 |  |  | | | July 2013 | | Maternal, Infant, and Child Health Join us for 2 upcoming webinars in July! Topics include childhood obesity, and tuberculosis and infectious disease.
 | Preterm birth—or premature birth (live birth before 37 weeks gestation)—and infant deaths are important indicators of maternal, infant, and child health. Babies born preterm are at increased risk of immediate and long-term complications, as well as death.1 More infants die from preterm-related problems than from any other cause, yet nearly half of a million babies in the United States—that’s one out of every nine—are born premature each year.2 Education, research, and evidence-based strategies can help address these high-priority health issues. The well-being of mothers, infants, and children determines the health of the next generation and can help predict future public health challenges for families, communities, and the medical care system. 
| | Maternal, Infant, and Child Health and the Affordable Care Act Learn more about preventive services that are covered for women and children under the Affordable Care Act, including coverage of maternity and newborn care through the new Health Insurance Marketplace. | | Leading Health Indicators Leading Health Indicators (LHI) are critical health issues that—if tackled appropriately—will dramatically reduce the leading causes of death and preventable illnesses. The LHIs for Maternal, Infant, and Child Health are: | | Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going From 2000 to 2010, the total percentage of live births that were delivered preterm increased by 3.4%, from 11.6% of live births to 12.0%. However, the rate declined 5.5% between 2007 (12.7%) and 2010. In 1999, the infant mortality rate was 7.0 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared with a rate of 6.4 in 2009. During the decade, the infant mortality rate decreased by 8.6%. Compared with the overall rates, several groups experienced lower rates of infant deaths and preterm births, including female infants, infants of Asian or Pacific Islander mothers, or infants of married mothers. Also, higher infant mortality rates were experienced by infants born at a low birth weight. | | Who’s Leading the Leading Health Indicators? The Ohio Perinatal Quality Collaborative: An Evidence-Based, Data-Driven Approach to Reducing Preterm Births |  In 2007, Ohio ranked 34th in preterm (less than 37 weeks gestation) births among all states, and problems related to preterm birth were the state’s leading cause of infant mortality.3 In reaction to the reported ranking, a group of leaders in perinatal health—doctors and nurses, policymakers, and representatives from the Ohio Department of Health and Ohio’s Medicaid Agency—partnered to create the Ohio Perinatal Quality Collaborative (OPQC). This collaborative group is committed to reducing preterm births and improving outcomes of preterm newborns through evidence-based practices and data-driven strategies.
The statewide, multi-stakeholder network has implemented several strategies and programs to improve maternal, infant, and child health. OPQC’s work includes decreasing the number of deliveries between 36 and 39 weeks gestation that are scheduled without a valid medical indication (not medically necessary) and decreasing catheter-associated infection among infants born between 22 and 29 weeks gestation. These programs aim to increase healthy birth outcomes and help prevent death and disability among infants. 
| | | | |  | | | Related Resources Healthy People serves as the foundation for prevention efforts across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Learn more about HHS prevention strategies. 1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Preterm birth. Child Health USA 2012. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2013 [cited 2013 Jul 11]. Available from: http://mchb.hrsa.gov/chusa12/hs/hsi/pages/pb.html 2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease and Health Promotion, Division of Reproductive Health, and National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. National Prematurity Awareness Month. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2013 [cited 2013 Jul 2011]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/features/prematurebirth 3 Ohio Perinatal Quality Collaborative. Homepage. Cincinnati, OH: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Division of Biomedical Informatics; 2013 [cited 2013 Jul 11]. Available from: https://opqc.net/  Reference in this bulletin to any specific product, process, service, organization, or company does not constitute its endorsement or recommendation by the U.S. Government or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. | | | | | | |  |  |  | |
No comments:
Post a Comment