Search Results: MCHLine

Annotation: This online tool presents an overview of the "100 Weeks Project" by United States of Care, an initiative dedicated to addressing maternal health, particularly postpartum care, with a goal of ensuring women have comprehensive benefits for a full year after pregnancy by 2030. It maps the entire maternal journey—preconception, pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum—focusing on the disproportionate challenges faced by Black women, who are significantly more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes. The resource highlights pain points within the healthcare system, such as fragmented coverage, racial bias, and a lack of support for mental health and breastfeeding, alongside "bright spots" like community organizations and culturally-concordant care. State-level data illustrates disparities in access to perinatal health workers, postpartum depression screening rates, and insurance coverage for essential services like doula and lactation consultation. Ultimately, the project uses firsthand narratives and clinical data to advocate for systemic change and improved support throughout the critical 100-week period.

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Keywords: Access to care, Barriers, Blacks, Healthcare disparities, Maternal health, Preconception care, Pregnancy, Prenatal care: Postpartum care

Annotation: This volume presents a joint project of the March of Dimes and the Future Homemakers of America, which trains adolescent to provide peer education to other adolescents on the subject of preventing birth defects. It discusses reports from peer educators, the problem of birth defects, facts about preventable problems and project possibilities, suggestions for getting started, communication techniques, and a list of do's and don'ts. The volume is illustrated with photographs and drawings.

Keywords: Adolescent parents, Adolescent pregnancy, Communication, Congenital abnormalities, Peer education

Annotation: The goal of this project was to reduce the incidence of low birthweight by improving the preconceptional health of women who were at high risk for delivering a low birthweight infant. High-risk women were identified at delivery and were followed for 2 years. Client services were then provided by community health workers, who made home visits and developed a risk reduction plan for each client. Intervention protocols were developed for each risk factor and involved referral to the appropriate resource, followup to ensure client compliance, and reinforcement of professional counseling or supplemental teaching. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Keywords: Community-Based Health Services, Florida, High risk groups, High risk mothers, High risk pregnancy, Indigent Patients, Infant Mortality, Intervention, Low Birthweight, WIC Program

Annotation: This project aimed to reduce postneonatal mortality rates associated with inadequate parenting skills and poor utilization of prenatal and child health care services. Activities included establishment of a resource mothers program in which church women were trained to assist pregnant women in negotiating the health care and social services systems, and implementation of a teen peer counselor program. The project also established self-sustaining local coalitions to monitor and address problems that contribute to poor pregnancy outcomes. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Keywords: Access to Health Care, Adolescents, Blacks, Clergy, Community-Based Health Services, High risk groups, High risk pregnancy, Infant Mortality, Low income groups, Postneonatal Mortality, Pregnant Women, Prenatal Care, Religious organizations, Rural Populations

Annotation: This project surveyed 3000 postpartum Massachusetts women in order to identify barriers to, components of, and levels of participation in prenatal care, and to collect data on the social context of women's lives during pregnancy. Various interventions with high risk women at four demonstration sites were evaluated and compared. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Keywords: High risk pregnancy, Hispanics, Infant Mortality, Low Birthweight, Pregnant Women, Prenatal Care

Annotation: This project sought to reduce infant morbidity and mortality due to low birthweight, and to demonstrate a cost-effective prenatal care program which was integrated into the existing system and can be duplicated in other states. Project objectives included: reducing the incidence of low birthweight newborns in the project; reducing the incidence of women who engage in high-risk behaviors during their pregnancy; instituting a model prenatal education, counseling, referral, and followup program in physicians' offices and other sites; and enhancing the education and counseling skills of prenatal care providers. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Keywords: Counseling, Education of Health Professionals, Education of Patients, High risk pregnancy, Infant Morbidity, Infant Mortality, Low Birthweight, Pregnant Women, Prenatal Care, Referrals

Annotation: This document describes seven science-based approaches in adolescent pregnancy, HIV, and sexually transmitted infection prevention. Topics include assessment, health education and behavior change theory, logic models, science-based programs, adaptation and fidelity, characteristics of promising programs, and process and outcome evaluation. Additional topics include the benefits of using science-based approaches, ten steps for getting to outcomes, and training and technical assistance.

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Keywords: Adolescent pregnancy prevention, Assessment, Behavior modification, HIV, Health behavior, Health education, Methods, Models, Outcome evaluation, Prevention programs, Process evaluation, Sexually transmitted diseases

Annotation: This resource package from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment compiles educational materials on maternal health topics for pregnant and postpartum women. It emphasizes potential warning signs and the importance of women being aware of their bodies. The package includes patient education handouts, infographics, and action plans on topics such as signs and symptoms of preterm labor, urgent maternal warning signs, anxiety and depression around pregnancy, and postpartum warning signs. It also provides resources on perinatal hypertension, including educational handouts on preeclampsia, low-dose aspirin for prevention, increased risk of heart disease, and instructions for home blood pressure monitoring. Additional materials cover reproductive life planning, well-woman visits, and national initiatives for pregnancy and postpartum health. The resources are provided in both English and Spanish.

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Keywords: Emergencies, Hypertension, Kansas, Maternal health, Patient education, Postpartum care, Pregnancy, Prevention, Risk factors, Spanish language materials

Annotation: This web page from the Utah Office of Maternal and Child Health focuses on Maternal Mental Health, explaining that depression and anxiety are the most common complications of childbirth, with 1 in 8 Utah women affected by postpartum depression. It describes how perinatal mental health encompasses conditions such depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and psychosis that can occur anytime during pregnancy through one year postpartum. The site lists common signs of these conditions, such as feeling angry or irritable, experiencing scary thoughts, and feeling immense sadness, and identifies risk factors like complicated pregnancy, traumatic birth, and experiences of racism and discrimination. Emphasizing that mood disorders are treatable, the site provides help via the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and offers a free, downloadable maternal mental health resource available in multiple languages, including English and Spanish, in addition to listing the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline and a link to the Maternal Mental Health Referral Network.

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Keywords: Anxiety, Behavioral medicine, Depression, Maternal health, Mental health, Postpartum depression, Postpartum psychosis, Pregnancy, Therapeutics

Annotation: This report identifies gaps, opportunities, and alignment for reforms to create a better postpartum maternal health care experience.

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Keywords: Data analysis, Mental health, Policy development, Postpartum care, Pregnancy loss, Quality improvement

Annotation: This fact sheet describes the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), a population-based surveillance system that collects state- and site-specific data on women's experiences and health before, during, and shortly after pregnancy. The document explains that PRAMS was launched in 1987 and codified into law through the 2006 PREEMIE Act, operating as a joint project between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state, territorial, tribal, and local health departments. It covers PRAMS operations in 46 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and New York City, representing about 81% of all U.S. births. The fact sheet emphasizes PRAMS' alignment with the Title V MCH Services Block Grant by providing unique state-level data that Title V programs rely on to track key maternal and infant health indicators such as postpartum depression, mental health screening, and infant safe sleep practices.

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Keywords: Data collection, Data sources, Health surveys, Population surveillance, Pregnancy, Questionnaires, State surveys, Statistical data

Annotation: This toolkit for pregnant women and new mothers provides comprehensive information on accessing Medicaid coverage and maternal health services in the state of Alabama. It addresses Alabama's maternal health challenges, including the state's high maternal mortality rate and significant disparities affecting Black women. The toolkit outlines Medicaid eligibility criteria for pregnant women and describes the comprehensive services covered during preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum periods (extended to one full year after childbirth). It provides step-by-step enrollment instructions, required documentation, and contact information for assistance. The document describes maternity care access challenges in Alabama, noting that 8.9% of births occur in maternity care deserts and highlighting hospital closures affecting rural areas. It presents various state programs and initiatives working to improve maternal health outcomes, including the Alabama Maternal Health Task Force, Alabama Perinatal Quality Collaborative, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Birmingham Healthy Start Plus.

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Keywords: Alabama, Eligibility, Legislation, Medicaid, Patient education, Perinatal care, Pregnancy, postpartum care, state programs

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 toolkit provides an overview of the Postpartum Alert Initiative, a maternal safety program that utilizes teal wristbands to identify postpartum patients needing heightened monitoring for complications in the critical six-week period after delivery. It outlines the urgent need to address maternal mortality in Nebraska, which ranks 17th nationally. The toolkit details key implementation steps for birthing facilities, including designating program leadership, training healthcare teams using provided educational resources, integrating wristband distribution into discharge workflows, and conducting quarterly patient follow-up for program evaluation. Patient education materials in English, Spanish, Arabic, and Karen are provided to participating facilities at no cost, in one-pager, postcard, and wallet card formats. The toolkit also includes resources for healthcare providers and emergency services to enhance recognition of postpartum warning signs.

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Keywords: Emergency medical services, Media campaigns, Nebraska, Postpartum care, Pregnancy complications, State initiatives

Annotation: This report builds on state and national efforts to promote information, share best practices, and educate health professionals, including prenatal care health professionals, pediatric professionals, and oral health professionals for the benefit of patients, including pregnant women, children, and families receiving oral health care. The report introduces the issues, discusses trends, discusses national efforts and Massachusetts' efforts to address oral health among pregnant women and children, and provides information about the role of health professionals in improving oral health among pregnant women and children. Guidelines for prenatal care health professionals, pediatric professionals, and oral health professionals are included.

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Keywords: Assessment, Collaboration, Health education, Massachusetts, Oral health, Oral health care, Pediatric care, Pregnancy, Pregnant women, Prenatal care, Preventive health services, Referrals, Role, State programs, Young children

Annotation: This report is part of a series that provides an overview of activities to promote oral health during pregnancy. This issue focuses on the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), a surveillance project that collects population-based data on maternal and child health indicators. The issue describes the PRAMS questionnaire and PRAMS alternative questionnaires and features resources, including publications and data dashboards, that states have produced to share their PRAMS findings. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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Keywords: Data, Data sources, Health promotion, Oral health, Oral health care, Pregnancy, Pregnant women, Questionnaires

Annotation: This report highlights the common threads between housing and reproductive justice, emphasizing the importance of policy solutions that de-silo maternal health and address social and structural barriers. The first section describes how structural racism and structural disinvestment—including residential segregation, poor housing access and conditions, residential instability and gentrification, and the carceral apparatus—contribute to deleterious health outcomes among Black women and birthing people. The second section outlines how Black pregnancy is policed across the reproductive lifespan through forced evictions and displacement during pregnancy, double jeopardy of racism and discrimination in health care settings, and threatened Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement after birth. The third section highlights the status of housing reform in Washington, D.C. and potential opportunities for change. The report ends with Mamatoto Village’s housing justice framework, a summary of federal housing programs and policies, and links to annotated bibliography of key articles.

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Keywords: Barriers, Blacks, Civil rights, Federal programs , Housing, Housing programs, Maternal health, Policy development, Pregnancy, Racism, Social factors, Underserved communities

Annotation: This online resource outlines the “Plan for Appropriate Tailored Healthcare in Pregnancy (PATH)" recommendations developed by an independent panel of maternal care experts convened by the University of Michigan and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Based on a review of existing evidence, the site provides how-to guidance on prenatal care delivery and links to related resources for providers. An embedded 90-minute webinar presents an overview of ACOG's Redesigning Prenatal Care initiative and a roadmap to engage communities in the process.

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Keywords: Evidence based medicine, Guidelines , Maternal health, Pregnancy, Prenatal care, Professional education

Annotation: This resource for professionals provides actionable guidance that encourages collaboration across diverse sectors to address and improve inequities and maternal health outcomes. It provides examples of partnerships that leverage new ideas and resources, including innovative approaches to gathering and using data; highlights policies and practices that are improving the health and well-being of birthing people and children across the United States; and includes stories from birthing people and women about their pregnancy and childbirth experiences. Graphics and sample text for social media posts are also provided.

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Keywords: Prenatal care, Advocacy, Childbirth, Colllaboration, Community action, Data, Health equity, Maternal health, Models, Policy, Pregnancy, Resources for professionals

Annotation: This report examines disparities in tobacco use and tobacco-related health outcomes across population groups in the United States, finding persistent inequities by race and ethnicity, income level, education level, sexual orientation and gender identity, occupation, geography, and behavioral health status. Using a multidisciplinary perspective, it reviews scientific evidence about drivers of tobacco-related health disparities, including social and environmental influences, the tobacco industry's targeted marketing practices, and the physiological and genetic factors that may influence use of flavored tobacco products. The report outlines promising interventions to reduce disparities, such as comprehensive smokefree laws, restrictions on flavored tobacco products including menthol cigarettes, barrier-free cessation services, and reducing nicotine levels in tobacco products to minimally addictive levels, while emphasizing that achieving health equity requires both tobacco-specific interventions and broader efforts to address underlying social and structural inequities.

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Keywords: Federal initiatives, Health behavior, Health equity, Health status disparities, Passive smoking, Prevention, Research, Risk factors, Smoking, Smoking cessation, Smoking during pregnancy, Tobacco use