In February 2019, ACIP updated its immunization guidelines for children and adolescents. The revised guidelines are available in two newly redesigned charts, one for providers and one for parents. They include new or revised recommendations for hepatitis A vaccine (HepA), hepatitis B vaccine (Hep B), influenza vaccine, and tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap), as well as clarification of the recommendations for inactivated poliovirus vaccines (IPV).
Approach: Promote Quality
Improving Behavioral Health Equity for Pregnant Women, Mothers and their Babies
For 25 years, Healthy Start staff have been making mothers and babies a priority. Pregnant women are getting care earlier and fewer babies are dying. However, we now have a serious and growing problem with substance use and depression during pregnancy, newborns dependent on opioids and other substances, and significant differences in health conditions and treatment across populations. Together, we can strengthen the behavioral health of women and their families, and do more to address mental health and substance use in ways that respond to the needs of culturally diverse communities.
Healthy Start has always worked hard to screen and refer women and their families, but with challenges related to substance use and depression, we need new, more comprehensive, and more relevant strategies and solutions. Healthy Start programs have an opportunity to identify strategies and supports that address the needs of culturally diverse communities to prevent and treat life-threatening mental health and substance use disorders. As part of Healthy Start, you can be an important part of a new trend of fewer substance-exposed newborns, fewer pregnant women who use substances, and more women receiving much-needed mental health care during and after pregnancy.
Join us as we learn together about what can make it difficult for pregnant women and their families to be as healthy as possible, how you can help address obstacles and challenges that can mean unfair and unequal care for different populations, and about other considerations that can help you as you support children and families.
Presenters will actively engage participants throughout the webinar. They will also include current examples from culturally diverse populations, such as Tribal, Latinx, and African American communities to keep the discussion relevant to communities where Healthy Start staff and families live, work, and play.
Find webinar materials here:
ACOG Postpartum Toolkit
Often referred to as “The Fourth Trimester,” the weeks after birth are a critical time for a woman and her infant, setting the stage for long-term health and well-being. This comprehensive toolkit, with an introduction by Dr. Haywood Brown, includes extensive resources on the key components of postpartum care, including support for new mothers, reproductive life planning, infant care, counseling for substance use, long-term weight management, and many more pertinent topics. It also features a sample postpartum checklist for women to complete.
Alcohol/Drug Services Breastfeeding Chronic Disease Depression Healthy Weight Immunization Intimate Partner Violence Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning Safe Sleep Tobacco Cessation
STDs and Pregnancy – The Facts
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.
Screening for Syphilis Infection in Pregnancy
The incidence of syphilis in American women doubled between 2012 and 2016, and the incidence of congenital syphilis rose concomitantly. Congenital syphilis can lead to stillbirth, neonatal death, and lasting effects such as bone deformities and neurologic impairment in the newborn. Because of this, the USPSTF has reiterated its guidance that all pregnant women be tested for syphilis at their first prenatal visit. They also point out that many organizations recommend repeat testing of high-risk women in the third trimester and at delivery.
HIV and Pregnancy
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.
ACOG Committee Opinion on Prenatal HIV Testing
This recently revised document discusses the rationale and recommendations for “opt-out” HIV testing in pregnancy. It explains how test results can be used to guide treatment for HIV in pregnancy in order to optimize outcomes for both mother and baby.
ACOG Committee Opinion on Optimizing Postpartum Care
Because one half of all pregnancy-related maternal deaths occur postpartum, the weeks following childbirth are a critical period for a woman and her infant. In addition, health issues that arise in pregnancy can persist and presage long-term medical problems. In this Committee Opinion, ACOG lays out a new vision for postpartum care, redefining it as an ongoing process beginning within the first 3 weeks postpartum and tailored to a woman’s needs. The document includes practical advice on postpartum care as well as useful charts including a Timeline for Postpartum Care, a listing of The Components of Postpartum Care, and a table identifying Members of the Postpartum Care Team.
Breastfeeding Chronic Disease Depression Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning
Providing Culturally Effective Care
This toolkit is a practical, hands-on resource designed to promote culturally effective services for children and families. It consists of nine brief “chapters” addressing health literacy and cultural differences in areas such as health beliefs and practices, infant care and feeding, the role of women, and child behavior and discipline. Each of the brief narratives is accompanied by a list of resources, including links to supplemental reading, patient education materials in multiple languages, checklists, assessments, and more.
Health Literacy Nutrition Parenting Education Safe Sleep Socio-emotional Development for Children
Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (Third Edition)
This update of the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment is intended to address addiction to a wide variety of drugs, including nicotine, alcohol, and illicit and prescription drugs. It is designed to serve as a resource for healthcare providers, family members, and other stakeholders trying to address the myriad problems faced by patients in need of treatment for drug abuse or addiction. It provides an overview of principles of effective treatment and evidence-based approaches to treatment, including behavioral therapies, pharmacotherapies and comprehensive approached. It discusses the unique needs of different groups including women, pregnant women and adolescents.
Alcohol/Drug Services Case Management/Care Coordination Tobacco Cessation