We can’t improve maternal and child health without engaging community voices—without practicing what NICHQ Executive Project Director Kenn Harris calls “true, authentic community engagement.” This holds whether seeking change at the policy level or within an organization, hospital or clinic. “The belief behind community engagement is that the people impacted by the problem have some…
Black babies born in the state with the lowest black infant mortality rate—those with the best chance at reaching their first birthday—die at a higher rate than white babies born in the state with the highest infant mortality rate, according to a 2018 report on infant mortality from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention….
Supporting young children’s social emotional development is just as important as supporting their cognitive capabilities and physical health. For children to succeed at school and build healthy relationships, they need to be able to express and experience emotions, self-regulate, and manage challenges and conflict. By working with families to support social emotional development, pediatric health…
With an infant mortality rate that is now the lowest of any state in the country, Massachusetts is leading the nation in improving health outcomes for newborn babies. Yet even with the state’s successes, Tufts Floating Hospital for Children in Boston, located in the heart of the state’s capital, knows there is always room for…
Between 25 and 30 million Americans, many of them children, are living with a rare disease. The complex challenges facing these children and families deserve attention and demand innovative responses. NICHQ President and CEO Scott D. Berns, MD, MPH, FAAP, understands this need, perhaps better than anyone. His connection to the rare disease community is both…
In 2010, the U.S. made breastfeeding a national health improvement priority by identifying eight key breastfeeding objectives in the Healthy People 2020 goals, a ten-year agenda for promoting national health. And while we’ve made significant improvements as a nation (surpassing five of the eight breastfeeding objectives), there is still considerable progress needed to help more…
Every year, thousands of babies die from sleep-related causes. These deaths reflect an urgent need to help families understand safe sleep practices, but nearly half of caregivers don’t receive correct advice about safe sleep from their healthcare providers. The National Action Partnership to Promote Safe Sleep Improvement and Innovation Network (NAPPSS-IIN), funded by the Health Resources…
Until recently, sickle cell disease (SCD)—the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States—was primarily considered a pediatric disease, with most children not surviving into adulthood. That’s changed over the last two decades, thanks to innovative advancements in care and treatment. But even as these advancements have helped more children reach adulthood, health systems…
Nearly 25 percent of young children in the U.S. are at risk for developmental delays. If not identified, these delays can hinder their ability to perform well in school, develop meaningful relationships, and reach their full potential. Universal developmental screenings can proactively identify children who are at risk of having or developing a delay so they’re…
Babies born in the United States have a higher chance of death than babies born in more than 50 other countries in the world. Through national and local initiatives, infant mortality rates have dropped in recent years, and quality improvement efforts across the country are building on those successes to address this alarming statistic. To…