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Strengthen the Evidence for Maternal and Child Health Programs

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Search Results: MCHLine

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 (953 total).

University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities in California, Massachusetts, Iowa, and Kentucky. n.d.. Your baby and Down Syndrome: Answers to questions you might have. Los Angeles, CA: University of Southern California University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at Children's Hospital, 2 pp.

Annotation: This brochure is intended to serve as a starting point for new parents looking for information about Down syndrome and related resources and support groups. It includes talking points to use during a diagnostic consultation with a physician and answers to frequently asked questions such as (1) What is Down syndrome? (2) Where do I begin to help my baby? (3) How might Down syndrome affect my baby's health? (4) Where can I find more information about Down syndrome? and (4) How can I find other parents of children with Down syndrome? The brochure is available in both English and Spanish.

Keywords: Consumer education materials, Down syndrome, Infants with special health care needs, Spanish language materials

Minnesota Sudden Infant Death Center. n.d.. SIDS and the child care provider. Minneapolis, MN: Minnesota Sudden Infant Death Center, 2 pp.

Annotation: This brochure provides guidelines to help reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in child care settings. It provides an overview of SIDS; a description of safe sleep practices for infants; and the rules that apply in the state of Minnesota when a death occurs in a child care setting. The brochure also describes sources of support and services that are available to providers who have lost an infant due to SIDS.

Keywords: Child care, Child care workers, Infants, Minnesota, Prevention, SIDS, Safety, State legislation

Sudden Infant Death Services of the Mid-Atlantic. n.d.. Safe sleep for your special baby. Haymarket, VA: Sudden Infant Death Services of the Mid-Atlantic, 2 pp.

Annotation: This brochure for parents of a premature baby discusses safe sleep practices that should be followed once the infant is discharged from the hospital. It discusses practices suitable for the NICU that are no longer needed and may be unsafe once the infant is at home. It provides tips on following the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines on back sleeping, safe cribs, not covering the baby's head and face, no smoking, no overheating, talking with others who care for the baby, and tummy time for the awake infant who is closely supervised.

Keywords: Consumer education materials, Hospitals, Neonatal intensive care units, Premature infants, Prevention, SIDS, Sleep

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

American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. n.d.. The Head Start dental home initiative: Partnering to provide dental homes and optimal oral health for Head Start children throughout the U.S.. Chicago, IL: American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, 2 pp.

Annotation: This report provides background on an initiative launched as a partnership between the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists and the Office of Head Start with the purpose of establishing dental homes for young children who may otherwise go without oral health care. The report explains the requirements of the contract, offers background on both organizations, and discusses what the initiative hopes to accomplish for infants and children enrolled in the Head Start program or Early Head Start program. It also details what the initiative will do to provide parents and Head Start staff with evidence-based information about how to help prevent tooth decay, and it describes how a national network of pediatric and general dentists will be organized under the initiative.

Keywords: Access to health care, Collaboration, Dental caries, Head Start, Infant health, Initiatives, Low income groups, Prevention, Tooth decay, Young children

California Department of Public Health, California WIC program. n.d.. A postpartum guide to being healthy for you and your baby. California WIC Program , 58 pp.

Annotation: This guide for new mothers addresses postpartum health and wellness during the first year after childbirth. Topics include sleep strategies for mother and baby, dental health guidance, physical activity recommendations, planning for future pregnancies, and nutrition and healthy eating with specific guidance on important nutrients like iron, calcium, folic acid, and fiber. Culturally-informed recipes such as Golden Milk and Chinese Rice Soup are included. The guide also provides practical advice on managing common postpartum challenges such as breastfeeding difficulties, sleep deprivation, low energy, and symptoms of depression that may require seeking help. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale screening tool is included. Additional resources for mental health support, nutrition education, breastfeeding assistance, domestic violence help, and substance abuse treatment are located on the final pages.

Keywords: Breastfeeding, California, Infant health, Maternal health, Mental health, Nutrition, Physical activity, Postpartum Depression, Postpartum care

Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Division of Public Health. n.d.. Becoming a Mom®. Topeka, KS: Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Division of Public Health, 2 pp.

Annotation: This infographic presents data from the Kansas Perinatal Community Collaborative on their implementation of the March of Dimes' Becoming a Mom (BaM) prenatal education curriculum. It describes the evidence-based program's three-fold approach to perinatal care, education, and support, including its cognitive and behavioral compoments. The infographic compares demographic characteristics of mothers participating in the BaM program, shares self-reported outcomes and behaviors of program participants, and highlights key infant health metrics for BaM mothers compared to statewide data.

Keywords: Educational materials, Infant health, Maternal health, Patient education, Perinatal care, Postpartum care, Prenatal care

South Dakoda Department of Health . n.d.. Postpartum Health. Pierre, SD: South Dakota Department of Health,

Annotation: This web page from the South Dakota Department of Health focuses on postpartum health, recognizing it as a critical part of the maternal health journey that requires compassionate and comprehensive care. Intended for new parents/moms, the site provides information and support for a healthy recovery, covering physical, emotional, and mental changes after childbirth. Major topics include learning about care after delivery, distinguishing between baby blues and postpartum depression, well-baby checkups, the benefits of breastfeeding, and family planning, including information on the South Dakota PLAN clinic. The resource also provides safety guidance for the family and infant, detailing safe sleep practices, prevention of child injuries (home safety, car seat safety, and choking), and tips for choosing quality child care.

Keywords: Infant care, Maternal health, Patient education, Postpartum care, South Dakota

Sievers K, Clark MB, Douglass AB, Maier R, Gonsalves W, Wrightson AS, Quinonez R, Dolce M, Dalal M, Rizzolo D, Simon L, Deutchman M, Silk H. 2026. Smiles for Life: A national oral health curriculum (4th ed.). Leawood, KS: Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, multiple items.

Annotation: This curriculum for health professionals and educators comprises nine courses addressing oral health. Courses focus on the relationship between oral health and systemic health; child oral health; adult oral health; acute oral health problems; pregnancy and women’s oral health; caries risk assessment, fluoride varnish, and counseling; the oral exam; oral health for older adults; and silver diamine fluoride. The courses can be taken for continuing education credit or simply to gain knowledge on the topics.

Keywords: Adolescents, Children, Continuing education, Curricula, Distance education, Financing, Infants, Mobile applications, Multimedia, Older adults, Oral health, Oral health care, Pregnant women, Resources for professionals, Spanish language materials, Training, Young children

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

Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors. 2025. Best practice approach: Perinatal oral health (upd. ed.). Reno, NV: Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors; Washington, DC: National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center, 20 pp. (Best practice approaches for state and community oral health programs)

Annotation: This report provides a description of perinatal oral health, including its significance and background, barriers to accessing oral health care for this population, and a strategic framework for improving perinatal oral health. It also includes guidelines and recommendations, research evidence, and state practice examples. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Keywords: Access to health care, Barriers, Infant health, Initiatives, Oral health, Perinatal health, Pregnant women

Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors, Dental Public Health Policy Committee. 2025. Policy statement: Perinatal oral health (rev. ed.). Reno, NV: Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors; Washington, DC: National Maternal and Child Oral Health Policy Center, 7 pp.

Annotation: This updated report offers information about oral health for women during the perinatal period and discusses problems related to women's oral health and their ability to access oral health care during this period. A strategic framework for improving perinatal oral health, based on core public health activities, is presented, and a policy statement is included.

Keywords: Access to health care, Infant health, Oral health, Perinatal care, Pregnant women, Prevention, Public policy , Treatment

New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute. 2025. Looking at NJ Medicaid oral health quality performance for children through a secret shopper market survey of the MCO network directories for children ages 0 to 6. Princeton, NJ: New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, 23 pp.

Annotation: This report provides information about the quality of oral health care for infants and children from birth through age 6 enrolled in Medicaid in New Jersey. The report includes information on the importance of oral health. Data on the oral health status of infants and children living in the state, including those enrolled in Head Start, and about receipt of oral health care among these infants and children is presented. The report also describes a "secret shopper" survey used to assess quality and provides the quality measures used, methods, and results.

Keywords: School age children, Disease prevention, Access to heath care, Infant health, Low income groups, Medicaid, New Jersey, Oral health, Quality assurance, State information, Surveys:, Young children

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

Phipps KR. 2025. Maternal and Child Health--Improving Oral Health Integration (MCH-IOH): Environmental scan chartbook. Washington, DC: National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center, 58 pp.

Annotation: This chartbook contains data about factors that could impact the integration of oral health care into primary care for infants, and children, adolescents, and pregnant women at high risk for oral disease in seven states (Colorado, Connecticut, Montana, New York, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin) and Puerto Rico. Topics include scope of practice, Medicaid billing and reimbursement, dental hygienists, dental therapists, community health workers, and teledentistry. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Keywords: Adolescent health, Community health, Dental hygienists, Infant health, Medicaid, Oral health, Pregnant women, Primary care, Service integration, Teledentistry

South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health. 2025. Improving maternal and infant health: Increasing access to care in rural South Carolina. Columbia, SC: Institute of Medicine and Public Health , 114 pp.

Annotation: This report presents recommendations from a taskforce convened to address maternal and infant health challenges in rural South Carolina. The document examines the significant barriers facing pregnant and postpartum women and their babies in rural areas of the state, including provider shortages, hospital closures, transportation challenges, and nonmedical drivers of health such as poverty and food insecurity. It reviews successful programmatic efforts including Family Solutions, Hello Family Pay for Success, and the Management of Maternal Diabetes initiative, as well as policy approaches from other southern states that have expanded practice authority for certified nurse midwives and strengthened workforce incentives. The report provides detailed recommendations organized into four categories: care delivery (including mobile maternity units and telehealth expansion), workforce development (addressing pay equity and training), training and education for providers and communities, and addressing nonmedical drivers of health through transportation and social support services. It includes extensive data on maternal mortality rates, provider distribution maps, and economic analyses of the costs associated with poor maternal health outcomes, along with definitions of key terms and comprehensive references.

Keywords: Barriers, Infant health, Maternal health, Model programs, Postpartum care, Prenatal care, Rural health, South Carolina, State initiatives

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 2025. After pregnancy. Washington, DC: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists,

Annotation: This online resource serves as guide for new mothers navigating the postpartum period, offering support for what can be a time of mixed emotions and physical changes. Key content areas include Postpartum Healing and Support, which covers topics like pain management, your care team, postpartum depression, pelvic support problems, exercise after pregnancy, and the importance of a postpartum support network. New mothers can also find guidance on breastfeeding and newborn vare, including how to prepare for breastfeeding, FAQs on breastfeeding, newborn screening tests, and newborn male circumcision. Additionally, the site addresses medical problems after pregnancy, such as preeclampsia, heart disease, pelvic support problems, and postpartum depression, and offers information on birth control after pregnancy, including postpartum birth control, long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), and postpartum sterilization. The website also features interactive tools like "Ask ACOG" for common questions and a "My Postpartum Care Checklist".

Keywords: Infant care, Patient education, Postpartum care

Texas Department of State Health Services . 2025. Pregnancy, parenting, and depression. Austin, TX: Texas Maternal and Child Health Services ,

Annotation: This online resource from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) provides support and information for pregnant women, new parents, and caregivers in Texas. The website includes sections covering pregnancy resources, parenting resources (which links to the Texas Home Visiting program), and information about COVID-19 and pregnancy vaccination safety. The resource describes legislative requirements for providers to give new parents and caregivers a pamphlet, available in English and Spanish, covering topics like postpartum depression, shaken baby syndrome, immunizations, and newborn screening. The site includes depression resources listing urgent assistance lines such as 2-1-1 Texas and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and provides contact information for professional organizations and counseling services across various Texas counties.

Keywords: Infant care, MCH services, Patient education, Postpartum care, Prenatal care, Texas

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

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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.