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 1 through 16 (16 total).

Buckley SJ. 2015. Hormonal physiology of childbearing: Evidence and implications for women, babies, and maternity care. Washington, DC: National Partnership for Women and Families, Childbirth Connection Programs, 225 pp.

Annotation: This report synthesizes evidence about innate hormonally-mediated processes in women and fetuses/newborns during childbearing, and possible impacts of common maternity care practices and interventions on these processes, focusing on four hormone systems that are consequential for childbearing. Topics include overarching themes and scope, physiologic onset of labor and scheduled birth, oxytocin, beta-endorphins, epinephrine-norepinephrine and related stress hormones, and prolactin. Recommendations to promote, support, and protect physiologic childbearing and resources for learning and improving practice are included.

Full Report

Keywords: Childbirth, Hormones, Maternal fetal exchange, Maternal health services, Model programs, Program improvement, Psychophysiology

Buckley SJ. 2015. Pathway to a healthy birth: How to help your hormones do their wonderful work. Washington, DC: National Partnership for Women and Families, Childbirth Connection Programs, 17 pp.

Annotation: This booklet for women defines birth hormones and describes what they do, what can get inthe way of how birth hormones work, how medical tests and other treatments can affect birth hormones, how maternity care practices can support birth hormones, and what women can do to make sure their care will support birth hormones. Birth stories, tips for finding a health care professional and a place to give birth, and questions to ask are included.

Keywords: Childbirth, Consumer education materials, Hormones, Maternal fetal exchange, Maternal health services, Perinatal health, Psychophysiology

Buckley SJ. 2015. Hormonal physiology of childbearing: Fact sheets on core topics for maternity care practices. Washington, DC: National Partnership for Women and Families, Childbirth Connection Programs, 17 pp.

Keywords: Childbirth, Hormones, Maternal fetal exchange, Maternal health services, Perinatal health, Psychophysiology, Resources for professionals

Hernandez-Cancio S, Gray V. 2021. Racism hurts moms and babies. Washington, D.C.: National Partnership for Women and Families; National Birth Equaity Collaborative , 7 pp. (Moms and Babies )

Annotation: This publication explores the link between interpersonal and community-level racism and its impact on preterm birth, lower gestational age at birth, and infant low birth weight. Rather than focusing on individual behaviors that put pregnant people of color at higher risk of poor health outcomes, the authors describe how the toxic stress of racism affects physiological processes. One in a ten-part series of publications titled Saving the Lives of Mothers and Babies produced jointly by the National Partnership for Women and Families and the National Birth Equity Collaborative.

Keywords: Blacks, Infant health, Low birthweight, Maternal health, Pregnancy, Preterm birth, Racial factors, Racism, Risk factors

National Partnership for Women and Families and Childbirth Connections. 2012. Guidelines for states on maternity care in the Essential Health Benefits package. Washington, DC: National Partnership for Women and Families, 5 pp.

Annotation: These guidelines are intended to help states select an Essential Health Benefits (EHB) package (as required under The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA)) to help ensure that health coverage will provide sufficient, quality maternity care. Included are details on the type of care (preconception, prenatal care, and ancillary services) and examples of what should be covered (for example, genetic counseling, health history and assessment, fetal evaluation, and newborn services). The guidelines caution states to watch out for problematic limitations on coverage; to limit insurer's ability to swap actuarially equivalent benefits within or across categories of the EHB; and to confirm maternity coverage for dependent children.

Keywords: Benchmarking, Guidelines, Health care reform, Maternal health, Prenatal care, Program improvement, State MCH programs

National Partnership for Women and Families. 2015. Why the Affordable Care Act matters for women: Understanding the Health Insurance Marketplace. Washington, DC: National Partnership for Women and Families, 2 pp.

Annotation: This fact sheet explains how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will help women to obtain more affordable health insurance premiums, better benefit packages, and more reliable health care coverage. It describes how the ACA takes steps to help eliminate discriminatory practices and ensure that private health insurance meets women's health needs. The fact sheet is part of a series highlighting how the ACA can help women access quality health care.

Keywords: Access to health care, Health care disparities, Health care reform, Health insurance programs, Women's health

National Partnership for Women and Families. 2012. California pregnant and parenting youth guide. Washington, DC: National Partnership for Women and Families, 143 pp.

Annotation: This guide is for pregnant and parenting youth under the age of 18 years old who live in the state of California. It explains where to go to get help and provides answers to questions such as (1) What should I do about my pregnancy? (2) Can I get health care? (3) Can I stay in school? (4) What are the father's rights and duties? and (5) Can I get public benefits? It includes information on the law for pregnant and parenting minors, immigrants who are pregnant, pregnant minors in foster care or juvenile detention centers, and a section for grandparents of pregnant or parenting youth.

Keywords: Adolescent mothers, Adolescent parents, Adolescent pregnancy, California, Consumer education materials, State initiatives, State legislation, Youth

National Partnership for Women and Families. 2014. Expecting better: A state-by-state analysis of laws that help new parents (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: National Partnership for Women and Families, 75 pp.

Annotation: This report documents workers' rights under state laws and the progress that states have made in promoting the economic security of expecting and new parents. It also includes a snapshot of state policies that more broadly assist family caregivers -- both parents and workers overall -- in addressing the needs of their children and other family members.

Keywords: Comparative analysis, Family support, Parental leave, Policy, Policy analysis, Reports, State initiatives, State legislation, Working parents

National Partnership for Women and Families. 2013. Why the Affordable Care Act matters for women: Health insurance coverage for lower- and moderate-income pregnant women. Washington, DC: National Partnership for Women and Families, 4 pp. (Fact sheet)

Annotation: This fact sheet describes health insurance coverage options for low- and moderate-income pregnant women under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). It explains who is eligible for Medicaid and subsidized private insurance, and provides a list of six important factors for pregnant women to consider when selecting a health plan. Links to additional resources and fact sheets on why the ACA matters to women are also provided.

Keywords: Health insurance, Low income groups, Medicaid, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Pregnant women, Women's health

National Partnership for Women and Families. 2014. Guide to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Questions and answers (7th ed.). Washington, DC: National Partnership for Women and Families, 36 pp.

Annotation: This guide explains the provisions of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and how the FMLA protects jobs and health insurance. Requirements, remediation, and other leave laws and protections are discussed. The guide is available in English and Spanish.

Keywords: Consumer education materials, Employee benefits, Family leave, Legislation, Paternal leave, Public policy, Spanish language materials, Work family issues

National Partnership for Women and Families. 2015-2017. Supporting informed decision-making in the health insurance marketplace: A progress report. Washington, DC: National Partnership for Women and Families, 3 v.

Annotation: This report looks at how well the health insurance marketplace, composed of the federally-facilitated marketplace (Healthcare.gov) and 14 state-run marketplaces, is providing consumers with key information about available health plans. The report also assesses tools and promising practices that marketplace websites are employing to enhance the consumer browsing experience and to support informed decision-making.

Keywords: Consumer education, Consumer protection, Consumers, Decision making, Federal health insurance programs, Health insurance

National Partnership for Women and Families. 2023. Raising the bar for maternal health equity and excellence. Washington, DC: National Partnership for Women and Families,

Annotation: This actionable guide is designed to support health institutions in creating a tailored approach to providing equitable, high-quality care tailored to the needs of individual birthing families. The guide is organized according to four core roles that healthcare provider institutions play (as providers, employers, community partners, and advocates) and provides details about the importance of each role in advancing maternal health. Included are suggestions for decision makers on how to catalog and assess work and a menu of action items decision makers can execute.

Keywords: Health equity, Maternal health, Professional education, Quality assurance

National Partnership for Women and Families. 2019. Tackling maternal health disparities: A look at four local organizations with innovative approaches . Washington, DC: National Partnership for Women and Families, 18 pp.

Annotation: This issue brief highlights four community-based maternal care programs from across the country and describes how these model programs can help reduce maternal health disparities. The brief includeds background information, a description of the care model, and outcome measures for each of the model programs and offers recommendations to support and expand such programs.

Keywords: Community based services, Community programs, Health care disparities, Health equity, Initiatives, Maternal health, Models , Perinatal care

National Partnership for Women and Families. 2023. Black women's maternal health . Washington, DC: National Partnership for Women and Families, 17 pp.

Annotation: This issue brief highlights the increased risk of maternal morbidity and mortality among Black women; explores the drivers that contribute to the Black maternal health crisis, and recommends strategies to transform the delivery of Black maternal health care to improve health outcomes. Providing culturally-centered care by diverse health teams; destigmatizing and treating Black maternal mental health; protect and expand access to reproductive health care; eliminating economic inequities; and collecting and using intersectional data are among the approaches highlighted. The brief also discusses the importance of community, describing how shared resistance, resilience, and joy help define Black maternal health.

Keywords: Blacks, Health care disparities, Health equity, Maternal health, Maternal morbidity, Maternal mortality, Prevention

National Partnership for Women and Families. 2022. Improving our maternity care now through doula support . Washington, DC: National Partnership for Women and Families, 52 pp.

Annotation: This report addresses the severe maternal health crisis in the United States, noting that increasing rates of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity disproportionately affect Indigenous, Black, and other Communities of color and people with low incomes. The document promotes doula support as an effective model to improve care quality and outcomes. It presents evidence that continuous support by doulas during childbirth is associated with benefits such as increased likelihood of spontaneous vaginal birth and fewer cesarean births, while the extended model (including prenatal and postpartum support) is linked to reduced preterm birth, low birthweight, and improved breastfeeding outcomes. The report discusses different models, including private-pay and longitudinal community-based doula support, emphasizing the importance of culturally congruent, trauma-informed care within a birth justice framework. Major topics covered include barriers to access, such as insufficient Medicaid and private insurance reimbursement and inadequate compensation for doulas, as well as the implications of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. The document features detailed recommendations for federal and state policymakers and private-sector decisionmakers on covering doula services and supporting the workforce, and includes a comprehensive Resource directory

Keywords: Access to care, Barriers, Childbirth, Doulas, Health equity, Maternal health, Models, Policy development

Sakala C, Burns M. 2025. Transforming maternal health in Medicaid: A playbook for state Medicaid agencies and their partners based on CMS's Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) model. Washington, DC: National Partnership for Women and Families, 79 pp.

Annotation: This report provides information that state Medicaid agencies and their partners can use to improve maternal and infant health through their Medicaid programs, with particular attention on the Transforming Maternal Health Model (TMaH). The report contains three sections that correspond to core areas of maternal and infant health improvement: best practices, policy checklists, and resources.

Keywords: Infant health, Maternal health, Medicaid programs, Public policy, Resources for professionals