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.
Most Recently Added EBPs:
Number of results: 19
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.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Breastfeeding Chronic Disease Depression Healthy Weight Immunization Intimate Partner Violence Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning Safe Sleep Tobacco Cessation
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Promote Quality Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Initiating Breastfeeding Intimate Partner Violence Perinatal Depression Follow Up Perinatal Depression Screening Postpartum Visit Reproductive Life Plan Safe Sleep Smoking Abstinence Sustaining Breastfeeding
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.
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.
Topics:
Breastfeeding Chronic Disease Depression Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Promote Quality Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Birth Spacing Initiating Breastfeeding Perinatal Depression Follow Up Perinatal Depression Screening Postpartum Visit Reproductive Life Plan Sustaining Breastfeeding Well Woman Visits
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Moms2B provides weekly education and support sessions for expectant mothers to promote healthy lifestyle choices and link women with support services. Topics covered include: breastfeeding, child development, family planning, goal setting, prenatal labor and delivery, maternal-infant health, positive parenting, reproductive health, and safe sleep. Moms2B is provided free of charge, with transportation assistance, on-site childcare and a hot, healthy meal. Ohio State University and community social service organizations support Moms2B participants with ongoing access to healthcare providers, lactation counselors, social workers, parenting educators and community health workers. The Moms2B program is based on an evidence-based pilot curriculum shown to increase breastfeeding and improve infant health.
Topics:
Breastfeeding Nutrition Parenting Education Prenatal Care and Education Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning Safe Sleep
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Initiating Breastfeeding Reproductive Life Plan Safe Sleep
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 policy statement from the AAP advocates a public health response to the opioid epidemic and substance use during pregnancy, and recommends: a focus on preventing unintended pregnancies and improving access to contraception; universal screening for alcohol and other drug use in women of childbearing age; knowledge and informed consent of maternal drug testing and reporting practices;improved access to prenatal care, including opioid replacement therapy; gender-specific substance use treatment programs;and improved funding for social services and child welfare systems.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Prenatal Care and Education
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Reproductive Life Plan Well Woman Visits
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
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.
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 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.
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.
“PASOs (or “steps” in Spanish) aims to improve health of Latino families in South Carolina by educating Latino parents and caregivers on issues related to healthy pregnancies and prenatal care, as well as appropriate child development and resources for child health, and by advocating for better, more accessible services for Latinos. PASOs provides a free, comprehensive 14-hour prenatal empowerment course, community health outreach and individual interventions to Latino families, and consultative services for maternal and child health providers and policymakers throughout South Carolina.
Topics:
Parenting Education Prenatal Care and Education
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Promote Quality Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Initiating Breastfeeding Reading to Child Daily Reproductive Life Plan Sustaining Breastfeeding Well Child Visits Well Woman Visits
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.
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.
Health behavior intervention that aims to improve women’s preconception and interconception health. Developed for low-income rural communities in Central Pennsylvania. Enrolls non-pregnant women capable of becoming pregnant in the future. Provides education about health-related factors associated with poor pregnancy outcomes; facilitates increased physical activity and improved nutrition; and encourages self-efficacy for personal healthcare. Enrollees attend six 2 hour group sessions over 12 weeks. Intervention was found to have improved attitudes and behaviors related to nutrition, folic acid supplementation, physical activity, and stress management, increased internal control of birth outcomes, lowered weight and BMI, and lowered pregnancy weight gain.
Topics:
Healthy Weight Nutrition
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Reproductive Life Plan Well Woman Visits
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
