The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently released a journal article and commentary focused on national and state trends in sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUIDs). The study concluded that national SUID rates have stagnated and this is an opportunity for states to re-examine their efforts to improve safe-sleep practices. At the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ),…
Children should have a developmental screening at 9, 18 and 30 months of age, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. These screenings prompt early diagnosis, helping ensure children with disabilities receive optimal care. Yet successful screenings rely on training screeners, supplying appropriate equipment, a plan to offset costs, outlets to raise awareness, and ensuring…
Early childhood eye care can drastically change a child’s health and well-being. For a baby, treatment for a vision impairment could protect against development delays. For kindergarteners, diagnosis and treatment could improve school performance. Yet with specialty doctors catering to young children sometimes hours away, complicated insurance coverage and costs, and competing priorities from parents,…
Children’s brains develop at a faster rate during their first few years than at any other point in their lives. Because of this, even small improvements in early childhood health can have a significant impact on children’s developmental outcomes. Yet, millions of children continue to approach kindergarten without the necessary skills to learn. While the…
Right now, close to 100,000 people in the U.S. are battling sickle cell disease (SCD). This means that 100,000 people, many of whom are children, spend days experiencing acute pain, dealing with costly and uncomfortable hospitalizations, and fighting off infections – all common side effects associated with SCD. NICHQ recently completed a three-year, federally funded, Sickle…
My baby always seems hungry, so I must not be producing enough milk. A fat baby is a healthy baby. My milk doesn’t look right; I’ve heard it can be dirty for the first couple of days. A decision regarding whether or not to breastfeed or chestfeed almost always comes from a place of concern…
With 2017 drawing to a close, we’re taking stock of some of our hits and highlights. From change management advice to project results and takeaways, here’s a rundown of the website stories you found most engaging over the past year. Thank you for reading them, liking them and sharing them with your network. Why Data…
A stand-alone PDSA cycle can rarely, if ever, result in an adoptable change idea. Instead, we rely on sequential tests that build on changes that show promise, widen the scale of testing and are performed under multiple settings and conditions.
Hispanic women face a unique set of challenges when it comes to breastfeeding, including overcoming longstanding cultural beliefs, such as views on healthy baby weight, and dealing with language barriers. When compared to all other ethnic groups, Hispanic mothers are most likely to supplement breastmilk with formula within the first two days of life. One hospital…
Since 1970, children’s obesity has more than tripled in the U.S. One in five school-aged children are now considered obese, which means that 20 percent of American children are at greater risk of chronic health conditions and social isolation, as well as developing heart disease, diabetes and multiple cancers later in life. Childhood obesity does…