Of the 250 pregnant women in the U.S. who had confirmed Zika infection in 2016, 24 – or about 1 in 10 of them – had a fetus or baby with Zika-related birth defects, according to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This report is the first to provide the analysis of a subgroup of pregnant women in the U.S. with clear, confirmed test results of Zika virus infection. Visit the Vital Signs web page to find the article, fact sheet, and other materials, and join the Vital Signs Town Hall Teleconference on April 11, 2:00 pm ET.

Workforce Development

MCH Navigator Training Bundles and Topics

MCH Navigator recently released several workforce development tools. This includes training on key maternal and child health (MCH) and leadership topics, in-depth portals to trainings on issues of importance to public health professionals, and a short list of learning opportunities on MCH topics.

MCH Leadership Skills Development Series

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health developed the MCH Leadership Skills Development Series. The series brings leadership concepts to life in a maternal and child health context. The series includes a set of training modules designed for use in small groups. Each module offers a mix of presentation and exploration in different learning formats. Topics include tapping into leadership potential, building and supporting teams and managing conflict effectively.

Survey of Schools and Programs of Public Health

The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health published a study on the practicum experience of students in U.S. public health agencies. Topics include the need to understand the role of practicum in linking academia and practice; the involvement of the Council on Education for Public Health; and the barriers to placement, such as limited resources at the agencies, financial issues and bureaucracy.

General & Maternal Child Health

Special Issue of the Maternal and Child Health Journal

AMCHP is pleased to share a recent resource: a special issue of the Maternal and Child Health Journal. This supplement on postpartum health and wellness was developed in partnership with special issue editors Sarah Verbiest, executive director of the University of North Carolina (UNC) Center for Maternal and Infant Health, and clinical associate professor of the UNC School of Social Work; Erin Bonzon, senior program manager at Zero to Three; and Arden Handler, professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health. AMCHP staff Caroline Stampfel, director of programs, and Andria Cornell, senior program manager for women's health, are among the postpartum experts whose articles are featured in the supplement. With this special issue, we hope you gain new insights and reinvigorate your commitment as a maternal and child health professional to improving the health and wellness of women in the postpartum period.

Health in All Policies

The National Association of County and City Health Officials published Health in All Policies — Experiences from Local Health Departments. The purpose of the report is to depict the state of health in all the policies, including challenges and best practices, at local health departments in the U.S.

The Disconnect Between Parent Knowledge and Behavior

Safe Kids Worldwide conducted a nationwide online survey among 2,000 parents with children under age 6 in order to better understand their knowledge, attitudes and behaviors when it comes to the safe storage of medicine. The survey revealed a striking gap between parents' knowledge of what they should do to protect children from accidental medicine poisoning and their own behavior and attitudes.

Addressing Food Insecurity

The American Academy of Pediatrics, in partnership with the Food Research and Action Center developed a toolkit for pediatricians to recognize and intervene in food insecurity. It provides background information on food insecurity, tips for screening, as well as documentation, interventions, and referrals to federal nutrition programs.

County Health Rankings & Roadmaps

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Institute collaborative project, the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, is now available online. The rankings allow each state to see how its counties compare on more than 30 factors, including high school graduation rates, children in poverty, housing, unemployment and access to healthy food.

Exceptional Parent 2017 Resource Guide

Exceptional Parent published a compendium of resources for the special needs community. It includes a national directory for disability-specific conditions, adaptive recreation organizations, mental health resources and more.

Health Systems Transformation in MCH

Preserving the Children's Health Insurance Program and Other Safety-Net Programs

The Bipartisan Policy Center published a new report. It highlights the importance of bipartisan programs that serve vulnerable populations, recommends extending these programs at their current funding levels and stresses the need for early action in the 115^th Congress.

Epidemiology and MCH

Breastfeeding is a Team Effort

The Washington State Department of Health designed an infographic that explains the decline in breastfeeding rates, the workplace barriers to breastfeeding, and its benefits.

Child and Adolescent Health

RCT Testing Bystander Effectiveness to Reduce Violence

The American Journal of Preventive Medicine published a research article on bystander-based programs. These programs have shown promise to reduce interpersonal violence at colleges, but their effectiveness in high schools has not been evaluated. The article evaluated the Green Dot bystander intervention to reduce sexual violence and related forms of interpersonal in 26 high schools over a five-year period.

The Flavor Trap

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Cancer Society Action Network, the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association published a new report. It documents the widespread availability of candy-flavored tobacco products and the scientific evidence demonstrating that flavors have a critical role in the popularity of these products among youth.

Children and Mental Health

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the fourth publication in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Rural Health Series. The report examined the differences in health care, family, and community factors associated with mental, behavioral and developmental disorders in children living in rural and urban areas.

Delayed Walking May Signal Spontaneous Gene Anomalies in Autism

The National Institute of Mental Health reported that researchers have discovered a pattern of genetic glitches and behavioral features, such as delayed walking, in some cases of Autism Spectrum Disorder that could ultimately lead to the identification of subgroups and improved treatment.

Climate Change Harming Kids' Health

The Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health published a report that outlines how climate change is negatively impacting our health and taking a greater toll on children. Key concerns for kids include higher rates of asthma and allergy attacks due to air pollution, as well as a strain on mental health.

Overdose Risk in Young Children of Women Prescribed Opioids

A new study published in Pediatrics found that young children of mothers prescribed opioids are at a markedly increased risk of overdose. The authors also advised that physicians, pharmacists and parents should take measures to mitigate the risk of opioid-related harm to children, such as prescribing smaller quantities, emphasizing the importance of secure medication storage and prompt disposal of unused opioids.

Women's & Infant Health

Support for Healthy Breastfeeding Mothers with Healthy Term Babies

A new report published in the Cochrane Library examined the link between breastfeeding rates and effectiveness of support. The report also examined the effectiveness of different modes of offering similar supportive interventions, as well as the effectiveness of different care providers and training.