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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 21 through 40 (1,613 total).

National Child Welfare Association. n.d.. Posters. New York, NY: National Child Welfare Association, 5 items.

Family Voices, IMPACT. n.d.. The Affordable Care Act (ACA): Prevention and health promotion for everybody!. Albuquerque, NM: Family Voices, IMPACT, 2 pp.

Annotation: This document encourages families to partner with health professionals on getting preventive health services and to take a lead role in promoting health at home and where they live, work, and play. Topics include how information sharing between families and health professionals can promote child health, the Affordable Care Act's preventive health services for children, the Bright Futures initiative, and tips for a healthy lifestyle. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Keywords: Bright Futures, Child health, Children, Families, Family centered care, Health care reform, Health promotion, Parent professional relations, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Preventive health services, Public private partnerships, Special health care needs

Women's Preventive Services Initiative. n.d.. Well-woman preventive visits. Washington, DC: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, multiple items.

UI Health Two-Generation Clinic . n.d.. A toolkit for implementing two-generation postpartum care. Chicago, IL: UI Health Two-Generation Clinic, 33 pp.

Annotation: This toolkit explains how to implement two-generation postpartum care, combining dyadic care with behavioral health support and aid for social needs for postpartum families up to two years after birth. It outlines the UI Health Two-Gen model developed at the University of Illinois Health System since 2020, which addresses physical, behavioral, and social needs of both mothers and infants during well-child visits. The toolkit describes key components including primary care delivery, behavioral health services, care management, patient education, lactation consultation, visit co-scheduling, comprehensive screenings, and care team meetings. It provides practical implementation suggestions for healthcare organizations with varying resources, addressing funding considerations and sharing patient satisfaction data. The toolkit emphasizes how innovative approaches to postpartum care can help address the maternal health crisis, particularly leveraging the Medicaid Postpartum Extension being implemented in multiple states.

Keywords: Behavioral medicine, Child health, Illinois , Intergenerational programs, Local programs, Maternal health, Models, Postpartum care, Social services

American Hospital Association . n.d.. Best practices for equitable maternal care . Chicago, IL: American Hospital Association, 3 pp.

Annotation: This resource outlines best practices for equitable maternal care, addressing the disparities experienced by women of color, particularly given the near 40% increase in maternal mortality since 2020. It identifies both individual-level strategies, such as screening and documenting social needs and practicing empathy, and systemic efforts, including offering implicit bias training, integrating health equity into quality improvement processes, and diversifying the maternal care workforce. The resource features hospitals in action, describing programs like the HoPE Doula Program and the Swedish Doula Services Program, which integrate community-based doulas to provide continuous support, advocacy, and connection to resources for pregnant and postpartum families. Additionally, it details the University of Chicago’s STAMPP-HTN (Systematic Treatment and Management of Postpartum Hypertension) program, a quality improvement bundle utilizing nurse educators and remote blood pressure monitors to improve immediate postpartum care for women with hypertensive disorders, which successfully eliminated follow-up disparities among Black and White women.

Keywords: Community based services, Doulas, Health care disparities, Health equity, Hypertension, Maternal health, Postpartum care, Quality improvement, Resources for professionals

Bright Futures/American Academy of Pediatrics. 2025. Recommendations for preventive pediatric health care. Itasca, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics, 2 pp.

Annotation: This paper provides recommendations for health professionals that represent a consensus by the American Academy of Pediatrics and Bright Futures about the periodicity of health services for infants, children, and adolescents. The recommendations emphasize the importance of continuity of care in comprehensive health supervision, including oral health supervision, and the need to avoid fragmentation of care.

Keywords: Adolescents, Children, Comprehensive health care, Health supervision, Infants, Oral health, Pediatric care, Preventive health services, Young adults

Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Primary Care and Health Access, Office of Oral Health. 2025. Fluoride varnish training manual for Massachusetts healthcare professionals. Boston, MA: Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Primary Care and Health Access, Office of Oral Health, 11 pp.

Annotation: This manual is designed to help non-oral-health professionals implement fluoride-varnish application for infants, children, and adolescents ages 6 months to 21 years who are enrolled in Massachusetts’ Medicaid program. The manual includes instructions on how to complete the online Smiles for Life training, which is required for health professionals to apply fluoride varnish for this population. It also discusses how to begin using fluoride varnish in a practice as well as how to keep fluoride varnish notes and how to bill for fluoride varnish application. Basic information about fluoride varnish application and information to share with parents and other caregivers is included.

Keywords: Adolescents, Children, Clinical coding, Consumer education materials, Dental caries, Disease prevention, Fluorides, Infants, Manuals, Massachusetts, Medicaid, Oral health, Oral health care, Preventive health services, Reimbursement, Resources for professionals, Risk assessment, State programs, Training, Young adults

U.S. Maternal and Child Health Bureau. 2025. Healthy Start. Rockville, MD: Health Resources and Services Administration,

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.

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

Maven Clinic . 2025. Maven’s state of women’s & family health benefits: How rising costs and evolving needs are reshaping workplace benefits . New York, NY: Maven Clinic, 35 pp.

Annotation: This report presents findings on the state of women's and family health benefits in the workplace based on two surveys conducted in October-November 2024. It addresses challenges facing employees and employers, including rising healthcare costs, burnout among working parents, and increased anxiety around reproductive health. The report highlights how companies are responding through expanded benefits, with 69% planning to increase family health benefits vendors in the coming years. It discusses the benefits of offering comprehensive women's and family health support, including improved employee retention and reduced healthcare costs. The report includes specific statistics on employer and employee priorities, testimonials from benefits leaders, and guidance for designing effective family benefits programs. Sections cover topics such as fertility support, parenting challenges, men's reproductive health, and the role of digital health solutions in improving outcomes.

Keywords: Employer health costs, Family support services, Health Benefits Plans, Employee, Insurance benefits, Maternal health, Perinatal care, Reproductive health services, Statistics, Surveys, Trends, Women's health, Workplace health promotion

Honsberger K, Kotz J, Fernancez B, Dembo R. 2025. Oral health and dental care for children with special health care needs: Summary of an expert panel convening. Chicago, IL: NORC at the University of Chicago, 9 pp. (Research brief)

Annotation: This report summarizes discussions and takeaways from an expert panel conducted by NOHC of the University of Chicago to discuss challenges related to, opportunities for, and promising approaches to providing equitable oral health care for children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Topics include accessibility and accommodations, health professional training and education, dental insurance coverage policies, supporting families with oral health care guidance at home, innovative models and approaches, and future research needs.

Keywords: Access to health care, Family support, Health education, Health insurance, Health services accessibility, Oral health, Research, Special health care needs, Training

Healthy Teeth, Healthy Children. 2025. School professionals oral health toolkit. King of Prussia, PA: Healthy Teeth, Healthy Children, 1 web resource.

Annotation: This toolkit for school oral health professionals offers resources to help improve children’s oral health. It includes materials about incorporating oral health into daily activities with students, resources to display, and content for newsletters or e-mails sent home to parents and other caregivers. Also included is information about finding oral health care for students, how to incorporate oral health in school activities, and where to source free toothbrushes and toothpaste. A selection of oral-health-related books for children is included.

Keywords: Access to health care, Oral health, Oral hygiene, Resources, School health, School health services

Maryland Maternal Health Innovation Program (MDMOM). 2025. Maryland maternal health resource map. Baltimore, MD: Maryland Maternal Health Innovation Program (MDMOM),

Annotation: This interactive map displays resources and services available to pregnant and postpartum women and their families in Maryland. Users can click on more than two dozen categories, including CenteringPregnancy sites, birthing hospitals, family planning clinics, home visiting programs, and care coordination and navigation services, to learn where in the state they can locate assistance. Resources listed on the map have been verified and confirmed to be offering the services listed and, where applicable, with licensed and credentialed human resources at the time of the last update (posted on the site). The map was developed at the recommendation of the Maryland Maternal Health Innovation Task Force as part of the Maryland Maternal Health Innovation program (MDMOM) funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Keywords: Access to care, Health services, Maps, Maryland, Maternal health, Perinatal care, Postpartum care, Prenatal care, Resource materials, State initiatives

Smith LB, O;Brien C, Wei K, Waidmann TA, Kenney GM. 2025. Medicaid-covered dental visits during and after pregnancy: Analysis of Medicaid claims data from 45 states. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 24 pp.

Annotation: This brief provides information about Medicaid-covered dental visits and dental-related emergency department visit rates during the perinatal period. The information is based on 2018–2019 Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program encounter data and dental claims from over 200,000 women during the postpartum period from 45 states and the District of Columbia. It presents variations in receipt of oral health care during the perinatal period according to enrollee age, state of residence, extent of Medicaid coverage of dental services, and state Medicaid expansion status.

Keywords: Emergency room, Health care utilization, Low income groups, Medicaid, Oral health, Perinatal health, Perinatal services, Postpartum care, Pregnant women

Wyoming Department of Health . 2025. Postpartum health – After baby & beyond. Cheyenne, WY: Wyoming Department of Health,

Annotation: This web page from the Wyoming Department of Health and Wyoming Medicaid provides information and resources for Wyoming Medicaid moms and new parents navigating health and benefits during the postpartum period. The resource offers guidance on timing and expectations for postpartum and newborn health checkups and details how to access an electric breast pump through the Healthy Babies, Happy Moms Program. For new families, the site provides safety information, including safe sleeping recommendations to reduce the risk of SIDS. The page also addresses maternal mental health and Substance Use Disorder (SUD), providing immediate assistance lines and links to community treatment providers. Furthermore, it highlights extensive free state programs, such as the Wyoming Hand in Hand home visitation program and the Parents as Teachers program, and lists resources for financial and coverage support, including SNAP, WIC, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and assistance with utility costs.

Keywords: State programs, Community based services, Infant care, Low income groups, Maternal health, Mental health, Newborns, Postpartum care, Wyoming

Massachusetts Health Quality Partners. 2024. 2024 perinatal care guidelines. Watertown, MA: Massachusetts Health Quality Partners, 13 pp.

Annotation: These perinatal clinical care guidelines for the general population include guidelines for the first prenatal visit (6–12 weeks) and each subsequent prenatal visit (13–42 weeks). Topics include initial and interval history; psychosocial assessment; physical examinations; immunizations; laboratory evaluation and additional testing; oral health; genetic counseling, screening, and testing; general counseling, education, and discussion; and the postpartum visit.

Keywords: Guidelines, Perinatal health, Perinatal services, Postpartum care, Pregnant women, Prenatal care, Preventive health services

Diop H, Hwang S, Leader D, Silk H, Chie L, Lu E, Geng X, Stone SL, Flaherty K, Njah J. 2024. Massachusetts oral health practice guidelines for pregnancy and early childhood, version 3. Boston, MA: Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 53 pp.

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.

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

Crumley D. 2024. Understanding new federal guidance on Medicaid coverage of health-related social needs services. Hamilton, NJ: Center for Health Care Strategies, 3 pp

Annotation: This policy cheat sheet outlines the ways in which state Medicaid agencies can obtain federal approval to fund health-related social services such as food assistance and housing support. Included are links to related documents and federal guidance, including a table of 15 concrete interventions and four pathways for federal approval. Examples of promising strategies in the states of New York, Minnesota, and Massachusetts are also provided.

Keywords: Funding, Health care reform, Medicaid, Policy, Social services, State initiatives

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2024. Perinatal quality collaboratives . Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

Annotation: This website explains how Perinatal Quality Collaboratives (PQCs) work to improve the quality of healthcare for mothers and babies. PCQs are networks of perinatal health care providers that include hospitals, clinicians, and public health professionals working to improve pregnancy outcomes through quality improvement initiatives and use of best available evidence-based strategies. The site includes a video introduction to PQCs; a webinar series; a guide to help states developed PQCs, success stories, journal articles, and links to additional resources.

Keywords: Collaboration, Infant health, Maternal health, Model programs, Perinatal care, Perinatal services, Quality assurance, Regional programs, State initiatives

CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. 2024. State of oral health equity in America 2024 survey: Key findings. Boston, MA: CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, 3 pp.

Annotation: This brief provides key findings from the State of Oral Health Equity in America 2024 Survey, a nationally representative survey of over 9,000 adults’ attitudes, experiences, and behaviors related to oral health. Information is included about dental visits in the past year by home-ownership status, planned dental visits in the coming year by income level, emergency department visits for oral health care by educational attainment, having a dental home by health insurance status, self-rated oral health by sexual orientation, importance attached to cultural humility in oral health care by race, and importance attached to diversity in oral health care by income level.

Keywords: Behavior, Cultural competence, Educational attainment, Emergency medical services, Health equity, Health insurance, Income factors, Oral health, Oral health care, Sexual identity, Surveys

Allen C; Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health. 2024. You can't get there from here: Rural maternity care in the U.S. . Washington, DC: Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health , (AIM for Safer Birth Podcast Series)

Annotation: In this episode of the AIM for Safer Birth podcast series, host Christie Allen is joined by Dr. Kristen Dillon, Chief Medical Officer at the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). With an extensive background in public health, rural healthcare, and health policy, Dr. Dillon shares her journey from an urban upbringing in the San Francisco Bay Area to a dedicated career in rural medicine, including her experience overseeing Oregon's Pandemic Response Unit and working on health policy in Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office. Dr. Dillon discusses the unique challenges and solutions in providing quality maternity care in rural areas, the importance of telehealth and collaborative networks, and the critical role of emergency care providers. This episode is part of the AIM series of podcasts that dive deeper into the rising severe maternal morbidity and maternal mortality rates in the United States through a data-driven, quality improvement lens.

Keywords: Access to health care, Collaboration, Emergency medical services, Federal initiatives, History, Maternal health, Policy development , Rural health, State initiatives, Telemedicine

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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.