Search Results: MCHLine

Annotation: This booklet introduces expectant parents, doulas, childbirth educators, and clinical staff to TeamBirth, a collaborative approach that promotes patient involvement in pregnancy and childbirth decisions. It provides a structured format for communication between patients and their care team through regular "huddles" and a shared whiteboard system. The booklet includes sections on documenting pregnancy experiences, planning for different stages of labor and delivery, identifying preferences for pain management and birth support, and reflecting on the birth experience afterward. Practical tools include checklists for labor support options, discussion guides for admission and assisted delivery scenarios, and suggested questions to help patients advocate for themselves during the birth process. The booklet emphasizes that patients are essential members of the care team and encourages them to share their preferences, ask questions, and participate in decisions throughout pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum care. Available in both English and Spanish.

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Keywords: Childbirth, Collaboration, Labor, Patient education, Patient-centered care, Perinatal care, Postpartum care, Prenatal care

Annotation: This toolkit for families describes the different types of perinatal care available and offers guidance on finding providers who will honor and respect their cultural backgrounds during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period in Georgia. It defines cultural competence and cultural sensitivity in healthcare settings and provides key considerations when choosing providers such as insurance acceptance, accessibility, values alignment, and cultural appropriateness of support services. The toolkit describes the benefits of various perinatal support providers including midwives, obstetricians/gynecologists, pelvic floor therapists, prenatal massage therapists, maternal mental health therapists, chiropractors, nutritionists, lactation consultants, and doulas, with specific provider referrals for each type throughout Georgia. It includes a list of organizations that provide referrals and resources, emphasizing the importance of respectful, culturally responsive perinatal support that meets families' unique cultural traditions and needs.

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Keywords: Cultural sensitivity, Culturally competence services, Families, Georgia, Labor, Perinatal care, Postpartum care, Pregnancy, Prenatal care, State initiatives

Annotation: This guide provides detailed instructions for implementing a multilingual, person-centered decision aid for routine labor induction in prenatal care settings. It presents both web-based and paper versions of a decision support tool developed by Partner to Decide, a nonprofit organization, with funding from the Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center. The guide outlines implementation options, necessary resources, and evaluation strategies for healthcare providers adopting the tool, which supports shared decision-making for pregnant people considering labor induction between 39-42+ weeks with no medical indication. It includes step-by-step quality improvement processes, example workflow charts, sample medical record documentation language, and strategies for addressing common implementation challenges. The document contains substantial appendices with worksheets for systems analysis and example implementation flowcharts to help healthcare settings customize the tool's adoption to their specific needs.

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Keywords: Decision making, Induced labor, Labor, Models, Patient care, Patient education, Patient satisfaction, Prenatal care

Annotation: This issue brief describes the role of the doula; explains how doula support can reduce maternal health disparities and improve birthing outcomes; and provides examples of state Medicaid programs that cover doula care. The brief also addresses policy considerations; funding challenges, barriers to doula coverage, and considerations for states seeking to expand doula care.

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Keywords: Access to care, Doulas, Financing, Health care disparities, Labor companions, Maternal health, Medicaid, Policy, State initiatives

Annotation: This fact sheet provides information on careers in dentistry. It discusses the following types of oral health professionals: allied dental educator, dental assistant, dental laboratory technician, dental hygienist, and dentist. For each, a description of what the oral health professional does and their average salary is presented.

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Keywords: Careers, Dental assistants, Dental hygienists, Dentistry, Dentists, Dentists, Health educators, Laboratories, Medical technicians, Oral health, Salaries

Annotation: This brief reviews findings from the literature on the successes and challenges of Medicaid doula coverage implementation; synthesizes insights on Medicaid doula coverage considerations from interviews with doula certification and advocacy organizations; and identifies strategies and recommendations to improve the implementation of doula coverage.

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Keywords: Access to care , Doulas, Financing, Labor companions, Medicaid

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 report presents an analysis of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) among Montana residents who delivered in Montana hospitals from 2016-2018, using hospital discharge data. SMM refers to life-threatening obstetric complications that lead to significant short-term or long-term consequences. The report uses the CDC's ICD-10 based definition to identify SMM cases and rates. Key findings include: an overall SMM rate of 110.5 per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations; blood transfusion as the most common SMM indicator followed by hysterectomy and acute renal failure; and increased risk of SMM associated with Medicaid coverage, younger (<20 years) and older (≥35 years) age, residence in very rural counties, and American Indian/Alaska Native race. In particular, American Indian/Alaska Native individuals had triple the risk of SMM compared to white individuals, and those in the most rural counties had nearly double the risk compared to those in small metropolitan counties. The report discusses the intersecting racial and geographic disparities and provides recommendations to alleviate SMM through focused, culturally-sensitive, rurally-tailored care and prevention efforts in partnership with impacted communities. It also examines SMM in the context of severe hypertension and hemorrhage to inform state maternal safety initiatives.

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Keywords: Data, Maternal morbidity, Montana, Obstetric labor complications, Rural health, State initiatives

Annotation: This handbook describes best practices to help with the continuing effort to prevent HIV infection in women and infants. Topics include HIV counseling and testing during pregnancy; perinatal transmission risk; diagnostic tests; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's classification of disease; HIV reporting requirements; medications and treatment during pregnancy, labor, delivery and postpartum; newborn treatment; and consultation and referral information. Four appendices provide a resource directory, a listing of local health jurisdictions in Washington state, free regional and national telephone consultation resources, and Web sites. References conclude the handbook.

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Keywords: Childbirth, Consultation, Counseling, Diagnostic tests, HIV, HIV screening, Labor, Medicine, Newborns, Perinatal care, Postpartum care, Pregnancy, Pregnant women, Referral, Resource materials, Women's health

Annotation: This guide is designed to assist school officials in understanding how human trafficking impacts schools; recognizing the indicators of possible child trafficking; and developing policies, protocols, and partnerships to address and prevent the exploitation of children. Topics include child sex trafficking, child labor trafficking, deconstructing perceptions and a victim-centered approach, risk factors and predictors, what to do about suspected trafficking, recruitment, impact on learning environment, and community involvement. The guide contains a sample protocol for school districts and describes U.S. government entities combating human trafficking, publications and resources, training, services, and terms and definitions.

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Keywords: Child labor, Child sexual abuse, Community action, Learning, Policy development, Protective factors, Protocols, Public private partnerships, Resources for professionals, Risk factors, School age children, Schools, Training

Annotation: This resource provides information on the role of public health laboratories in genetics testing and newborn screening science and practice. Resources for education, technical assistance and evaluation, training, and quality improvement are also included.

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Keywords: Evaluation, Infants, Laboratories, Laboratory techniques, Neonatal screening, Program improvement, Quality assurance, Resources for professionals, Technical assistance, Training

Annotation: This document summarizes a workshop held on February 27, 2013, in Washington, DC, to examine and discuss challenges and potential solutions for the co-development of targeted therapeutics and companion molecular tests for the prediction of drug response. Topics include perspectives from a variety of stakeholders including patients, providers, and laboratory representatives; pharmaceutical developers; and payers and regulators.

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Keywords: Financing, Genomics, Laboratory techniques, Pharmaceutical research, Regulations, Testing, Therapeutics

Annotation: This brief discusses the health risks and costs associated with early elective deliveries (EED),federal and national initiatives to support full-term pregnancies, and health plan and health plan foundation approaches to reducing EED. Topics include the potential negative health consequences of EED; average payments for maternal and newborn care and payment reform; and hospital, provider, patient, and member education initiatives. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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Keywords: Adverse effects, Cesarean section, Childbirth, Costs, Federal initiatives, Foundations, Health education, Health plans, Induced labor, Intervention, National initiatives, Pregnant women, Program improvement, Reimbursement

Annotation: This document provides guidance on and strategies for reducing rates of early elective delivery (EED). Topics include the current landscape for eliminating EED, barriers to reducing EED and strategies to overcome them, challenges and barriers to monitoring performance and progress toward eliminating EED, key strategies to promote readiness for EED activities, and measurement guidance. Additional contents include educational tools, resources, and exemplars to support EED elimination efforts, as well as instructions for accessing relevant data.

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Keywords: Barriers, Cesarean section, Childbirth, Hospitals, Induced labor, Measures, Obstetrical care, Policy development, Program improvement, Quality assurance

Annotation: This video for consumers explains why it's important to mother and baby's health to wait at least 39 weeks of pregnancy to deliver if the mother or child's health is not in danger. The video is available in a full-length version (4 min.,10 seconds), as well as 60-and 30-second versions. The initiative web page provides additional information for moms to be and for health professionals, including tools to help spread the word such as an infographic, ecards, and badges to put on a personal web site, blog, or organizational web site.

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Keywords: Childbirth, Gestational age, Induced labor, National initiatives, Pregnancy complications, Pregnancy outcome, Risk factors

Annotation: This book covers the 100-year history of the U.S. Children's Bureau dedicated to the welfare of the nation's children. Topics include involvement in issues such as infant mortality, dependent children, child labor hours and conditions, child abuse and neglect prevention, foster care, and adoption services. Contents include collaboration, assistance to states and tribes, research and data, getting the word out, and leadership. A website also presents the Children's Bureau history. A version of the printed history is also available in Spanish at https://cb100.acf.hhs.gov/sites/all/themes/danland/danblog/files/Story_of_CB_Spanish.pdf.

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Keywords: Adoption, Child abuse, Child labor, Child neglect, Child welfare, Children, Federal agencies, Foster care, History, Infant mortality, Infants, Spanish language materials, U. S. Children's Bureau, Welfare reform, Welfare services

Annotation: This fact sheet explains why it is important to carry a baby to full term (40 weeks) and reminds pregnant women that labor should be induced for medical reasons only -- not for convenience. The fact sheet lists 40 different reasons to carry a baby to full term, including the health benefits to both the mother and baby, the reduction in health risks, and the ways in which expectant parents can enjoy the time before the birth of their baby.

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Keywords: Induced labor, Infant health, Perinatal care, Pregnancy outcome

Annotation: This electronic resource for pregnant women provides information about induction of labor, including answers to the following questions: (1) How can I lower my chances of being induced unnecessarily; (2) What normally causes labor to begin? (3) What is the safest point in pregnancy for the baby to be born? and (4) Why are so many women experiencing induced labor? The resource also describes reasons why caregivers might recommend induction of labor; provides best evidence related to the induction of labor (including common "reasons" for induction that are not supported by rigorous research); and tips and tools to help pregnant women reduce their risk of being induced or having the best possible outcome if induction is called for. A quick fact sheet about the induction of labor and the results of the Childbirth Connection's Listening to Mothers survey of women who gave birth in hospitals in 2005 can be downloaded from the website.

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Keywords: Consumer education materials, Induced labor, Pregnant women, Risk factors

Annotation: This fact sheet for pregnant women provides answers to the following questions about induced labor: (1) What is the safest point in pregnancy for the baby to be born? (2) How may induction of labor affect my health, my baby's health, or my birth experience? (3) When is it beneficial to induce labor? (4) What common "reasons" for induction are not supported by rigorous research? (5) How can I lower my chances of being induced unnecessarily? and (6) Where can I learn more? The information is adapted from the Childbirth Connection's web-based resource on induction of labor.

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Keywords: Consumer education materials, Induced labor, Pregnant women, Risk factors

Annotation: This patient education brochure describes the choices women have when planning how to give birth after a previous cesarean delivery. It describes the reasons why women might consider a trial of labor after a cesarean delivery (called TOLAC) and, if successful, a vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC). The brochure explains the reasons why women may want to think about TOLAC, the potential risks involved, and the factors that have been shown to increase or decrease the chances of successful TOLAC and VBAC. Included are illustrations of the various types of cesarean incisions and a glossary of terms. The brochure is also available in Spanish.

Keywords: Consumer education materials, Labor, Pregnant women, Risk factors, Spanish language materials, Vaginal birth after cesarean