Search Results: MCHLine

Keywords: Child mortality, Infant mortality, Maternal mortality, Statistics

Annotation: This report describes the maternal mortality review process in the state of New Mexico, presents key findings on pregnancy-associated deaths in the state for the period 2015-2018, and provides recommendations from the Review Committee aimed at reducing maternal deaths. The data indicates cause of death, race/ethnicity, place of birth, type of insurance, and other factors.

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Keywords: Committees, Maternal death, Maternal mortality, Models, New Mexico , Prevention, Research, State programs, Statistics

Annotation: This toolkit provides home visiting programs with client education materials and implementation tools to support maternal warning signs education. This education covers the important signs of maternal complications that may occur during pregnancy and the year after delivery. The toolkit includes an illustrated handout and discussion guide available in 12 languages, a video available in English, Spanish and French, a magnet, and online training for home visitors with an implementation manual. The materials are designed for home visitors working with pregnant and postpartum clients to educate them about urgent maternal warning signs that require immediate medical attention. All digital resources are available through a shared Google Drive folder.

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Keywords: Home visits, Maternal mortality, Patient education materials, Prevention, Resources for professionals

Annotation: This video presents an educational presentation by Dr. Shari Lawson, a general obstetrician gynecologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital, covering urgent maternal warning signs for pregnant and postpartum women up to two months after delivery. The presentation discusses signs of preeclampsia including severe headaches, vision changes, extreme swelling, and severe nausea; other pregnancy warning signs such as severe abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, and decreased fetal movement; postpartum complications including heavy bleeding and blood clots; and mental health concerns including depression and thoughts of self-harm. The video emphasizes the importance of seeking immediate medical attention when experiencing these symptoms and encourages sharing this information with family members to support maternal health. This video is available in English, Spanish and French as part of a comprehensive maternal warning signs toolkit for home visiting programs.

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Keywords: Maternal mortality, Patient education materials, Prevention

Annotation: This white paper discusses the worsening maternal morbidity and mortality (MMM) rates in the United States, which continue to disproportionately affect Black/African American and American Indian/Alaska Native women. The document addresses maternal health risks, the costs associated with maternal morbidity, and four crucial delays in care identified by the World Health Organization (WHO): delays in seeking medical care, reaching a facility, diagnosis/misdiagnosis, and receiving appropriate treatment. It discusses how digital healthcare solutions can advance maternal health by closing gaps in care, diminishing these four delays, empowering women to self-monitor, and equipping providers with more patient data for timely diagnosis. The paper describes the "Happy Mama" technology platform, which is designed to guide patients from preconception through 12 months postpartum while using FHIR-based interoperability standards to connect patient data with provider Electronic Health Records (EHRs).

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Keywords: Data collection, Health care disparities, Maternal morbidity, Maternal mortality, Remote patient monitoring, Telemedicine

Annotation: This strategic plan outlines a comprehensive roadmap for the National Institutes of Health to address the unique health needs of women and girls across the life course for the years 2024 through 2028. It details five strategic goals: (1) advancing research on the intersection of biological, social, and environmental factors; (2) improving data science and management; (3) fostering career development for women scientists; (4) supporting basic and translational studies of sex influences; and (5) enhancing community-engaged science. Major topics include maternal morbidity and mortality, chronic debilitating conditions, sex and gender influences on disease pathogenesis, and the reduction of health disparities through an intersectional approach. The document describes an iterative development process that incorporated input from federal partners, scientific experts, and the public to identify high-priority research gaps. Appendices provide information on national partnerships and lists of advisory committee and working group members.

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Keywords: , Data, Maternal health, Maternal morbidity, Maternal mortality, Pregnancy, Research, Sex characteristics, Strategic plans, Women's health

Annotation: These recommendations from the American Heart Association provide a framework for enhancing postpartum systems of care to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. The document outlines strategies for standardizing clinical education, defining the postpartum period as one year, and evaluating cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes. It emphasizes the importance of patient-centered holistic care through collaboration with midwives and doulas and advocates for 12 months of comprehensive health coverage for all postpartum people. Discussion also covers identifying social determinants of health and improving data collection through a national database for quality performance

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Keywords: Guidelines, Health care systems, Maternal morbidity, Maternal mortality, Postpartum care, Prevention

Annotation: This report examines the role of the Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant in addressing the maternal and infant health crisis and related racial and ethnic disparities in the United States. It analyzes fiscal investments for pregnant women and infants across 59 states and territories, comparing federal and non-federal funding ratios and the extent of state matching contributions. The document includes a substantial discussion of methodology and findings linking state funding levels to maternal and infant mortality rates. Recommendations for federal and state-level policy changes are provided, such as designating specific funding percentages for the pregnant and infant population and adopting a maternal and infant health performance measure bundle. Appendices include substantial tables detailing state-specific funding percentages and mortality data.

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Keywords: Data, Funding, Infant health, Infant mortality, Maternal health, Maternal mortality, Measures, Policy, Policy development, Social Security, Title V, State MCH programs, Statistics, Title V programs

Annotation: This website provides information about the Healthy Start program, administered by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), that works to improve health outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy in high-risk communities. The program focuses on enhancing mothers' health, preventing infant death, and eliminating health disparities through comprehensive, personalized care. The website offers several key resources, including a downloadable Healthy Start Fact Sheet providing program overview, links to evaluation reports showing program effectiveness, information about the Healthy Start EPIC Center for training and technical assistance, and access to the CAREWare database system for data management. Visitors can also find a program locator tool to find local Healthy Start sites, details about grant awards from 2019-2024 (including specific community-based doula initiatives), and contact information for additional questions. The site highlights program accomplishments, showing that Healthy Start participants receive early prenatal care, well-woman visits, and depression/interpersonal violence screenings at higher rates than national averages. The website also explains the structure of the Community Consortium approach and describes the Alumni Peer Navigator initiative that employs former program participants to help current families access needed services.

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Keywords: Health care disparities, Health promotion, Healthy Start, Infant health services, Infant mortality, Maternal health services, Perinatal care, Prevention

Annotation: The report analyzes life expectancy and mortality in the Americas for the period 2000–2019, exploring the burden of disease throughout the life course and with a focus on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), encompassing mental and substance use disorders, neurological conditions, and external causes.

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Keywords: Americas, Data, Maternal health, Mental health, Mortality, Noncommunicable diseases, Statistics, Substance use disorders, United States

Annotation: This report presents a roadmap of California's Birthing Care Pathway initiative launched by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to address maternal health disparities and improve outcomes for pregnant and postpartum Medi-Cal members. It describes the current state of maternal health in California, highlighting concerning trends in pregnancy-related mortality and severe maternal morbidity with significant racial disparities affecting Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Pacific Islander individuals. The document outlines DHCS' strategic approach to improve maternal health through policy solutions developed with input from diverse stakeholders, including Medi-Cal members. Key components include strengthening provider access, enhancing clinical care coordination, providing whole-person care, and modernizing maternity care payment systems. The report details recent Medi-Cal policy enhancements for perinatal care and describes California's participation in the federal Transforming Maternal Health Model to further strengthen delivery systems in selected Central Valley counties.

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Keywords: California, Health care disparities, Maternal health, Maternal morbidity, Maternal mortality, Model programs, Perinatal care, Policy development, Postpartum care, Quality improvement, State initiatives, Trends

Annotation: This fact sheet describes maternal mortality review as a comprehensive process to identify, review, and analyze deaths during pregnancy, childbirth, and the year postpartum to improve systems of care and prevent future tragedies. The document explains that this work is carried out by Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs), which are multidisciplinary state- or jurisdiction-based groups that conduct in-depth reviews of each death to determine critical factors and craft tailored recommendations. It describes how Congress passed the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act in 2018, which authorized the CDC's Enhancing Reviews and Surveillance to Eliminate Maternal Mortality (ERASE MM) program to provide funding and technical assistance to MMRCs in over 50 states and jurisdictions. The fact sheet outlines the alignment between MMRCs and the Title V MCH Services Block Grant, noting that MMRCs offer distinct qualitative, case-based insights that can inform Title V priority setting and planning.

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Keywords: Information dissemination, Legislation, Maternal death, Maternal mortality, Prevention, Research

Annotation: This report presents 97 recommendations developed by the Maine Maternal, Fetal, and Infant Mortality Review (MFIMR) Panel based on reviews of 22 cases of maternal, fetal and infant deaths occurring from July 2023 through December 2024. The 35-member panel reviewed de-identified case narratives to identify contributing factors and develop recommendations to improve health outcomes across 22 thematic areas including cardiovascular care, care coordination, cultural and linguistic support, emergency services, mental health, substance use, and social determinants of health. Panel members prioritized eight recommendations in the areas of mental health, substance use, and cultural/linguistic support, with an additional cross-cutting recommendation on stigma reduction.

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• MFIMR Panel Website

Keywords: Fatality review, Infant mortality review, Maine, Maternal mortality, Policy development, Protocols, State initiatives, fetal mortality

Annotation: This report presents findings from the Maryland Maternal Health Innovation Program's (MDMOM) facility-based Severe Maternal Morbidity (SMM) Surveillance and Review program for 2024, analyzing 340 SMM events identified at participating hospitals following the passage of the Maternal Health Act of 2024 requiring all birthing hospitals in the state to participate in SMM surveillance beginning in 2025. The program uses a standardized case definition of intensive care unit admission and/or transfusion of four or more units of blood products for pregnant and postpartum patients up to 42 days postpartum. Hospital review committees analyzed events to determine preventability, identify contributing factors, and develop recommendations organized by the "5Rs" framework of readiness, recognition and prevention, response, reporting and system learning, and respectful care. The report documents that 32% of SMM events were potentially preventable, with obstetric hemorrhage being the most common primary cause, and includes demographic characteristics, delivery outcomes, and specific recommendations for preventing future severe maternal morbidity by cause and racial/ethnic disparities in SMM rates.

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Keywords: Maryland, Maternal morbidity, Maternal mortality, Population surveillance, Postpartum hemorrhage, Prevention, Standards

Annotation: This workbook provides guidance on addressing fatal injuries, particularly intimate partner violence (IPV), homicide, suicide, and motor vehicle collisions (MVCs), as significant contributors to maternal mortality. It summarizes the evidence on the heightened risks of homicide and suicide for pregnant and postpartum women, with disparities among adolescents, Black women, and those with mental health conditions or IPV history. Environmental factors like poverty, lack of support, and firearm access also play a role. The workbook presents concerning data from Missouri's Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review on injury-related deaths, finding that homicides and suicides, often involving firearms and IPV, accounted for a significant portion of pregnancy-related mortality. Younger women, Black women, Medicaid participants, and those in metropolitan areas were disproportionately impacted. MVCs were a leading cause of deaths not directly related to pregnancy. Key recommendations are provided for healthcare providers and community organizations to improve screening, intervention, support, and prevention efforts around mental health, IPV, and vehicle safety to reduce maternal injury deaths. Resources and references are included for further training and implementation.

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Keywords: Data, Guidelines, Injury prevention, Maternal mortality, Missouri, Risk factors, State initiatives

Annotation: This workbook provides guidance for implementing evidence-based practices to improve care for pregnant and postpartum individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD). It summarizes the evidence on the significant risks of CVD in pregnancy, which can exacerbate pre-existing conditions or lead to new disorders due to the hemodynamic changes of pregnancy. The workbook presents data from Missouri's Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review, finding that CVD accounted for 30% of pregnancy-related deaths from 2017-2021, with most deemed preventable and Black women disproportionately impacted. To address this crisis, the AIM Cardiac Conditions in Obstetric Care patient safety bundle components are provided, with detailed strategies for implementing universal cardiac risk screening, rapid response protocols, cardio-obstetric teams, care coordination, patient education, and equity-focused data monitoring. Emphasis is placed on early recognition, diagnosis, and treatment to prevent complications and death. Resources and references are included for further training and implementation.

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Keywords: Cardiovascular diseases, Evidence-based medicine, Guidelines, Maternal morbidity, Maternal mortality, Missouri, Obstetrical complications, Perinatal care, Postpartum care, Prevention, Quality improvement, Resources for professionals, State initiatives

Annotation: This web page from the South Carolina Department of Public Health addresses the state's high maternal mortality rate, which ranks 8th in the United States, noting that nearly 90% of pregnancy-related deaths—the majority of which occur in the postpartum period—are preventable. The site highlights stark disparities, with the mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black women being nearly double that of non-Hispanic White women, and lists the top three leading causes as Infections, Mental Health Conditions/Substance Use Disorder (SUD), and Embolism. The site includes an illustrated list of the urgent maternal warning signs developed by the Council on Patient Safety in Women's Health Care. The page also links to the Tracking Reproductive Health Dashboard and a booklet for new parents.

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Keywords: Data, Maternal mortality, Postpartum care, Prevention, South Carolina, State health agencies, State initiatives

Annotation: This tip sheet from the March of Dimes for friends, family, and neighbors provides strategies to support individuals who have recently given birth during the postpartum period. It identifies critical physical and mental health warning signs requiring medical attention, such as chest discomfort, breathing difficulties, and symptoms of postpartum depression or preeclampsia. The resource offers conversation starters to encourage open communication and outlines practical ways to help, including providing meals, assisting with childcare, and managing household chores. Available in English and Spanish.

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Keywords: Communication, Maternal mortality, Patient education, Postpartum care, Prevention

Annotation: This guide for parents describes how to recognize and address health concerns following childbirth. It identifies critical physical and mental health warning signs requiring medical attention, such as chest pain, vision changes, and persistent feelings of sadness or anxiety. The document provides strategies for self-care, wellness, and self-advocacy, along with conversation starters to help individuals who have recently given birth request support from family and friends. Available in English and Spanish.

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• Spanish

Keywords: Communication, Maternal mortality, Mental health, Patient education, Postpartum care, Postpartum depression, prevention

Annotation: This website showcases the IMPROVE initiative, launched by the National Institutes of Health in 2019, to support research to reduce preventable causes of maternal deaths and improve health for women before, during, and after pregnancy. The site describes the multi-pronged research initiative, emphasizing its focus on those disproportionately affected by maternal morbidity and mortality, including African American/Black, American Indian/Alaska Native populations, people of advanced maternal age, and people with disabilities. Links to research and funding opportunities, webinars and virtual workshops, funded projects, and resources for the public and for researchers are included.

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• Fact Sheet

Keywords: Federal initiatives, Grants , Maternal health, Maternal morbidity, Maternal mortality, Prevention programs, Research, Research programs