As we dive in to 2020, we’re sharing an update on policies and public programs that impact children’s health outcomes. We’ve included, important legislation to watch in the coming months, and a summary of vital public programs and funding included in FY2020 appropriations. By knowing what’s happened and what’s coming down the pike, children’s health…
Improving infant safe sleep and breastfeeding requires a national commitment from individuals across systems and sectors: public health, hospitals, daycare and early education, home visiting, and advocacy organizations, to name just a few. By bringing together cross-sector partners focused on the common goal of supporting safe sleep and breastfeeding, initiatives can develop comprehensive strategies—strategies that…
Since 2007, the Ohio Perinatal Quality Collaborative (OPQC)—a statewide consortium of perinatal clinicians, hospitals, policy makers and governmental entities—has leveraged quality improvement (QI) science to significantly improve birth outcomes for moms and babies across Ohio. Their achievements include reducing early elective deliveries by 75 percent across the state and a statewide progesterone program that reduced…
Understanding what causes fetal, infant, and child deaths gives states and communities the information they need to identify focused, effective solutions. This makes infant mortality data—data that reveals the causes and contributors to death and system barriers—irreplaceable assets for any infant health improvement effort. And that makes the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention…
In the U.S., Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), suffocation and other sleep-related causes claim approximately 3,600 babies every year. That number translates to nearly 165 unfilled kindergarten classrooms. And while research shows that many of these deaths are preventable, they still persist. Doing better by American families starts by identifying what’s working and outlining opportunities…
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….
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…
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…
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…