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.


Preconception Health

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.

Family Spirit

Family Spirit is an evidence-based early childhood home-visiting program designed for and by American Indian communities. Family Spirit combines the use of paraprofessionals from the community as home visitors and a culturally focused, strengths-based curriculum as a core strategy to support young families. From pregnancy through the child’s 3rd birthday, parents gain knowledge and skills to promote healthy development and positive lifestyles for themselves and their children. Family Spirit addresses intergenerational behavioral health problems, optimizes local cultural assets, and overcomes deficits in the professional health care workforce in low resource communities. Evidence from three randomized controlled trials has documented important results including: increased parenting knowledge and involvement; decreased maternal depression; increased home safety; decreased emotional and behavioral problems of mothers; and decreased emotional and behavioral problems of children. The Family Spirit curriculum modules cover: Prenatal Care, Infant Care, Your Growing Child, Toddler Care, My Family and Me, and Healthy Living.

Topics:

Alcohol/Drug Services Breastfeeding Depression Home Visiting Parenting Education Partner Involvement Prenatal Care and Education Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning Socio-emotional Development for Children

Approaches:

Improve Women's Health Promote Quality Strengthen Family Resilience

Benchmarks:

Father/Partner Prenatal Involvement Initiating Breastfeeding Perinatal Depression Follow Up Perinatal Depression Screening Reproductive Life Plan Safe Sleep Smoking Abstinence Sustaining Breastfeeding

Evidence Rating: I. Evidence-based practices—have been rigorously evaluated and shown to be effective by MCH experts.

Effectiveness of Family Planning Methods

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.

Components of the Well-Woman Visit

Annual well-woman visits provide an excellent opportunity for health maintenance and preventive care, including preconception and interconception counseling. Under the Affordable Care Act of 2010, Medicaid and most private insurance plans cover these visits without copay. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released these guidelines on recommended components of the annual visit based on previous evidence-based guidelines, current expert opinion, and the recommendations of a multidisciplinary task force. Recommendations on screening, laboratory tests, evaluation and counseling, and immunizations are organized into the age ranges 13-18, 19-45, 46-64, and >64.

Topics:

Alcohol/Drug Services Chronic Disease Depression Healthy Weight Immunization Intimate Partner Violence Nutrition Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning Risk Assessment STDs including HIV Tobacco Cessation

Approaches:

Improve Women's Health

Benchmarks:

Well Woman Visits

Evidence Rating: III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.

Wise Guys

WISE GUYS: THE NEXT LEVEL is a flexible 5 to 12 week program that specifically targets men age 18 and older. Special topics that are addressed include stress and anger management; cohabitation and marriage; alcohol and other drugs; and an expanded fatherhood curriculum that provides information and resources for fathers from RAD (the Responsible and Active Dads program). The great information from the original Wise Guys program is also included in such a way as to suit its older audience.

Topics:

Alcohol/Drug Services Parenting Education Partner Involvement Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning STDs including HIV

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.

Interconception Care Project of California

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.

The Tampa Bay Doula Program

This Doula Program, targeted to low income pregnant women, provides free perinatal services, including community-based childbirth education classes, labor and delivery support, postpartum care, and instruction focusing on mom/baby attachment, extension of breastfeeding duration, and interconception care. Participants in the program have been shown to have a decreased infant mortality rate, reduced need for medical interventions during labor and delivery, and longer duration of breastfeeding their infants.

Topics:

Breastfeeding Other Prenatal Care and Education Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning

Approaches:

Improve Women's Health Promote Quality

Benchmarks:

Birth Spacing Initiating Breastfeeding Reproductive Life Plan Sustaining Breastfeeding

Evidence Rating: I. Evidence-based practices—have been rigorously evaluated and shown to be effective by MCH experts.

Nurse Family Partnership

The Nurse Family Partnership program provides home visits by registered nurses to first-time mothers, beginning during pregnancy and continuing through the child’s second birthday. The program aims to: improve pregnancy outcomes by promoting health-related behaviors; improve child health, development, and safety by promoting competent caregiving; and enhance parent life-course development by promoting pregnancy planning, educational achievement, and employment. Secondary goals include providing links with needed health and social services, and promoting supportive social relationships.

Topics:

Home Visiting Parenting Education Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning Socio-emotional Development for Children

Approaches:

Improve Women's Health

Benchmarks:

Reproductive Life Plan

Evidence Rating: I. Evidence-based practices—have been rigorously evaluated and shown to be effective by MCH experts.

CDC’s Information for Men on Preconception Health and Health Care

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.

CHOICES: A Program for Women About Choosing Healthy Behaviors

Brief intervention for non-pregnant women of childbearing age that are at risk for Alcohol Exposed Pregnancy. The intervention consists of four motivational interviewing sessions with a counselor/interventionist and one contraception counseling visit with a health care provider over a 12- to 14-week period. Program participants receive in-depth assessment of alcohol use and contraceptive use patterns; counseling about the consequences of alcohol use during pregnancy; advice and counseling, referral to community treatment services for alcohol-dependent drinkers; reproductive health education, and contraceptive services. Can be adapted, and has been implemented in about 30 sites.

Topics:

Alcohol/Drug Services Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning

Approaches:

Improve Women's Health

Benchmarks:

Reproductive Life Plan

Evidence Rating: I. Evidence-based practices—have been rigorously evaluated and shown to be effective by MCH experts.

Every Woman North Carolina: North Carolina Preconception Health Campaign

This statewide initiative aims to improve birth outcomes in North Carolina. The goals of the March of Dimes North Carolina Preconception Health Campaign are to reduce infant mortality, birth defects, premature birth, and chronic health conditions in women, while also aiming to increase intended pregnancies. Key objectives are to improve women’s wellness, improve reproductive outcomes, and reduce health disparities. The campaign provides wellness and reproductive life planning resources for women, and training and resources for healthcare providers.

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.

Birth Control Methods: Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Show your Love Campaign

Show Your Love is a national campaign designed to promote wellbeing and support young adults as they strive to achieve their goals and make healthy lifestyle choices today. The campaign provides wellness/healthy living resources for young women and men, promotes the well visit, and funds projects that will help diversify preconception wellness and reproductive life planning messages and improve capacity to reach different consumer groups. The campaign also provides preconception and interconception tools and resources for healthcare providers.

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.

One Key Question Initiative (OKQ)

The One Key Question Initiative encourages all primary care providers to ask women the question “Would you like to become pregnant in the next year?” as a routine part of primary care. Asking this simple question ensures that more pregnancies are wanted, planned, and healthy. OKQ has been endorsed by American Public Health Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, and National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health.

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.

Before, Between, and Beyond Pregnancy : The National Preconception Curriculum and Resources Guide for Clinicians

A “one stop” resource for clinicians and others who want to learn more about preconception health, its history, the evidence supporting it and strategies for incorporating relevant content into daily clinical practice. Contains a Preconception Care Clinical Toolkit designed to help providers meet their patient’s needs in response to the question “Are you hoping to become pregnant in the next year?” Also includes CME opportunities, key articles, clinical guidance, and practice resources.

Topics:

Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning

Approaches:

Improve Women's Health Promote Quality

Benchmarks:

Birth Spacing Reproductive Life Plan

Evidence Rating: III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.