Awareness of birth defects across the lifespan helps provide individuals, parents, and families affected by birth defects the information they need to seek proper care. Join the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the nationwide effort to raise awareness of birth defects and their impact on individuals, parents, and families.

Premature baby's foot

Avoid smoking cigarettes.

The dangers of smoking during pregnancy include preterm birth, certain birth defects (cleft lip or cleft palate), and infant death.

Learn how the Baby & Me Tobacco Free program partners with local agencies to work to eliminate tobacco use by low-income, pregnant, and postpartum birthing people using diaper vouchers as an incentive. >> Read Insight

Pregnant person with long blond hair looking out the window turned to the side

Avoid marijuana and other drugs.

Substance use during pregnancy can have health effects on a pregnant person and may be linked to poor fetal growth, preterm birth, stillbirth, and specific birth defects. 

Watch a webinar highlighting Oklahoma's collaborative approach to supporting infants and families affected by prenatal substance use, including the partnership with the Oklahoma Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative, the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, and the Department of Human Services. >> Watch Webinar 

Bald Black doctor administers vaccine to pregnant Black person with dark brown hair in messy ponytail

Download a poster developed by the NYSDOH to display in your office with answers to FAQs.

Prevent infections from COVID-19 and the flu.

Some infections that a woman might get during pregnancy can be harmful to the developing baby and can even cause birth defects. Pregnant and recently pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with those who are not pregnant. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) strongly recommends that all eligible persons receive a COVID-19 vaccine or vaccine series, depending on the product. 

Share this helpful brochure developed by The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) to help educate about COVID-19 vaccines while pregnant.
>> Share Brochure

Related NICHQ Insights

Look for NICHQ at Upcoming Spring Maternal Child Health Conferences 

Teams at the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality are preparing for an exciting spring 2023 conference season, where staff will give poster presentations and facilitate workshops at a variety of national maternal and child health conferences.  

Doula Support Improves Maternal and Child Health Outcomes, Patient and Family Engagement 

In honor of World Doula Week, celebrated annually March 22-28, The National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ) held a conversation with LaToshia Rouse, CD/PCD(DONA), owner of Birth Sisters Doula Services. Rouse currently serves as the Patient and Family Engagement Co-Chair of the National Network for Perinatal Quality Collaboratives Executive Committee and joined NICHQ’s Board of Directors in March 2022. 

Supporting Indigenous Families for Improved Health Outcomes

Indigenous mothers and birthing people, fathers, partners, caregivers, and families, can speak for themselves. So, make sure seats are available – and filled – on your projects, your teams, your boards. Many projects within the MCH field have steering committees, and all should have family representation. As I hope you’ve intuited, it’s not enough to carry a message. When I think about justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion with regard to our committees, our faculty experts, or even in our improvement advisors, I have begun to ask the question: Are there people from American Indian and Alaska Native communities here?

Making Fathers Visible in Maternal and Child Health

From cognitive and social emotional development to education and accomplishments, children with involved fathers achieve better health outcomes. Yet despite fathers’ positive impact on maternal and child health, many of the systems intended to serve women and children were not designed with fathers in mind. That’s why we’re sharing strategies to increasing father involvement in early childhood programs.

Indianapolis Gives Moms and Babies in Prison a Healthy Start

Committed to championing a too-often forgotten population, Indianapolis Healthy Start partnered with the state’s women’s prison system to ensure that moms and babies could receive all recommended services and supports, starting with prenatal care and continuing for two years after birth.

Seven Strategies for Conducting Successful Services Virtually

Across the country, health and social service providers have had to find new ways to support children and families in the face of COVID-19. Home visiting services, pediatric well-child visits, prenatal care and mental health appointments have largely had to transition from in-person appointments to visits virtually—either via phone or video. By learning how to conduct a successful virtual visit, health and social service providers can help ensure children and families receive the support they need during and after this pandemic.