Understanding what causes infant deaths gives states and communities the information they need to identify focused, effective solutions. This makes infant mortality data—data that reveals the causes and contributors to death and system barriers—irreplaceable assets for any infant health improvement effort. And that makes the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention (National CFRP) an essential partner.

In honor or our 20th anniversary, we're sharing insights, memories and goals from the NICHQ team. Here, NICHQ Senior Project Director Stacy Scott shares her passion for being a champion for social justice and the importance of striving for health equity.

When parents trust their child’s pediatric provider, they come together as an effective team working to ensure the child’s health and well-being. Yet, while the importance of parent-pediatric trust is clear, strategies for building it often remain nebulous. Looking for a more concrete framework? Here, Dipesh Navsaria, MPH, MSLIS, MD, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and president of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics shares how economic principles can inform trust-building strategies in the pediatric setting.

In the U.S., Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), suffocation and other sleep-related causes claim approximately 3,600 babies every year. That number translates to nearly 165 unfilled kindergarten classrooms. Doing better by American families starts by identifying what’s working and outlining opportunities for improvement. Here, NICHQ Faculty Expert Michael Goodstein, MD, a neonatologist and international safe sleep expert, discusses what priorities should shape improvement efforts in the years to come.

Black families are twice as likely as white families to have their baby die in the first year of life. In some states, they are three times as likely. These statistics are more than numbers; they represent real families who suffer unimaginable loss—loss that stems from the persistent effects of systemic racism on the health of black families. Here, faculty experts on a national safe sleep and breastfeeding initiative share their recommendations for how health professionals and improvement initiatives can better support the health and well-being of black families.

We can’t improve maternal and child health without engaging community voices—without practicing what NICHQ Senior Project Director Kenn Harris calls “true, authentic community engagement.” This holds whether seeking change at the policy level or within an organization, hospital or clinic. Below, Harris shares some of his lessons, learned from nearly 30 years of working with communities.