight on test scores, and birth weight gaps at kindergarten entry. A bibliography and statistical data conclude the paper.

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Keywords: Cognitive development, Florida, Learning, Low birthweight, Newborn infants, School readiness, State surveys, Statistical data, Young children

Annotation: This webinar discusses Healthy People 2020 indicators for maternal, infant, and child health; specifically lowering rates of infant mortality and preterm or premature birth.

• Webinar Archives

Keywords: Child health, Infant health, Infant mortality, Maternal health, Prematurity, Preterm birth

Annotation: This report summarizes a workshop convened to update a 1982 report on the assessment of childbirth settings in the United States. Topics include birth and birth setting trends and statistics; assessment of risk in pregnancy; health outcomes associated with birth setting; work force issues related to birth setting; data systems and measurement; and cost, value, and reimbursement issues.

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Keywords: Alternative birth styles, Birthing centers, Childbirth, Delivery rooms, MCH research, Maternal health services, Research methodology, Trends

Annotation: This resource provides a schedule of presentations and panel discussions that took place during a workshop convened in March 2013 to update a 1982 report on the assessment of childbirth settings in the United States. Topics include birth and birth setting trends and statistics; assessment of risk in pregnancy; health outcomes associated with birth setting; work force issues related to birth setting; data systems and measurement; and cost, value, and reimbursement issues. The resource includes a statement of the workshop committee's statement of task, a committee roster, biographical sketches, and a list of workshop participants.

Keywords: Alternative birth styles, Birthing centers, Childbirth, Delivery rooms, MCH research, Maternal health services, Meetings, Research methodology, Trends

Annotation: This booklet for pregnant women presents questions and answers on cesarean section (c-section). Questions include Which is safer, vaginal birth or c-section? What are the possible benefits and harms of vaginal birth and c-section? What is it like to have a c-section? If my doctor or midwife suggests a c-section, how should I decide if it is right for me? Is it possible to safely prevent a c-section? and What happens if I need a c-section?

Keywords: Cesarean section, Childbirth, Informed consent, Patient rights, Pregnant women, Research, Safety, Vaginal birth

Annotation: This research brief describes state-level patterns in the adolescent birth rate between 1991 and 2009. The brief also examines variations in the uptick in birth rates that occurred for all states starting in 2005, but to varying degrees. The brief concludes with a discussion of the findings. Information about the data sources and methodology is included. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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Keywords: Adolescents, Birth rates, Childbearing, Policy analysis, Population surveillance, Research, Statistical analysis