AMCHP Innovation Hub is an online platform that provides maternal and child health (MCH) professionals and advocates with resources and tools to explore, build, and share effective work grounded in evidence that contributes to improving the health and well-being of MCH populations and their communities. It is home to the MCH Innovations Database, a searchable…
Issue: Mental health disorders among pregnant and postpartum women are on the rise, yet many women do not seek or receive treatment due to numerous barriers. Those receiving care often get an inconsistent message about preventative measures or whether to continue psychiatric medications during pregnancy. Untreated mental illness among mothers can have profound consequences for…
In the U.S., over 60% of incarcerated pregnant people are in custody for non-violent drug offenses. Only 7 states had statutes related to treatment of substance use disorders in pregnant incarcerated populations despite the evidence that many incarcerated pregnant people struggle with substance use. (2023)
Last Updated September 2023 Some states first established maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs) to investigate deaths related to pregnancy in the early 20th century, when rates were the highest on record. These jurisdictions reviewed deaths in an effort to understand why many women died in childbirth and to respond to poor medical practices and inadequate care…
Reproductive health care for incarcerated individuals should be provided in accordance with the same guidelines and recommendations as for those who are not incarcerated, with attention to the increased risk of infectious diseases and mental health conditions common to incarcerated populations. Ensuring that incarcerated individuals receive respectful, consistent, high-quality reproductive health, pregnancy, and postpartum care…
Maternal mortality rates continue to increase in the United States, with significant racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in birth outcomes. States are using a variety of approaches to provide doula services within their Medicaid programs to address inequities. Doulas provide continuous physical, emotional, and information support to people before, during, and shortly after childbirth. Current evidence suggests that pregnant…
In 2023, recognizing that in the U.S., responsibility for healthcare systems and health outcomes largely fall to the states, the Policy Center introduced the inaugural maternal mental health reports to identify key data sets and track results by state. The 2024 report cards highlight progress and remaining areas of opportunity. In 2024, the overall national…
In the past 40 years, the number of women in prisons and jails in the United States has skyrocketed. Between 1980 and 2021, the percentage of incarcerated women increased by more than 525 percent, outpacing rates of incarcerated men during this time period. The most recent data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics shows yet another increase, with…
The Six Considerations Planning Tool supports Title V individuals and teams to intentionally center and partner with people with lived experience when considering potential solutions to challenges facing maternal and child health (MCH) populations. It does this by helping teams/individuals: 1. Brainstorm and document potential solutions 2. Identify other partners and individuals who should be…
The Minnesota Prison Doula Project (MnPDP) provides pregnancy and parenting support for incarcerated people. They provide birth support from trained doulas, as well as group-based and individual education and support. The goal is to nurture healthy parent-child relationships and increase parenting confidence and skills.
Almost one in four pregnancy-related deaths is attributed to mental health conditions, including substance use disorder (SUD), making them the leading underlying cause of pregnancy-related deaths. This special issue of the Maternal and Child Health Journal builds on the evidence base, with 21 open articles that feature the latest research, program, and policy initiatives in…
This e-learning module focuses on exploring MCH policy and the policy process. This module is part of a series that provides Title V professionals with the tools, knowledge, and capacity to effectively engage in policy development, implementation, evaluation, and advocacy to ensure that policies affecting maternal and child health populations are effective, equitable, and evidence-based.
Technical workforce skills and evidence-based strategies are not necessarily sufficient to move the needle on maternal health outcomes; contextual factors such as challenging political environments, lack of leadership support, funding insufficiency, staff turnover, and historically inequitable programs and outcomes also influence the ability of MHIs and RMOMs to make an impact. These systems thinking and…
Since 2013, the Safe Motherhood Initiative has been working with obstetric hospitals in New York State to develop and implement standard approaches for handling obstetric emergencies associated with maternal mortality and morbidity. The Safe Motherhood Initiative focuses on the four leading causes of maternal death: maternal sepsis, obstetric hemorrhage (severe bleeding), venous thromboembolism (blood clots), and…
Optimal clinical support in the early days, weeks, and months after childbirth is important for the health and well-being of new parents and their baby. The 4th Trimester Project supports clinical and system change to improve care for moms and the care experience for providers. In the For Providers section of their postpartum care website,…
You Quit, Two Quit, a program of the UNC Center for Maternal and Infant Health, was launched in July 2008. This program supports comprehensive tobacco use screening and cessation counseling for women of reproductive age, before, between and beyond pregnancy. You Quit, Two Quit can provide free training on evidence-based tobacco use screening and cessation counseling…
Postpartum Support International (PSI) brings together families, communities, and professionals working to support families during pregnancy, pregnancy loss, and the postpartum period. Explore their Professionals Section for information and links to the most current resources and opportunities for education, training, and patient tools.
ATMCH has a variety of syllabi and educational resources arranged under different topic areas. By clicking on the title of the resource, you can access the full resources with all submitted supplementary materials. These syllabi/educational resources have been submitted voluntarily by ATMCH members. If you use any of the resources below, please credit those who…
This free, 2-hour e-learning program is designed for providers and students seeking knowledge and skills related to cultural competency, cultural humility and person-centered care across the continuum of maternal health care. In Module 1, An introduction to CLAS in maternal health care, you will examine the role of CLAS in improving quality and eliminating disparities in…
This resource helps you stay informed about telehealth-related laws, regulations and Medicaid programs. The map and search options cover current laws and regulations for all fifty states and the District of Columbia.
This website from the CDC National Center for Health Statistics includes maternal mortality statistics, review of data quality, and new coding criteria.
CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health is committed to healthy pregnancies and deliveries for every woman. The Hear Her campaign supports CDC’s efforts to prevent pregnancy-related deaths by sharing potentially life-saving messages about urgent warning signs. Women know their own bodies better than anyone and can often tell when something does not feel right. The campaign seeks to encourage partners, friends, family, coworkers,…
Extending Medicaid coverage to postpartum women beyond 60 days is emerging as a key state strategy to address the maternal mortality crisis. This interactive map and chart summarize proposed and approved legislation since 2018, Medicaid waivers, financial estimates, and other initiatives designed to extend coverage during the postpartum period.
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U7CMC53579, Maternal Health Training & Resource Center. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position nor policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.
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