AMCHP is committed to serving state public health leaders and others working to improve the health of women, children, youth and families, including those with special health care needs, in their efforts to improve birth outcomes. This is accomplished through technical assistance, resource development, program planning and evaluation, policy analysis and advocacy, and peer-to-peer exchange.
The perinatal period is defined as the time surrounding childbirth, particularly three months before and one year after. Perinatal health refers to issues affecting women before, during and after childbirth.
Several major risk factors that influence perinatal health include nutrition, smoking, alcohol and drug use, maternal age, spacing of pregnancies, socioeconomic status, level and access of prenatal care, and the presence of HIV. Minorities are disproportionately affected by poor birth outcomes.
Activities
Perinatal Regionalization - AMCHP is working with federal partners the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) to examine the level of access to appropriate care for high-risk deliveries and neonates, specifically very low birth weight infants.
Late Preterm Birth- In collaboration with the National Child and Maternal Health Program (NCMHEP), AMCHP conducted an analysis of state maternal and child health programs (see summary) to learn more about how states are addressing the issue of late preterm birth. Spearheaded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NCMHEP works with more than 30 national organizations with the goal of translating the latest research in maternal and child health into educational products that will inform the practices of clinicians, health providers, and the general public. The first issue that NCMHEP has chosen to address is late preterm birth.
Breastfeeding - AMCHP is a member of the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC), whose mission is to improve the Nation’s health by working collaboratively to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. AMCHP policy team has completed an analysis on MCH implications of health reform legislation. This legislation includes a provision requiring reasonable break times for nursing mothers in the workplace.
Resources
Text4Baby Webinar
This webinar is designed for Title V programs and provides an overview of Text4Baby, a free mobile information service designed to promote healthy birth outcomes among underserved populations. Text4baby is made possible by a public-private partnership that is coordinated by the National Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB), Johnson & Johnson, Voxiva, the CTIA Wireless Foundation, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Speakers include:
- Sabrina Matoff-Stepp, Health Resources and Services Administration
- Judy Meehan, National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition
- Paul Meyer, Voxiva
- Joan Corder-Mabe, Virginia Department of Health, Title V Program
Here is a recording of the webinar.
Breastfeeding
The Business Case for Breastfeeding is a comprehensive program designed to educate employers about the value of supporting breastfeeding employees in the workplace. The program highlights how such support contributes to the success of the entire business. The Business Case for Breastfeeding offers tools to help employers provide worksite lactation support and privacy for breastfeeding mothers to express milk. The program also offers guidance to employees on breastfeeding and working. Resources to help lactation specialists and health professionals to educate employers in their communities are also available.