Inventory of Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) for Healthy Start Programs
Evidence-based practices include actions, activities, strategies, or approaches that improve the health of women, before, during, and after pregnancy in order to improve birth outcomes and give infants up to age two years a healthy start. Also included in the collection are informational materials and tools that make it easier to implement evidence-based practices. To search by title, use the main search box located at the top of this page.
Mothers and Babies (MB) is a program that promotes healthy mood management by teaching pregnant women and new moms how to effectively respond to stress in their lives through increasing the frequency of thoughts and behaviors that lead to positive mood states. Designed as a perinatal depression prevention, the Mothers and Babies targets three specific risk factors: limited social support, lack of pleasant activities, and harmful thought patterns. Mothers and Babies offers a “toolkit” of approaches for women to observe their mood, note factors affecting their mood, and make changes in their daily lives to impact these areas. Based on principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), attachment theory, and psychoeducation, the Mothers and Babies Course is designed to be delivered by clinic- or community-based providers from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds, and can be delivered as a group intervention or as a one-on-one intervention in various settings where pregnant women access services (e.g. prenatal clinics, home visiting programs, WIC programs, County Health Departments, etc.).
Topics:
Depression Home Visiting Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Mental Health Parenting Education Prenatal Care and Education
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Perinatal Depression Follow Up Perinatal Depression Screening
Evidence Rating:
I. Evidence-based practices—have been rigorously evaluated and shown to be effective by MCH experts.
The Boston Basics Campaign is inspired by the fact that 80% of brain growth happens in the first three years of life. During this period, skill gaps between socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic groups become clearly apparent, but this does not need to be. Everyday interactions between children, their parents, and other caregivers provide abundant opportunities to give children from every background a more equal start in life. The Basics are five, fun, simple, and powerful ways that every family can give every child a strong start beginning from birth: 1) maximize love, manage stress, 2) talk, sing and point, 3) count, group and compare, 4) explore through movement and play, and 5) read and discuss stories. The Basics Community Toolkit provides multi-media resources that healthcare and community-based organizations can use to engage and support parents and other caregivers in practicing these basics.The Boston Basics website and materials are also available in Spanish.
Topics:
Parenting Education Socio-emotional Development for Children
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Father/Partner Parenting Involvement Father/Partner Prenatal Involvement Reading to Child Daily
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This resource from the CDC defines and discusses the importance of preconception health. It features a link to 10 important steps and considerations for women planning to become pregnant. Another link for women not planning a pregnancy discusses 10 healthy habits of benefit should she become pregnant in the future, or even if she decides not to have children. A third link provides similar guidance for men with 10 recommendations for healthy living.
Topics:
Partner Involvement Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning
Approaches:
Benchmarks:
Father/Partner Prenatal Involvement Reproductive Life Plan
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This colorful and easy-to-read patient brochure can be downloaded or ordered for free from the CDC. It discusses the effects of STDs on pregnancy and the importance of being tested for STDs before and/or during pregnancy. It reviews the preventive measures women can take to avoid contracting an STD before or during pregnancy and emphasizes the importance of being treated during pregnancy if required.
Topics:
Prenatal Care and Education STDs including HIV
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This patient handout in the form of questions and answers is designed to inform pregnant women and women planning a pregnancy about the risks of HIV infection during pregnancy. It covers the basics of HIV infection, its potential risks to pregnant women and their babies, and how these risks can be minimized with early diagnosis, certain preventive measures, and HIV treatment.
Topics:
Prenatal Care and Education STDs including HIV
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This toolkit presents a compilation of resources that highlight the challenges and key issues associated with launching and sustaining a successful fatherhood program. It covers topics such as: building an effective fatherhood program,effectively engaging fathers, cultivating community partners, recruiting and training staff, serving fathers with specific barriers, and promoting sustainability. The toolkit provides tips and suggestions from experienced practitioners, activities for use with fathers in one-to-one or group sessions, tools from model programs to use and share with fathers, and other helpful resources.
Topics:
Intimate Partner Violence Partner Involvement Socio-emotional Development for Children
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Father/Partner Parenting Involvement Father/Partner Prenatal Involvement
Evidence Rating:
II. Promising practices—Innovative practices employed in the field, based on state-of-science knowledge about what works to improve outcomes, and gathering evidence of effectiveness.
Fathering in 15™ is an interactive, online tool that helps organizations build the skills of fathers anytime, anywhere. Fathering in 15™ takes fathers through 15 interactive, engaging topics, each in 15 minutes. It is accessible on any computer or mobile device, and can be used a stand-alone, self-paced resource or to complement an existing group-based fatherhood program. Each topic follows the same framework using text written at 5th-6th grade reading level, along with short videos and interactive graphics to engage fathers in learning.
Topics:
Parenting Education Partner Involvement Socio-emotional Development for Children
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Father/Partner Parenting Involvement
Evidence Rating:
II. Promising practices—Innovative practices employed in the field, based on state-of-science knowledge about what works to improve outcomes, and gathering evidence of effectiveness.
This brief looks at common acceptability, availability, and accessibility barriers to mental and substance use disorder (behavioral health) treatment and services in rural communities and presents ways telehealth can help surmount some of these barriers. The term telehealth refers to using internet and communications technologies, such as videoconferencing, chat, and text messaging, to provide health information and treatments in real time.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Case Management/Care Coordination Depression
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Perinatal Depression Follow Up Perinatal Depression Screening
Evidence Rating:
II. Promising practices—Innovative practices employed in the field, based on state-of-science knowledge about what works to improve outcomes, and gathering evidence of effectiveness.
This guide provides information and resources for family members and friends on specific ways to support pregnant women with opioid use disorders, and help them to get the prenatal care, substance use treatment and other supports they need during pregnancy and postpartum.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Case Management/Care Coordination Prenatal Care and Education
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Perinatal Depression Follow Up Usual Source of Care
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The mobile version of the 24/7 Dad® lets dads install a checklist on their smartphones to use on an ongoing basis. The app provides a place where dads can customize time-sensitive checklists of to-do items related to involved, responsible fatherhood and helps them take action steps daily, weekly, and monthly to be active in their children’s lives. The app also includes links to information on the National Fatherhood Initiatives’ NFI’s website keeping dads connected to the latest practical advice and guidance on how to be a 24/7 Dad. Note: Scroll to the bottom of the page to find links to access the app.
Topics:
Parenting Education Partner Involvement
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Father/Partner Parenting Involvement
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This prevention resource guide offers information, strategies, and resources to support community service providers as they work with parents, caregivers, and children to prevent child maltreatment and promote social and emotional well-being. The guide focuses on protective factors that build on family strengths and promote optimal child and youth development. Information about protective factors is augmented with tools and strategies that help providers, advocates and policymakers integrate the factors into community programs and systems. The guide includes tip sheets for parents in English and Spanish on a range of parenting and child development topics.
Topics:
Intimate Partner Violence Life Course Model Parenting Education Partner Involvement Socio-emotional Development for Children
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Father/Partner Parenting Involvement Father/Partner Prenatal Involvement Intimate Partner Violence
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This webpage offers resources for providers and families on safe sleep practices. Resources for providers include the AAP Policy Statement: SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2016 Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment. Resources for families include a videos, posters and infographics on safe sleep practices.
Topics:
Parenting Education Safe Sleep
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Safe Sleep
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This set of 9 fact sheets for programs that serve families makes the case and provides implementation tips for fully and effectively engaging fathers. The fact sheets describe the importance of involved fathers for improving maternal and child health outcomes, supporting children’s early learning and reducing family and community violence. They also provide best practice do’s and don’ts, tips for attracting fathers to programs, and father-inclusive evaluation strategies.
Topics:
Participant Recruitment and Retention Partner Involvement
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Father/Partner Parenting Involvement Father/Partner Prenatal Involvement
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Connected Kids is a program of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) designed to address the important issue of violence prevention. One third of the program is devoted to infants and toddlers, and contains suggested anticipatory guidance, a counseling schedule, and recommended educational brochures. Covered issues include handling parental frustration, disciplining toddlers, safety in the home, and a discussion of firearms. Although the program is designed for pediatricians, it could be useful to anyone working with parents of young children.
Topics:
Parenting Education Socio-emotional Development for Children
Approaches:
Benchmarks:
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Safe Homes, Safe Babies is a safety card for women that perinatal health care providers can distribute to patients. In addition to providing safety resources for women, this tool also functions as a prompt for perinatal health care providers by providing quick phrases to improve discussions with women about the impact of domestic violence on their parenting and children. The safety card outlines questions women may ask themselves about their relationships, birth control use and parenting, while offering supportive messages and referrals to national support services for help.
Topics:
Depression Intimate Partner Violence Risk Assessment
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Intimate Partner Violence Perinatal Depression Screening
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The American Academy of Pediatrics FASD Toolkit was developed in coordination with the CDC to raise awareness, promote surveillance and screening, and ensure that all children who possibly have FASDs receive appropriate and timely interventions. Focused primarily on providers, it features basic information on FASD, diagnostic tools for use in children suspected of being affected, evidence-based interventions, and guidelines for case management/care coordination. The site also contains FAQ and a list of resources for families and school professionals who care for children with FASD.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Case Management/Care Coordination Parenting Education
Approaches:
Benchmarks:
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Prevention Program is a collaboration between ACOG and the CDC designed to empower healthcare providers to speak with their patients about abstaining from alcohol use during pregnancy. The program includes evidence-based ACOG Committee Opinions regarding ethics, alcohol use in pregnancy, and motivational interviewing techniques, as well as videos and free downloadable materials for both providers and patients.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services
Approaches:
Benchmarks:
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This child safety web site was developed by the ACLS Training Center, noted for its experience in emergency situations. It contains numerous tools designed to help parents ensure their children’s safety, including a Safety Checklist for New Parents, guidelines on creating a safe home environment, and tips on when it is safe for babies to move on to the next milestone in sleeping, feeding etc. Additional sections are devoted to prevention of choking, drowning, poisoning, and travel-related injuries, and outdoor and neighborhood safety. All are user-friendly, easily accessible and readable.
Topics:
Parenting Education
Approaches:
Benchmarks:
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This CDC website provides concise information on risks for lead poisoning in children and evidence-based recommendations for decreasing those risks. It features both tips for parents and guidelines for providers to prevent childhood lead poisoning, along with info graphics and educational recommendations for children affected by lead.
Topics:
Parenting Education Risk Assessment
Approaches:
Benchmarks:
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
SmokefreeMOM is a mobile text messaging service designed for pregnant women across the United States to help them quit smoking. The program provides 24/7 encouragement, advice, and tips to help pregnant women and mothers quit smoking and stay quit. The messages in the program have been designed around not only a women’s quit date but also their child’s birthdate. The frequency of messages will vary depending on smoking status. Users can receive additional quit support by texting one of the SmokefreeMOM keywords.
Topics:
Tobacco Cessation
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Smoking Abstinence
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This webpage provides basic information on a variety of contraceptive methods, including a link to a poster comparing typical effectiveness of contraceptive methods. The poster can be used to show women and men the range of contraception choices available to them, and which methods work best at preventing pregnancy. The webpage also provides additional resources on contraception for health care providers and consumers.
Topics:
Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Reproductive Life Plan
Evidence Rating:
I. Evidence-based practices—have been rigorously evaluated and shown to be effective by MCH experts.
This component of the Child Development section of the CDC website provides information for parents on developmental milestones and positive parenting tips by age group, covering children 0-17 years of age. Age-specific injury prevention and safety advice as well as guidelines for promoting healthy bodies are also given. Parents or service providers for parents can download Positive Parenting Tip Sheets for use as take-home handouts.
Topics:
Parenting Education Partner Involvement Socio-emotional Development for Children
Approaches:
Promote Quality Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Father/Partner Parenting Involvement
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The recommended immunization schedule is designed to protect infants and children early in life, when they are most vulnerable and before they are exposed to potentially life-threatening diseases. This web page contains immunization schedules that parents can view or print showing the age or age range when each vaccine or series of shots is recommended. Available in English and Spanish.
Topics:
Immunization
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Well Child Visits
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
MothertoBaby is the leading authority providing up-to-date, evidence-based information to mothers, healthcare professionals, and the general public regarding the effects of medications and other exposures on pregnancy and breastfeeding. The website contains fact sheets in English and Spanish covering the risks of over 50 pharmaceuticals (listed alphabetically), herbal products, and other common lifestyle and occupational exposures. Excellent sections on tobacco, alcohol, and mood-altering drugs are included, as well as information on the safety of vaccines during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Experts are also available to answer individual questions confidentially by telephone, email, or text.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Breastfeeding Immunization Prenatal Care and Education Risk Assessment Tobacco Cessation
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Initiating Breastfeeding Smoking Abstinence
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This toolkit is designed for women, advocates, community-based organizations, and health care providers to provide information on the coverage of breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling in the health care law (Affordable Care Act) and offer tools to women who encounter problems with this coverage. The toolkit also includes detailed instructions on how to call insurance companies, how to file an appeal if the plan denies coverage, and provides draft appeal letters tailored to commonly encountered scenarios.
Topics:
Breastfeeding Insurance Coverage
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Initiating Breastfeeding Sustaining Breastfeeding
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Baby Basics is a set of materials (book, planner, posters) and programs designed specifically to provide lower-income and lower-literacy populations with crucial prenatal health information and support. The materials are designed to be beautiful and easy to read, serving as a catalyst for learning and family literacy. Both materials and programs strive to engage and educate underserved parents to become effective users of the healthcare system and advocate for themselves and their families.
Topics:
Prenatal Care and Education
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Promote Quality Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Birth Spacing Father/Partner Prenatal Involvement Initiating Breastfeeding Postpartum Visit Safe Sleep Sustaining Breastfeeding Well Child Visits
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The Nurturing Fathers Program is an evidence-based, 13-week group-based program designed to teach parenting and nurturing skills to men. The Nurturing Fathers Program is an adaptation of the Nurturing Program philosophy and lessons are designed and implemented specifically for dads.
Topics:
Parenting Education Partner Involvement
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Father/Partner Parenting Involvement
Evidence Rating:
II. Promising practices—Innovative practices employed in the field, based on state-of-science knowledge about what works to improve outcomes, and gathering evidence of effectiveness.
Medical‐legal partnership (MLP) is an approach to health that integrates the work of healthcare, public health, and civil legal aid to more effectively identify, treat, and prevent health‐harming legal needs for patients, clinics, and populations. MLP addresses legal needs in the areas of income supports and insurance; housing and utilities; employment and education; legal status; and personal and family stability. MLP:
- Trains healthcare, public health, and legal teams to work collaboratively and identify needs upstream;
- Treats individual patients’ health‐harming social and legal needs with legal care ranging from triage and consultations to legal representation;
- Transforms clinic practice and institutional policies to better respond to patients’ health‐harming social and legal needs; and
- Prevents health‐harming legal needs broadly by detecting patterns and improving policies and regulations that have an impact on population health.
Topics:
Case Management/Care Coordination Insurance Coverage Other Risk Assessment
Approaches:
Achieve Collective Impact Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
CAN Implementation Health Insurance
Evidence Rating:
II. Promising practices—Innovative practices employed in the field, based on state-of-science knowledge about what works to improve outcomes, and gathering evidence of effectiveness.
This is the official government website where participants can find out if they qualify for health insurance, what their options are, and what assistance may be available to them (including Medicaid and CHIP). They can then proceed to apply for insurance at this site
Topics:
Insurance Coverage
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Health Insurance
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The Interconception Care Project of California is a collection of recommendations to improve and promote the interconception health of women by maximizing care during the postpartum visit. The website contains links to free evidence-based clinical management algorithms for the 21 most common pregnancy and delivery complications in California. Patient education materials offering explanations of the conditions, treatment options, and self-care strategies to reduce risks in future pregnancies are also free and available in English and Spanish.
Topics:
Other Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning Risk Assessment
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Birth Spacing
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This patient handout discusses optimal spacing of pregnancies and describes the health benefits for both mother and baby of spacing pregnancies at least 18 months apart.
Topics:
Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Birth Spacing
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based non-profit organization of medical providers who promote early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms nationwide by integrating children’s books and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud into well-child visits. Reach Out and Read builds on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to develop critical early reading skills in children, beginning in infancy.
Topics:
Other Parenting Education
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Reading to Child Daily
Evidence Rating:
II. Promising practices—Innovative practices employed in the field, based on state-of-science knowledge about what works to improve outcomes, and gathering evidence of effectiveness.
These three brief (2-3 minute) videos explore resilience, a positive adaptive response to serious adversity in a young child’s life, and how it is built. A better understanding of how resilience develops can help develop policies and programs to help more children reach their full potential.
Topics:
Parenting Education Socio-emotional Development for Children
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Father/Partner Parenting Involvement
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The Magic of Everyday Moments video series is designed to help parents and professionals understand how they can best help very young children thrive. The first in the series explores brain development, early literacy skills, the power of play, and temperament. The second examines development in each of the first three years of life.
Topics:
Parenting Education Socio-emotional Development for Children
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Father/Partner Parenting Involvement
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This website, with tabs for both providers and patients, provides current recommendations on immunizations for women. It includes information on vaccines for specific conditions, timing regimens, safety, and guidelines for use in pregnancy.
Topics:
Immunization
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Well Woman Visits
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
A series of easy-to-read informational materials for parents on taking care of young children’s oral health. Includes handouts on: brushing your child’s teeth, choosing healthy drinks for your child, getting fluoride for your child, helping your baby with teething pain, preventing mouth injuries, and visiting the dental clinic.
Topics:
Oral Health
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Well Child Visits
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The Period of PURPLE Crying program consists of a video and booklet that help new parents understand and safely cope with infant crying, the most common trigger for shaken baby syndrome. The materials describe normal infant crying, explain the easy-to-remember acronym PURPLE (with each letter standing for various features of infant crying), suggest strategies for comforting a baby, acknowledge caregiver frustration when a baby cannot be soothed, explain the dangers of shaking the infant, and outline a positive approach for handling an inconsolable infant. Labor and delivery or discharge nurses distribute these materials to new parents prior to hospital discharge. Pediatricians, public health workers, adoption agencies, and other organizations may also distribute these materials or reinforce their messages, which may be complemented by a public education campaign. There is also a website for parents.
Topics:
Parenting Education
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Intimate Partner Violence
Evidence Rating:
I. Evidence-based practices—have been rigorously evaluated and shown to be effective by MCH experts.
STAR Parenting provides parents with tools and information they need to raise their children to be adults they admire. STAR Parenting provides parents (and anyone who works with children) with a problem-solving process, 5 general strategies, and 15 practical tools. STAR Parenting offers in-person and online training, and a STAR parenting community forum.
Topics:
Parenting Education Socio-emotional Development for Children
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Father/Partner Parenting Involvement
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
: Learn the Signs, Act Early aims to improve early identification of children with autism and other developmental disabilities so children and families can get needed services and support. The program has three components: a health education campaign, the Act Early initiative, and research and evaluation. The campaign promotes awareness of healthy developmental milestones during childhood, and the importance of tracking each child’s development and acting early if there are concerns. The Act Early Initiative works with state, territorial and national partners to improve early childhood screening and referral systems. The program website includes many free materials for providers, health centers and parents, videos and other multimedia tools and training programs for providers.
Topics:
Parenting Education Socio-emotional Development for Children
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Reading to Child Daily
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The USDA’s recommendations for nutrition for breastfeeding mothers. Includes a customizable daily food plan for breastfeeding mothers, which keeps track of the baby’s weight and needs.
Topics:
Breastfeeding Nutrition
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Initiating Breastfeeding Sustaining Breastfeeding
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
A variety of videos, audio, and PSAs developed for National Infant Immunization Week. Videos and audio can be found in English and Spanish. Media tools include printable ads, and brochures.
Topics:
Immunization
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Well Child Visits
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The CDC offers vaccination recommendations for preconception/interconception, prenatal, and postpartum women. An Immunization and Pregnancy Vaccine Flyer, recommended immunizations schedule, and vaccine quiz are all available online. The influenza vaccine is recommended for all women, including pregnant women.
Topics:
Immunization
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Well Woman Visits
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
A variety of bilingual materials explain why it is important not to schedule an induction or Cesarean section for non-medical reasons before 39 weeks gestation. Fetal growth and development in the last few weeks of pregnancy is highlighted.
Topics:
Prenatal Care and Education
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Reducing Early Elective Deliveries
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
A video on the risks of elective early deliveries and materials to accompany the video.
Topics:
Prenatal Care and Education
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Reducing Early Elective Deliveries
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Two-page, downloadable handout for pregnant women to support quit attempts; available in Spanish and English.
Topics:
Tobacco Cessation
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Smoking Abstinence
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Men’s portion of the CDC’s information on preconception health and health care. Includes information on making a reproductive life plan for men, preventing and treating sexually transmitted diseases, tobacco and drug cessation, infertility, maintaining a healthy weight, learning about family history, getting help for violence, getting mentally healthy, and supporting one’s partner.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Chronic Disease Depression Healthy Weight Intimate Partner Violence Partner Involvement Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning STDs including HIV Tobacco Cessation
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Intimate Partner Violence Reproductive Life Plan
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Women.smokefree.gov includes resources for women at any stage hoping to quit smoking tobacco, and has an entire section devoted to pregnant women and mothers. Smokefree MOM is a free texting service that provides tips, advice, and support for pregnant mothers in the process of quitting smoking.
Topics:
Tobacco Cessation
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Smoking Abstinence
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This webpage of the Office on Women’s Health answers in plain language frequently asked questions about birth control methods. It includes a chart comparing the various methods on effectiveness, risks, and side effects.
Topics:
Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Reproductive Life Plan
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Downloadable Reproductive Life Plan (RPL) Worksheet for individuals and RPL Tool for healthcare providers, designed to help individuals develop a personal reproductive life plan.
Topics:
Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Reproductive Life Plan
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This toolkit provides information on women’s preventive health services covered under the Affordable Care Act, and tools women can use if they encounter problems with this coverage. Includes templates for appeal letters to insurance companies in case of being wrongfully charged co-pays or deductibles for preventive services, birth control, breastfeeding counseling, BRCA testing, colonoscopy, or well-woman visits.
Topics:
Insurance Coverage
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Health Insurance
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
