Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) provide life-saving care for preterm babies. But, as with any urgent, intensive healthcare treatment, there is also the possibility for adverse long-term health concerns. One of the newest concerns for NICU babies is exposure to chemicals that can be hazardous to their health, specifically phthalates, a chemical softener for plastics….
Health and human services, mental health services, education, employment, the justice department, and housing—these are just a few of the many different state agencies that must work together to improve early childhood health outcomes. Together, they represent a more comprehensive early childhood system, one that accounts for the different needs families have depending on the…
Creating a safe sleep environment for an infant can be confusing to families, especially when they don’t hear consistent information from their peers or health providers. Moreover, pictures of infants sleeping in unsafe positions are all over the internet and social media platforms, which adds to the mixed messaging. Considering that approximately 3,500 babies die…
Christy Blakely and Elizabeth Aquino both have daughters with special healthcare needs. Both mothers grew accustomed to navigating the halls of hospitals and sidestepping holes in the health system. They know what it’s like to feel as though you are not seen and that, no matter how loudly or urgently you speak, your voices won’t…
Before Tara Bristol Rouse became a NICHQ family partner—a passionate parent advocate for improving children’s health systems—she was a mom. A mom who, in 2004, experienced severe preeclampsia and had to deliver her son 13 weeks before her pregnancy reached term. A mom who spent 83 days after delivery visiting her son in the hospital…
Bringing stakeholders together frequently helps maintain their engagement in an initiative. For one, it gives everyone great insight into what different teams have been working on recently and lets folks “steal shamelessly” from those who are having success. Especially for in-person meetings, it is an opportunity for participants to get to know and meet one…
Across the nation, 43 state and multi-state perinatal quality collaboratives (PQCs) are working to improve health outcomes for moms and babies. Comprised of multidisciplinary teams, PQCs work with clinical teams, experts and stakeholders, including patients and families, to advance evidence-informed clinical practices, reduce variation, optimize resources, and address gaps in perinatal care. Launching and sustaining a…
In recent months, there has been a surge of legislative actions for children’s health advocates. New laws have been passed that provide funding for programs and research initiatives essential for improving the health and well-being of children and families across the country. Here, NICHQ provides an update on the legislation, as well as a brief…
In the United States, six of every 1,000 babies do not live to celebrate their first birthday. This translates to approximately 23,000 babies dying every year. Although more babies are reaching this milestone today than in the past, the U.S. infant mortality rate (IMR) is relatively high when compared to Japan, Canada, and many European…
Over the past decade, hospitals across the country have increasingly moved away from the traditional use of nurseries for healthy newborn infants, choosing instead for babies to “room-in” with mothers so that they are kept together throughout their hospitalization. Among many health benefits to both mom and baby, rooming-in supports mother-child bonding, encourages skin-to-skin contact—which…