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Maternal and Infant Health Research: Home

Pregnancy and childbirth have an enormous impact on the physical,
mental, emotional, and socioeconomic health of women and their
families. In collaboration with partners, CDC conducts research and
supports programs to improve women’s health before, during, and after
pregnancy, and to reduce both short and long-term complications. Our
goal is to help ensure that all women have a safe and healthy
pregnancy.

While maternal death is the most extreme pregnancy-related problem,
many more women are affected by pregnancy-related complications, such
as—

depression;

complications of obesity;

severe medical problems requiring blood transfusions and longer
 hospital stays;

gestational diabetes and other chronic medical conditions; and

preterm birth.

Pregnancy-related health consequences are influenced by women's health
conditions as well as other factors such as race, ethnicity, age, and
income. CDC collaborates with private and public partners to reduce
the high rates of poor outcomes experienced by some racial and ethnic
groups and to improve the pregnancy and delivery experience for all
women.

Featured Items

Pregnant belly image

Healthy Pregnancy
If you're pregnant or planning to get pregnant, you probably have a
lot of questions.  This webpage will help you learn how to be healthy
(before, during, and after pregnancy) and give your baby a healthy
start to life.

Three babies image

Healthy Baby
Learn more about how to help keep you and your baby healthy and safe,
as well as learn about certain birth defects and medical conditions.

Image of baby's hand in adult's hand

Preterm Birth
Preterm birth is the birth of a baby at least three weeks before the
due date. Being born early is the greatest risk factor for death
within the first year of life.

Toy bear icon

SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)
SIDS is defined as the sudden death of a baby less than one year of
age that cannot be explained after a thorough investigation.

PRAMS icon baby buggy

PRAMS (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System)
A surveillance project of the CDC and state health departments, PRAMS
collects state-specific, population-based data on maternal attitudes
and experiences before, during, and shortly after pregnancy.

MCH EPI icon mom and baby

Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Program (MCH EPI)
The MCH EPI Program’s mission is to promote and improve the health and
well-being of women, children, and families by building MCH
epidemiology and data capacity at the state, local, and tribal levels.

Selected Resources

Division of Reproductive Health: Research in Maternal and Infant
Health
This site describes DRH’s maternal and infant health research and
surveillance activities.

Division of Reproductive Health: Publications about Maternal and
Infant Health
Provides a listing of DRH publications about maternal and infant
health.

Maternal and Infant Data Health and Statistics

International Surveys
Reproductive health surveys collect data on maternal and infant health
in developing countries.

Receipt of Influenza Vaccine During Pregnancy Among Women With Live
Births—Georgia and Rhode Island, 2004–2007
Pregnant women are at increased risk for complications from influenza.
Since 2004, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
Committee on Obstetric Practice have recommended that all pregnant
women be vaccinated with the trivalent inactivated vaccine during any
trimester of pregnancy. Source: MMWR 2009; 58(35):972–975.

Emergency Planning Tips If You're Pregnant or Have Young Children
If you are pregnant or someone with infants or young children, find
out how to plan for an emergency or disaster.

Wildfires: Information for Pregnant Women and Parents of Young Infants
Learn what pregnant women and parents of young children can do if they
are, or may be, evacuated from their home. For more information about
wildfires, see: http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/wildfires/

Preconception Care
The main goal of preconception care is to provide health promotion,
screening, and interventions for women of reproductive age to reduce
risk factors that might affect future pregnancies.

Achievements in Public Health, 1900–1999: Healthier Mothers and Babies
This report summarizes trends in reducing infant and maternal
mortality in the United States, factors contributing to these trends,
challenges in reducing infant and maternal mortality, and provides
suggestions for public health action for the 21st century. Source:
MMWR 1999;48(38):849–858.

Healthy People 2010
Healthy People is a collection of 10-year health objectives for the
Nation developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Chapter 16 contains the maternal, infant, and child health objectives.

National Library of Medicine
Conduct a search for more information about maternal and infant health
and other health topics.

Related Resources

Association of State Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP)
The AMCHP provides leadership on issues affecting the health of women
and children. Members include directors of maternal and child health
programs, directors of programs for children with special health care
needs, adolescent health coordinators, and other public health
leaders. Members of this national nonprofit organization also include
academic, advocacy and community-based family health professionals,
and families.

CityMatch
This is a national membership organization of city and county health
departments' maternal and child health (MCH) programs and leaders
representing urban communities in the United States. 

Maternal Child Health (MCH) Library at Georgetown University
This offers a variety of electronic resources, including the MCH
Alert, knowledge paths, databases, and other materials developed for
health professionals, policymakers, and families. The MCH Library is
located at the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child
Health at Georgetown University.

 

Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are provided
solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an
endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the
Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not
responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages
found at these links.

To learn more about PDF Adobe PDF logo files and to download PDF
files, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader software, which is available free
of charge from Adobe. The HTML version alters the format of the
original printed document. Using the PDF version will preserve the
document's formatting and graphics.

Page last reviewed: 9/10/09
Page last modified: 9/10/09
Content source: Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for
Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

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Programs & Campaigns

PRAMS
A surveillance project of CDC and state health departments. PRAMS
collects state-specific, population-based data on maternal attitudes
and experiences prior to, during and immediately following pregnancy.

MCH EPI
The Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Program provides financial
and technical support to states, and in some cases, time-limited
assignments of senior epidemiologists to state maternal and child
health programs.

"Back to Sleep" Campaign
Placing babies on their backs to sleep reduces the risk of Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also known as "crib death."

DES Campaign
Diethylstilbestrol (DES) is a drug once prescribed during pregnancy to
prevent miscarriages or premature deliveries.

Safe Motherhood Initiative
The Safe Motherhood Initiative is a global effort that aims to reduce
deaths and illnesses among women and infants, especially in developing
countries.

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