A coalition of diverse stakeholders has proven to be a catalyst for early childhood improvement in Chelsea, Massachusetts, helping them align messages, raise awareness, and collect more robust and relevant data. Ready build one in your community? Find out how here.

Preeclampsia, a dangerous disorder where a mother’s blood pressure spikes during pregnancy, is one of the leading causes of maternal and infant illness and death. Here, a mother who lost her baby daughter shares a plea for improvement. 

Over 13 million children live in rural areas and of those 13 million, more than a quarter live in poverty. Here, NICHQ Chief Health Officer Elizabeth Coté, MD, MPH, expands on the urgent need to understand and respond to the disparities in health outcomes for this population of children.

In an increasingly digital age, telelactation support is a powerful opportunity to increase breastfeeding rates among amothers who can't access classes. In addition to over the phone, lactation consultants and counselors can support moms through video chats like Skype, via text message or in online communities.  

A mother-centered approach to caring for NAS may reduce the need for drug treatment and length of hospital stays. Here, Matthew Grossman, MD, one of the authors of the approach, expands on its benefits for improving infant health outcomes. 

Without hearing directly from mothers, health professionals can’t provide meaningful education and support that speaks to each mother’s individual views and experiences. This is one reason why improving conversations with breastfeeding mothers can help increase breastfeeding rates. Here, two experts offer advice on how put a better conversational approach into action.