We rolled out a new electronic birth certificate system this week that will be a game-changer for public health. Our system (which took about 18 months to plan, create & launch) will help us collect better surveillance data for our Winnable Battles like obesity, tobacco use, substance abuse, and better data about birth outcomes that will help [...]
Congratulations! You just found out you’re going to have a baby. It can be an exciting time for a family, but there’s also so much to learn. Thankfully there are free resources to help, including on your phone from Text4baby. When you sign up for Text4baby you’ll get 3 text messages a week timed to your due [...]
A new program is coming to help address infant mortality rates in Arizona thanks to the leadership of Dr. Maria Manriquez and the Maricopa Integrated Health System- who was awarded a Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns grant from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). They’ll be developing enhanced prenatal care at maternity care homes, [...]
The March of Dimes just released its annual report card marking how well states are doing in the battle to lower the percentage of babies born prematurely. Being born too soon can cause long-term disabilities in children including cerebral palsy, developmental delay, respiratory problems and vision and hearing problems. Sadly, prematurity is also the leading [...]
It’s time for our Bureau of Women’s & Children’s Health and our Office of Children with Special Health Care Needs to complete their annual application for the Maternal and Child Health Title V Block Grant. When you hear “Title V”, people are talking about our maternal and child health prevention programs. These programs work with [...]
Obesity, injury prevention, teen pregnancy, and substance abuse are all border health priorities. Our prevention team put together an inventory identifying current programs addressing these priority areas in AZs border communities. Our WIC program and Arizona Nutrition Network reach thousands of low-income women and kids along the border- improving nutrition and reducing obesity. Programs like our Sexual Violence Prevention & Education and Safe Kids [...]
Being born too soon is the number one killer of infants in Arizona and in the nation (birth defects is a close second). Death rates from prematurity are declining but babies born too soon (before 37 weeks) often face medical, developmental and social challenges as they get older. More than 8,000 babies in Arizona were born too soon [...]
Being born too soon is the number one killer of infants in Arizona and in the nation. Death rates from prematurity are declining but babies born too soon (before 37 weeks) often face medical, developmental and social challenges as they get older. More than 8,000 babies in Arizona were born too soon last year. This week the March [...]
Do you know someone who’s pregnant and needs help finding low-cost prenatal care? Someone looking for post-partum depression resources; help with breastfeeding; low-cost dental care; or the nearest WIC clinic? One great resource that can help is our Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Hotline. The Hotline (1-800-833-4642) is a statewide service funded by our Title V Maternal and [...]
What’s the most important thing we can do to ensure a good birth outcome? During the 1980s and 1990s, public health focused on the importance of prenatal care and ensuring that every woman got into prenatal care early in the pregnancy and continued with consistent care throughout the pregnancy. Programs like Health Start enlisted lay [...]
