Search

Opioid use disorder (OUD) poses a significant public health concern impacting maternal and infant outcomes. In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) partnered with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) to develop the Opioid use disorder, Maternal outcomes, and Neonatal abstinence syndrome Initiative Learning Community (OMNI LC) to identify and disseminate best practices and strategies for implementing systems-level changes in state health departments to address OUD affecting pregnant and postpartum persons and infants prenatally exposed to opioids. In 2019, the OMNI LC incorporated a field placement approach that assigned temporary field placement staff in five select OMNI LC states to provide important linkages, facilitate information sharing, and strengthen capacity among state and local health departments and other partners supporting maternal and child health communities affected by the opioid crisis. Using an implementation science framework, the field placement approach was assessed using five implementation outcome measures: appropriateness, acceptability, implementation cost, sustainability, and feasibility. Written responses from the participating OMNI LC states on these implementation outcome measures were analyzed to (1) highlight key strategies used by field placement staff, (2) assess the implementation of the OMNI LC field placement approach within the context of implementation science, and (3) identify implementation barriers. This report describes the implementation of a temporary field placement approach and suggests that this approach could be replicated to enhance state and local capacity to respond to the opioid crisis or other high-consequence events.

This report provides historical context and rationale for coordinated, systematic, and evidence-based public health emergency preparedness and response (EPR) activities to address the needs of women of reproductive age. Needs of pregnant and postpartum women, and infants-before, during, and after public health emergencies-are highlighted. Four focus areas and related activities are described: (1) public health science; (2) clinical guidance; (3) partnerships, communication, and outreach; and (4) workforce development. Finally, the report summarizes major activities of the Division of Reproductive Health's EPR Team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Problem/Condition Since the first U.S. infant conceived with assisted reproductive technology (ART) was born in 1981, both the use of ART and the number of fertility clinics providing ART services have increased steadily in the United States. ART includes fertility treatments in which eggs or embryos are handled in the laboratory (i.e., in vitro fertilization [IVF] and related procedures). Although the majority of infants conceived through ART are singletons, women who undergo ART procedures are more likely than women who conceive naturally to have multiple-birth infants because multiple embryos may be transferred. Multiple births can pose substantial risks for both mothers and infants, including obstetric complications, preterm birth (37 years). This year, single-embryo transfer (SET) rates among all embryo-transfer procedures are presented instead of elective single-embryo transfer procedures previously reported. Nationally, SET rates were 67.3% (range: 38.9% in South Dakota to 90.4% in Delaware), 65.0% (range: 23.6% in Puerto Rico to 89.4% in Delaware), and 60.0% (range: 28.6% in Puerto Rico to 83.1% in Delaware) among women aged 37 years, respectively. In 2017, ART contributed to 1.9% of all infants born in the United States (range: 0.4% in Puerto Rico to 5.0% in Massachusetts). Approximately 73.6% of ART-conceived infants were singleton infants. Overall, ART contributed to 14.7% of all multiple births, including 14.7% of all twin infants and 17.3% of all triplets and higher-order infants. ART-conceived twins accounted for approximately 96.5% (18,890 of 19,570) of all ART-conceived infants born in multiple deliveries. The percentage of multiple births was higher among infants conceived with ART (26.4%) than among all infants born in the total birth population (3.4%). Approximately 25.5% of ART-conceived infants were twins, and 0.9% were triplets and higher-order infants. Nationally, infants conceived with ART contributed to 4.5% of all low birthweight (

We examined pregnant women’s use of personal protective measures to prevent mosquito bites during the 2016–2017 Zika outbreak in Puerto Rico. Healthcare provider counseling on recommended measures was associated with increased use of insect repellent among pregnant women but not with wearing protective clothing.

Background Prescription opioid use during pregnancy has been associated with poor outcomes for mothers and infants. Studies using administrative data have estimated that 14%-22% of women filled a prescription for opioids during pregnancy; however, data on self-reported prescription opioid use during pregnancy are limited. Methods CDC analyzed 2019 data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey in 32 jurisdictions and maternal and infant health surveys in two additional jurisdictions not participating in PRAMS to estimate self-reported prescription opioid pain reliever (prescription opioid) use during pregnancy overall and by maternal characteristics among women with a recent live birth. This study describes source of prescription opioids, reasons for use, want or need to cut down or stop use, and receipt of health care provider counseling on how use during pregnancy can affect an infant. Results An estimated 6.6% of respondents reported prescription opioid use during pregnancy. Among these women, 21.2% reported misuse (a source other than a health care provider or a reason for use other than pain), 27.1% indicated wanting or needing to cut down or stop using, and 68.1% received counseling from a provider on how prescription opioid use during pregnancy could affect an infant. Conclusions and implications for public health practice Among respondents reporting opioid use during pregnancy, most indicated receiving prescription opioids from a health care provider and using for pain reasons; however, answers from one in five women indicated misuse. Improved screening for opioid misuse and treatment of opioid use disorder in pregnant patients might prevent adverse outcomes. Implementation of public health strategies (e.g., improving state prescription drug monitoring program use and enhancing provider training) can support delivery of evidence-based care for pregnant women.

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDPs), defined as prepregnancy (chronic) or pregnancy-associated hypertension, are common pregnancy complications in the United States.* HDPs are strongly associated with severe maternal complications, such as heart attack and stroke (1), and are a leading cause of pregnancy-related death in the United States.

Since the first U.S. infant conceived with assisted reproductive technology (ART) was born in 1981, both the use of ART and the number of fertility clinics providing ART services have increased steadily in the United States. ART includes fertility treatments in which eggs or embryos are handled in the laboratory (i.e., in vitro fertilization [IVF] and related procedures). Although the majority of infants conceived through ART are singletons, women who undergo ART procedures are more likely than women who conceive naturally to have multiple births because multiple embryos might be transferred. Multiple births can pose substantial risks for both mothers and infants, including obstetric complications, preterm birth (37 weeks), and low birthweight (2,500 g). This report provides state-specific information for the United States (including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) on ART procedures performed in 2018 and compares birth outcomes that occurred in 2018 (resulting from ART procedures performed in 2017 and 2018) with outcomes for all infants born in the United States in 2018.2018.In 1995, CDC began collecting data on ART procedures performed in fertility clinics in the United States as mandated by the Fertility Clinic Success Rate and Certification Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-493 [October 24, 1992]). Data are collected through the National ART Surveillance System (NASS), a web-based data collection system developed by CDC. This report includes data from the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.In 2018, a total of 203,119 ART procedures (range: 196 in Alaska to 26,028 in California) were performed in 456 U.S. fertility clinics and reported to CDC. These procedures resulted in 73,831 live-birth deliveries (range: 76 in Puerto Rico and Wyoming to 9,666 in California) and 81,478 infants born (range: 84 in Wyoming to 10,620 in California). Nationally, among women aged 15-44 years, the rate of ART procedures performed was 3,135 per 1 million women. ART use exceeded 1.5 times the national rate in seven states (Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island) and the District of Columbia. ART use rates exceeded the national rate in an additional seven states (California, Delaware, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia). Nationally, among all ART transfer procedures, the average number of embryos transferred was similar across age groups (1.3 among women aged35 years, 1.3 among women aged 35-37 years, and 1.4 among women aged37 years). The national single-embryo transfer (SET) rate among all embryo-transfer procedures was 74.1% among women aged35 years (range: 28.2% in Puerto Rico to 89.5% in Delaware), 72.8% among women aged 35-37 years (range: 30.6% in Puerto Rico to 93.7% in Delaware), and 66.4% among women aged37 years (range: 27.1% in Puerto Rico to 85.3% in Delaware). In 2018, ART contributed to 2.0% of all infants born in the United States (range: 0.4% in Puerto Rico to 5.1% in Massachusetts) from procedures performed in 2017 and 2018. Approximately 78.6% of ART-conceived infants were singleton infants. Overall, ART contributed to 12.5% of all multiple births, including 12.5% of all twin births and 13.3% of all triplets and higher-order births. ART-conceived twins accounted for approximately 97.1% (15,532 of 16,001) of all ART-conceived multiple births. The percentage of multiple births was higher among infants conceived with ART (21.4%) than among all infants born in the total birth population (3.3%). Approximately 20.7% (15,532 of 74,926) of ART-conceived infants were twins, and 0.6% (469 of 74,926) were triplets and higher-order multiples. Nationally, infants conceived with ART contributed to 4.2% of all low birthweight (2,500 g) infants. Among ART-conceived infants, 18.3% were low birthweight compared with 8.3% among all infants. ART-conceived infants contributed to 5.1% of all preterm (gestational age37 weeks) infants. The percentage of preterm births was higher among infants conceived with ART (26.1%) than among all infants born in the total birth population (10.0%). The percentage of low birthweight among singletons was 8.3% among ART-conceived infants and 6.6% among all infants born. The percentage of preterm births among ART-conceived singleton infants was 14.9% compared with 8.3% among all singleton infants. The percentages of small for gestational age infants was 7.3% among ART-conceived infants compared with 9.4% among all infants.Although singleton infants accounted for the majority of ART-conceived infants, multiple births from ART varied substantially among states and nationally, contributing to12% of all twins, triplets, and higher-order multiple infants born in the United States. Because multiple births are associated with higher rates of prematurity than singleton births, the contribution of ART to poor birth outcomes continues to be noteworthy. Although SET rates increased among all age groups, variations in SET rates among states and territories remained, which might reflect variations in embryo-transfer practices among fertility clinics and might in part account for variations in multiple birth rates among states and territories.Reducing the number of embryos transferred and increasing use of SET, when clinically appropriate, can help reduce multiple births and related adverse health consequences for both mothers and infants. Whereas risks to mothers from multiple-birth pregnancy include higher rates of caesarean delivery, gestational hypertension, and gestational diabetes, infants from multiple births are at increased risk for numerous adverse sequelae such as preterm birth, birth defects, and developmental disabilities. Long-term follow-up of ART infants through integration of existing maternal and infant health surveillance systems and registries with data available from NASS might be useful for monitoring adverse outcomes on a population basis.

Despite high infant mortality rates in the United States relative to other developed countries, little is known about survey participation among mothers of deceased infants.To assess differences in survey response, contact and cooperation rates for mothers of deceased versus. living infants at the time of survey mailing (approximately 2-6 months postpartum), overall and by select maternal and infant characteristics.We analysed 2016-2019 data for 50 sites from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), a site-specific, population-based surveillance system of mothers with a recent live birth. We assessed differences in survey participation between mothers of deceased and living infants. Using American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) standard definitions and terminology, we calculated proportions of mothers who participated and were successfully contacted among sampled mothers (weighted response and contact rates, respectively), and who participated among contacted mothers (weighted cooperation rate). We then constructed multivariable survey-weighted logistic regression models to examine the adjusted association between infant vital status and weighted response, contact and cooperation rates, within strata of maternal and infant characteristics.Among sampled mothers, 0.3% (weighted percentage, n = 2795) of infants had records indicating they were deceased at the time of survey mailing and 99.7% (weighted percentage, n = 344,379) did not. Mothers of deceased infants had lower unadjusted weighted response (48.3% vs. 56.2%), contact (67.9% vs. 74.3%) and cooperation rates (71.1% vs. 75.6%). However, after adjusting for covariates, differences in survey participation by infant vital status were reduced.After covariate adjustment, differences in PRAMS participation rates were attenuated. However, participation rates among mothers of deceased infants remain two to four percentage points lower compared with mothers of living infants. Strategies to increase PRAMS participation could inform knowledge about experiences and behaviours before, during and shortly after pregnancy to help reduce infant mortality.

Objectives. To examine associations of workplace leave length with breastfeeding initiation and continuation at 1, 2, and 3 months. Methods. We analyzed 2016 to 2018 data for 10 sites in the United States from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, a site-specific, population-based surveillance system that samples women with a recent live birth 2 to 6 months after birth. Using multivariable logistic regression, we examined associations of leave length ( Results. Among 12 301 postpartum women who planned to or had returned to the job they had during pregnancy, 42.1% reported taking unpaid leave, 37.5% reported paid leave, 18.2% reported both unpaid and paid leave, and 2.2% reported no leave. Approximately two thirds (66.2%) of women reported taking less than 3 months of leave. Although 91.2% of women initiated breastfeeding, 81.2%, 72.1%, and 65.3% of women continued breastfeeding at 1, 2, and 3 months, respectively. Shorter leave length ( Conclusions. Women with less than 3 months of leave reported shorter breastfeeding duration than did women with 3 or more months of leave. (Am J Public Health. 2021;111(11):2036–2045. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306484 )

Since 1999, the rate of opioid use disorder (OUD) has more than quadrupled, from 1.5 per 1,000 delivery hospitalizations to 6.5 (1), with similar increases in incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) observed for infants (from 2.8 per 1,000 live births to 14.4) among Medicaid-insured deliveries (2). CDC's response to the opioid crisis involves strategies to prevent opioid overdoses and related harms by building state capacity and supporting providers, health systems, and payers.* Recognizing systems gaps in provision of perinatal care and services, CDC partnered with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) to launch the Opioid Use Disorder, Maternal Outcomes, and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Initiative Learning Community (OMNI LC). OMNI LC supports systems change and capacity building in 12 states.† Qualitative data from participating states were analyzed to identify strategies, barriers, and facilitators for capacity building in state-defined focus areas. Most states focused on strategies to expand access to and coordination of quality services (10 of 12) or increase provider awareness and training (nine of 12). Fewer states focused on data, monitoring, and evaluation (four of 12); financing and coverage (three of 12); or ethical, legal, and social considerations (two of 12). By building capacity to strengthen health systems, state-identified strategies across all focus areas might improve the health trajectory of mothers, infants, and families affected by the U.S. opioid crisis.

Approximately 700 women die in the United States each year as a result of pregnancy or its complications, and significant racial/ethnic disparities in pregnancy-related mortality exist (1). Data from CDC's Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System (PMSS) for 2007-2016 were analyzed. Pregnancy-related mortality ratios (PRMRs) (i.e., pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 live births) were analyzed by demographic characteristics and state PRMR tertiles (i.e., states with lowest, middle, and highest PRMR); cause-specific proportionate mortality by race/ethnicity also was calculated. Over the period analyzed, the U.S. overall PRMR was 16.7 pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 births. Non-Hispanic black (black) and non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women experienced higher PRMRs (40.8 and 29.7, respectively) than did all other racial/ethnic groups. This disparity persisted over time and across age groups. The PRMR for black and AI/AN women aged ≥30 years was approximately four to five times that for their white counterparts. PRMRs for black and AI/AN women with at least some college education were higher than those for all other racial/ethnic groups with less than a high school diploma. Among state PRMR tertiles, the PRMRs for black and AI/AN women were 2.8-3.3 and 1.7-3.3 times as high, respectively, as those for non-Hispanic white (white) women. Significant differences in cause-specific proportionate mortality were observed among racial/ethnic populations. Strategies to address racial/ethnic disparities in pregnancy-related deaths, including improving women's health and access to quality care in the preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum periods, can be implemented through coordination at the community, health facility, patient, provider, and system levels.

Problem/Condition Since the first U.S. infant conceived with assisted reproductive technology (ART) was born in 1981, both the use of ART and the number of fertility clinics providing ART services have increased steadily in the United States. ART includes fertility treatments in which eggs or embryos are handled in the laboratory (i.e., in vitro fertilization [IVF] and related procedures). Although the majority of infants conceived through ART are singletons, women who undergo ART procedures are more likely than women who conceive naturally to deliver multiple-birth infants. Multiple births pose substantial risks for both mothers and infants, including obstetric complications, preterm delivery (37 years). Among women aged 1.5 times the national average. Although other factors might influence ART use, insurance coverage for infertility treatments accounts for some of the difference in per capita ART use observed among states because most states do not mandate any coverage for ART treatment. Public Health Action Twins account for almost all of ART-conceived multiple births born in multiple deliveries. Reducing the number of embryos transferred and increasing use of eSET, when clinically appropriate, could help reduce multiple births and related adverse health consequences for both mothers and infants. Because multiple-birth infants are at increased risk for numerous adverse sequelae that cannot be ascertained from the data collected through NASS alone, long-term follow-up of ART infants through integration of existing maternal and infant health surveillance systems and registries with data available from NASS might be useful for monitoring adverse outcomes.

To examine the number of states with neonatal and maternal transport and reimbursement policies in 2019, compared with 2014.We conducted a systematic review of web-based, publicly available information on neonatal and maternal transport policies for each state in 2019. Information was abstracted from rules, codes, licensure regulations, and planning and program documents, then summarized within two categories: transport and reimbursement policies.In 2019, 42 states had a policy for neonatal transport and 37 states had a policy for maternal transport, increasing by 8 and 7 states respectively. Further, 31 states had a reimbursement policy for neonatal transport and 11 states for maternal transport, increases of 1 state per category. Overall, the number of states with policies increased from 2014 to 2019.The number of state neonatal and maternal transport policies increased; these policies may support provision of care at the most risk-appropriate facilities.

OBJECTIVE: To assess consistency of state neonatal risk-appropriate care policies with the 2012 AAP policy seven years post-publication. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic, web-based review of all publicly available 2019 state neonatal levels of care policies. Information on infant risk (gestational age, birth weight), technology and equipment capabilities, and availability of specialty staffing used to define neonatal levels of care was extracted for review. RESULT: Half of states (50%) had a neonatal risk-appropriate care policy. Of those states, 88% had language consistent with AAP-defined Level I criteria, 80% with Level II, 56% with Level III, and 55% with Level IV. Comparing policies (2014–2019), consistency increased in state policies among all levels of care with the greatest increase among level IV criteria. CONCLUSION: States improved consistency of policy language by each level of care, though half of states still lack policy to provide minimum standards of care to the most vulnerable infants.

Social disadvantage impacts the health of women and newborns throughout the life course. Contributing factors such as low educational attainment, unemployment, poverty, and lack of health insurance disproportionately affects minority women of reproductive age in the United States. This article reviews social disadvantage as it contributes to health status and health disparities for mothers and newborns in the United States and highlights the opportunities to improve social and structural determinants of health to address these gaps.

The opioid crisis has grown to affect pregnant women and infants across the United States, as evidenced by rising rates of opioid use disorder among pregnant women and neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome among infants. Across the country, pregnant women lack access to evidence-based therapies, including medications for opioid use disorder, and infants with opioid exposure frequently receive variable care. In addition, public systems, such as child welfare and early intervention, are increasingly stretched by increasing numbers of children affected by the crisis. Systematic, enduring, coordinated, and holistic approaches are needed to improve care for the mother-infant dyad. In this statement, we provide an overview of the effect of the opioid crisis on the mother-infant dyad and provide recommendations for management of the infant with opioid exposure, including clinical presentation, assessment, treatment, and discharge.

To estimate the excess maternal health services utilization and direct maternal medical expenditures associated with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy and one year postpartum among women with private insurance in the United States.We used 2008-2014 IBM MarketScan® Commercial Databases to identify women aged 15-44 who had a pregnancy resulting in live birth during 1/1/09-12/31/13 and were continuously enrolled with non-capitated or partially capitated coverage from 12 months before pregnancy through 12 months after delivery. Hypertensive disorders identified by diagnosis codes were categorized into three mutually exclusive types: preeclampsia and eclampsia, chronic hypertension, and gestational hypertension. Multivariate negative binomial and generalized linear models were used to estimate service utilization and expenditures, respectively.Per person excess health services utilization and medical expenditures during pregnancy and one year postpartum associated with hypertensive disorders (in 2014 US dollars).Women with preeclampsia and eclampsia, chronic hypertension, and gestational hypertension had $9,389, $6,041, and $2,237 higher mean medical expenditures compared to women without hypertensive disorders ($20,252), respectively (ps 0.001). One-third (36%) of excess expenditure associated with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy was attributable to outpatient services.Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy were associated with significantly higher health services utilization and medical expenditures among privately insured women with hypertensive disorders. Medical expenditures varied by types of hypertensive disorders. Stakeholders can use this information to assess the potential economic benefits of interventions that prevent these conditions or their complications.

We surveyed women with a recent live birth who resided in 16 US states and 1 city during the 2016 Zika outbreak. We found high awareness about the risk of Zika virus infection during pregnancy and about advisories to avoid travel to affected areas but moderate levels of discussions with healthcare providers.

Problem/Condition Since the first U.S. infant conceived with assisted reproductive technology (ART) was born in 1981, both the use of ART and the number of fertility clinics providing ART services have increased steadily in the United States. ART includes fertility treatments in which eggs or embryos are handled in the laboratory (i.e., in vitro fertilization [IVF] and related procedures). Although the majority of infants conceived through ART are singletons, women who undergo ART procedures are more likely than women who conceive naturally to deliver multiple-birth infants. Multiple births pose substantial risks for both mothers and infants, including obstetric complications, preterm delivery (37 years). Among women aged

There have been dramatic improvements in reducing infant sleep-related deaths since the 1990s, when recommendations were introduced to place infants on their backs for sleep. However, there are still approximately 3,500 sleep-related deaths among infants each year in the United States, including those from sudden infant death syndrome, accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed, and unknown causes. Unsafe sleep practices, including placing infants in a nonsupine (on side or on stomach) sleep position, bed sharing, and using soft bedding in the sleep environment (e.g., blankets, pillows, and soft objects) are modifiable risk factors for sleep-related infant deaths.

Background The goal of risk-appropriate maternal care is for high-risk pregnant women to receive specialized obstetrical services in facilities equipped with capabilities and staffing to provide care or transfer to facilities with resources available to provide care. In the United States, geographic access to critical care obstetrics varies. It is unknown whether this variation in proximity to critical care obstetrics differs by race, ethnicity, and region. Objective We examined the geographic access, defined as residence within 50 miles of a facility capable of providing risk-appropriate critical care obstetrics services for women of reproductive age, by distribution of race and ethnicity. Study Design Descriptive spatial analysis was used to assess geographic distance to critical care obstetrics for women of reproductive age by race and ethnicity. Data were analyzed geographically: nationally, by the Department of Health and Human Services regions, and by all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Dot density analysis was used to visualize geographic distributions of women by residence and critical care obstetrics facilities across the United States. Proximity analysis defined the proportion of women living within an approximate 50-mile radius of facilities. Source data included the 2015 American Community Survey from the United States Census Bureau and the 2015 American Hospital Association Annual Survey. Results Geographic access to critical care obstetrics was the greatest for Asian and Pacific Islander women of reproductive age (95.8%), followed by black (93.5%), Hispanic (91.4%), and white women of reproductive age (89.1%). American Indian and Alaska Native women had more limited geographic access (66%) in all regions. Visualization of proximity to critical care obstetrics indicated that facilities were predominantly located in urban areas, which may limit access to women in frontier or rural areas of states including nationally recognized reservations where larger proportions of white women and American Indian and Alaska Native women reside, respectively. Conclusion Disparities in proximity to critical care obstetrics exist in rural and frontier areas of the United States, which affect white women and American Indian and Alaska Native women, primarily. Examining insurance coverage, interstate hospital referral networks, and transportation barriers may provide further insight into critical care obstetrics accessibility. Further exploring the role of other equity-based measures of access on disparities beyond geography is warranted.

The opioid crisis has impacted vulnerable populations, specifically pregnant and postpartum women, and infants prenatally exposed to substances, including infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. Lack of access to clinical and social services; potential stigma or discrimination; and lack of resources for provision of services, including screening and treatment, have impacted the health of these populations. In 2018, using a systems change approach, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) convened an Opioid use disorder, Maternal outcomes, Neonatal abstinence syndrome Initiative Learning Community (OMNI LC) that included other federal agencies, national clinical and nonclinical organizations, and 12 state leadership groups. The purpose of the OMNI LC was to determine areas of focus and identify strategies and best practices for implementing systems change to improve maternal and infant outcomes associated with opioid use disorder (OUD) during the perinatal period. Activities included in-person convenings with policy goal action plan development, virtual learning sessions, intensive technical assistance (TA), and temporary field placements. The OMNI LC partnering agencies and state teams met bimonthly for the first year of the initiative. At the in-person convening, state teams identified barriers to developing and implementing systems change in activity-specific action plans within five areas of focus: financing and coverage; access to and coordination of quality services; provider training and awareness; ethical, legal, and social considerations; and data, monitoring, and evaluation. State teams also identified stakeholder partnerships as a necessary component of strategy development in all areas of focus. Four virtual learning sessions were conducted on the areas of focus identified by state teams, and ASTHO conducted three intensive TA opportunities, and five states were identified for temporary field placement. To successfully address the impact of the opioid crisis on pregnant and postpartum women and infants, states developed innovative strategies focused on increasing support, services, and resources. Moving forward, state teams will participate in two additional in-person meetings, continue to identify barriers to the work, refine and customize action plans, and set new goals, to effect broad-ranging systems change for these vulnerable populations.

Objectives: Paternal involvement is associated with improved infant and maternal outcomes. We compared maternal behaviors associated with infant morbidity and mortality among married women, unmarried women with an acknowledgment of paternity (AOP; a proxy for paternal involvement) signed in the hospital, and unmarried women without an AOP in a representative sample of mothers in the United States from 32 sites. Methods: We analyzed 2012-2015 data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, which collects site-specific, population-based data on preconception, prenatal and postpartum behaviors, and experiences from women with a recent live birth. We calculated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to examine associations between level of paternal involvement and maternal perinatal behaviors. Results: Of 113 020 respondents (weighted N = 6 159 027), 61.5% were married, 27.4% were unmarried with an AOP, and 11.1% were unmarried without an AOP. Compared with married women and unmarried women with an AOP, unmarried women without an AOP were less likely to initiate prenatal care during the first trimester (married, aPR [95% CI], 0.94 [0.92-0.95]; unmarried with AOP, 0.97 [0.95-0.98]), ever breastfeed (married, 0.89 [0.87-0.90]; unmarried with AOP, 0.95 [0.94-0.97]), and breastfeed at least 8 weeks (married, 0.76 [0.74-0.79]; unmarried with AOP, 0.93 [0.90-0.96]) and were more likely to use alcohol during pregnancy (married, 1.20 [1.05-1.37]; unmarried with AOP, 1.21 [1.06-1.39]) and smoke during pregnancy (married, 3.18 [2.90-3.49]; unmarried with AOP, 1.23 [1.15-1.32]) and after pregnancy (married, 2.93 [2.72-3.15]; unmarried with AOP, 1.17 [1.10-1.23]). Conclusions: Use of information on the AOP in addition to marital status provides a better understanding of factors that affect maternal behaviors.

BACKGROUND: Understanding and addressing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk has implications for maternal and child health outcomes. Heart age, the modeled age of an individual’s cardiovascular system based on risk level, and excess heart age, the difference between a person’s heart age and chronological age, are alternative simplified ways to communicate CVD risk. Among women with a recent live birth, we predicted heart age, calculated prevalence of excess heart age (≥5 years), and examined factors associated with excess heart age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were analyzed in 2017 from 2009 to 2014 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). To calculate heart age we used maternal age, prepregnancy body mass index, systolic blood pressure, smoking status, and diabetic status. Weighted prevalence and prevalence ratios compared the likelihood of excess heart age across racial/ethnic groups by selected factors. RESULTS: Prevalence of excess heart age was higher in non-Hispanic black women (11.8%) than non-Hispanic white women (7.3%, prevalence ratio [PR], 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.62, 1.49–1.76) and Hispanic women (4.9%, PR, 95% CI: 2.39, 2.10–2.72). Prevalence of excess heart age was highest among women who were without health insurance, obese or overweight, engaged in physical activity less than thrice per week, or were smokers in the prepregnancy period. Among women with less than high school education, non-Hispanic black women had a higher prevalence of excess heart age than Hispanic women (PR, 95% CI: 4.01, 3.15–5.10). CONCLUSIONS: Excess heart age may be an important tool for decreasing disparities and encouraging CVD risk reduction among certain groups of women.

To assess trends in racial disparity in supine sleep positioning (SSP) across racial/ethnic groups of infants born early preterm (Early preterm;34 weeks) and late preterm (Late preterm; 34-36 weeks) from 2000 to 2015.We analyzed Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System data (a population-based perinatal surveillance system) from 16 US states from 2000 to 2015 (Weighted N = 1 020 986). Marginal prevalence of SSP by year was estimated for infants who were early preterm and late preterm, adjusting for maternal and infant characteristics. After stratifying infants who were early preterm and late preterm, we compared the aOR of SSP trends across racial/ethnic groups by testing the time-race interaction.From 2000 to 2015, Non-Hispanic Black infants had lower odds of SSP compared with Non-Hispanic White infants for early preterm (aOR 0.61; 95% CI 0.47-0.78) and late preterm (aOR 0.44; 95% CI 0.34-0.56) groups. For Hispanic infants, there was no statistically significant difference for either preterm group when compared with Non-Hispanic White infants. aOR of SSP increased (on average) annually by 10.0%, 7.3%, and 7.7%, respectively, in Non-Hispanic White, Non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic early preterm infants and by 5.8%, 5.9%, and 4.8% among Non-Hispanic White, Non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic late preterm infants. However, there were no significant between-group differences in annual changes (Early preterm: P = .11; Late preterm: P = .25).SSP increased for all racial/ethnic preterm groups from 2000 to 2015. However, the racial/ethnic disparity in SSP among early preterm and late preterm groups persists.

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a drug withdrawal syndrome that most commonly occurs in infants after in utero exposure to opioids, although other substances have also been associated with the syndrome (1). NAS usually appears within 48-72 hours of birth with a constellation of clinical signs, including central nervous system irritability (e.g., tremors), gastrointestinal dysfunction (e.g., feeding difficulties), and temperature instability (1) (Box 1). Opioid exposure during pregnancy might result from clinician-approved use of prescription opioids for pain relief; misuse or abuse of prescription opioids; illicit use (e.g., heroin); or medication-assisted treatment (MAT) of opioid use disorder (2) (Box 2).

Teen pregnancy and childbearing have declined over the past two decades to historic lows. The most recent declines have occurred during a time of coordinated national efforts focused on teen pregnancy. This article highlights a federal partnership to reduce teen pregnancy through the implementation of innovative, evidence-based approaches in affected communities, with a focus on reaching African-American and Latino/Hispanic youth. This initiative has the potential to transform the design and implementation of future teen pregnancy prevention efforts and provide a model that can be replicated in communities across the nation.

Problem/Condition Since the first U.S. infant conceived with assisted reproductive technology (ART) was born in 1981, both the use of ART and the number of fertility clinics providing ART services have increased steadily in the United States. ART includes fertility treatments in which eggs or embryos are handled in the laboratory (i.e., in vitro fertilization [IVF] and related procedures). Women who undergo ART procedures are more likely than women who conceive naturally to deliver multiple-birth infants. Multiple births pose substantial risks to both mothers and infants, including obstetric complications, preterm delivery, and low birthweight infants. This report provides state-specific information for the United States (including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) on ART procedures performed in 2014 and compares birth outcomes that occurred in 2014 (resulting from ART procedures performed in 2013 and 2014) with outcomes for all infants born in the United States in 2014. Period Covered 2014. Description of System In 1996, CDC began collecting data on ART procedures performed in fertility clinics in the United States as mandated by the Fertility Clinic Success Rate and Certification Act of 1992 (FCSRCA) (Public Law 102–493). Data are collected through the National ART Surveillance System (NASS), a web-based data collection system developed by CDC. This report includes data from 52 reporting areas (the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico). Results In 2014, a total of 169,568 ART procedures (range: 124 in Wyoming to 21,018 in California) with the intent to transfer at least one embryo were performed in 458 U.S. fertility clinics and reported to CDC. These procedures resulted in 56,028 live-birth deliveries (range: 52 in Wyoming to 7,230 in California) and 68,782 infants born (range: 64 in Wyoming to 8,793 in California). Nationally, the total number of ART procedures performed per million women of reproductive age (15–44 years), a proxy measure of the ART usage rate, was 2,647 (range: 364 in Puerto Rico to 6,726 in Massachusetts). ART use exceeded the national average in 13 reporting areas (Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia). Eight reporting areas (Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York) had rates of ART use exceeding 1.5 times the national average. Nationally, among ART transfer procedures in patients using fresh embryos from their own eggs, the average number of embryos transferred increased with increasing age of the woman (1.7 among women aged 37 years). Among women aged

Reductions in births to teens and preterm birth rates are two recent public health successes in the United States (1,2). From 2007 to 2014, the birth rate for females aged 15-19 years declined 42%, from 41.5 to 24.2 per 1,000 females. The preterm birth rate decreased 8.4%, from 10.41% to 9.54% of live births (1). Rates of preterm births vary by maternal age, being higher among the youngest and oldest mothers. It is unknown how changes in the maternal age distribution in the United States have affected preterm birth rates. CDC used birth data to assess the relative contributions of changes in the maternal age distribution and in age-specific preterm birth rates to the overall decrease in preterm birth rates. The preterm birth rate declined in all age groups. The effects of age distribution changes on the preterm birth rate decrease were different in younger and older mothers. The decrease in the proportion of births to mothers aged ≤19 and 20-24 years and reductions in age-specific preterm rates in all age groups contributed to the overall decline in the preterm birth rate. The increase in births to mothers aged ≥30 years had no effect on the overall preterm birth rate decrease. The decline in preterm births from 2007 to 2014 is related, in part, to teen pregnancy prevention and the changing maternal age distribution. Effective public health strategies for further reducing preterm birth rates need to be tailored to different age groups.

Zika virus is an emerging mosquito-borne flavivirus that typically causes an asymptomatic infection or mild illness, although infection during pregnancy is a cause of microcephaly and other serious brain abnormalities. Guillain-Barre syndrome and other neurologic complications can occur in adults after Zika virus infection. However, there are few published reports describing postnatally acquired Zika virus disease among children. During January 2015-July 2016, a total of 158 cases of confirmed or probable postnatally acquired Zika virus disease among children aged

Preterm birth (delivery before 37 weeks and 0/7 days of gestation) is a leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality in the United States. In 2013, 11.4% of the nearly 4 million U.S. live births were preterm; however, 36% of the 8,470 infant deaths were attributed to preterm birth (1). Infants born at earlier gestational ages, especially

Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause congenital microcephaly and brain abnormalities (1,2). Since 2015, Zika virus has been spreading through much of the World Health Organization's Region of the Americas, including U.S. territories. Zika virus is spread through the bite of Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, by sex with an infected partner, or from a pregnant woman to her fetus during pregnancy.* CDC estimates that 41 states are in the potential range of Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquitoes (3), and on July 29, 2016, the Florida Department of Health identified an area in one neighborhood of Miami where Zika virus infections in multiple persons are being spread by bites of local mosquitoes. These are the first known cases of local mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission in the continental United States.(†) CDC prevention efforts include mosquito surveillance and control, targeted education about Zika virus and condom use to prevent sexual transmission, and guidance for providers on contraceptive counseling to reduce unintended pregnancy. To estimate the prevalence of contraceptive use among nonpregnant and postpartum women at risk for unintended pregnancy and sexually active female high school students living in the 41 states where mosquito-borne transmission might be possible, CDC used 2011-2013 and 2015 survey data from four state-based surveillance systems: the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS, 2011-2013), which surveys adult women; the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS, 2013) and the Maternal and Infant Health Assessment (MIHA, 2013), which surveys women with a recent live birth; and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS, 2015), which surveys students in grades 9-12. CDC defines an unintended pregnancy as one that is either unwanted (i.e., the pregnancy occurred when no children, or no more children, were desired) or mistimed (i.e., the pregnancy occurred earlier than desired). The proportion of women at risk for unintended pregnancy who used a highly effective reversible method, known as long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), ranged from 5.5% to 18.9% for BRFSS-surveyed women and 6.9% to 30.5% for PRAMS/MIHA-surveyed women. The proportion of women not using any contraception ranged from 12.3% to 34.3% (BRFSS) and from 3.5% to 15.3% (PRAMS/MIHA). YRBS data indicated that among sexually active female high school students, use of LARC at last intercourse ranged from 1.7% to 8.4%, and use of no contraception ranged from 7.3% to 22.8%. In the context of Zika preparedness, the full range of contraceptive methods approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including LARC, should be readily available and accessible for women who want to avoid or delay pregnancy. Given low rates of LARC use, states can implement strategies to remove barriers to the access and availability of LARC including high device costs, limited provider reimbursement, lack of training for providers serving women and adolescents on insertion and removal of LARC, provider lack of knowledge and misperceptions about LARC, limited availability of youth-friendly services that address adolescent confidentiality concerns, inadequate client-centered counseling, and low consumer awareness of the range of contraceptive methods available.

Although both men and women have reproductive health care needs, family planning providers traditionally focus services toward women (1,2). Challenges in providing family planning services to men, including preconception health, infertility, contraceptive, and sexually transmitted disease (STD) care (3,4), include their infrequent use of preventive health services, a perceived lack of need for these services (1,5), and the lack of provider guidance regarding men's reproductive health care needs (4). Since 1970, the National Title X Family Planning Program has provided cost-effective and confidential family planning and related preventive health services with priority for services to low-income women and men. To examine men's use of services at Title X service sites, CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Population Affairs (OPA) analyzed data from the 2003-2014 Family Planning Annual Reports (FPAR), annual data that are required of all Title X-funded agencies. During 2003-2014, 3.8 million males visited Title X service sites in the United States and the percentage of family planning users who were male nearly doubled from 4.5% (221,425 males) in 2003 to 8.8% (362,531 males) in 2014. In 2014, the percentage of family planning users who were male varied widely by state, ranging from ≤1% in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama to 27.2% in the District of Columbia (DC). Title X service sites are increasingly providing services for males. Health care settings might want to adopt the framework employed by Title X clinics to better provide family planning and related preventative services to men (3).

Supine sleep positioning (SSP) has been shown to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and preterm infants are at higher risk for SIDS. Population-based estimates of SSP are lacking for the preterm population. The objectives of this study are: (1) compare the prevalence of SSP after hospital discharge for preterm and term infants in the United States; and (2) assess racial/ethnic disparities in SSP for preterm and term infants.We analyzed the 2000 to 2011 data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 35 states. We measured prevalence of SSP by preterm and term gestational age (GA) categories. We calculated adjusted prevalence ratios (APR) to evaluate the likelihood of SSP for each GA category compared with term infants and the likelihood of SSP for non-Hispanic black (NHB) and Hispanic infants compared with non-Hispanic white (NHW) infants.Prevalence of SSP varied by GA: ⩽27, 59.7%; 28 0/7 to 33 6/7, 63.7%; 34 0/7 to 36 6/7 (late preterm), 63.6%; and 37 0/7 to 42 6/7 (term) weeks, 66.8% (P0.001). In the adjusted analyses, late preterm infants were slightly less likely to be placed in SSP compared with term infants (APR: 0.96, confidence interval: 0.95 to 0.98). There were racial/ethnic disparities in SSP for all GA categories when NHB and Hispanic infants were compared with NHW infants.All infants had suboptimal adherence to SSP indicating a continued need to better engage families about SSP. Parents of late preterm infants and families of NHB and Hispanic infants will also require greater attention given their decreased likelihood of SSP.

Teen childbearing can have negative health, economic, and social consequences for mothers and their children (1) and costs the United States approximately $9.4 billion annually (2). During 1991-2014, the birth rate among teens aged 15-19 years in the United States declined 61%, from 61.8 to 24.2 births per 1,000, the lowest rate ever recorded (3). Nonetheless, in 2014, the teen birth rate remained approximately twice as high for Hispanic and non-Hispanic black (black) teens compared with non-Hispanic white (white) teens (3), and geographic and socioeconomic disparities remain (3,4), irrespective of race/ethnicity. Social determinants associated with teen childbearing (e.g., low parental educational attainment and limited opportunities for education and employment) are more common in communities with higher proportions of racial and ethnic minorities (4), contributing to the challenge of further reducing disparities in teen births. To examine trends in births for teens aged 15-19 years by race/ethnicity and geography, CDC analyzed National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) data at the national (2006-2014), state (2006-2007 and 2013-2014), and county (2013-2014) levels. To describe socioeconomic indicators previously associated with teen births, CDC analyzed data from the American Community Survey (ACS) (2010-2014). Nationally, from 2006 to 2014, the teen birth rate declined 41% overall with the largest decline occurring among Hispanics (51%), followed by blacks (44%), and whites (35%). The birth rate ratio for Hispanic teens and black teens compared with white teens declined from 2.9 to 2.2 and from 2.3 to 2.0, respectively. From 2006-2007 to 2013-2014, significant declines in teen birth rates and birth rate ratios were noted nationally and in many states. At the county level, teen birth rates for 2013-2014 ranged from 3.1 to 119.0 per 1,000 females aged 15-19 years; ACS data indicated unemployment was higher, and education attainment and family income were lower in counties with higher teen birth rates. State and county data can be used to understand disparities in teen births and implement community-level interventions that address the social and structural conditions associated with high teen birth rates.

Summarize policies on levels of neonatal care designation among 50 states and District of Columbia (DC).Systematic review of publicly available, web-based information on levels of neonatal care designation policies for each state/DC. Information on designating authorities, designation oversight, licensure requirement, and ongoing monitoring for designated levels of care abstracted from 2019 published rules, statutes, and regulations.Thirty-one (61%) of 50 states/DC had designated authority policies for neonatal levels of care. Fourteen (27%) incorporated oversight of neonatal levels of care into the licensure process. Among jurisdictions with designated authority, 25 (81%) used a state agency and 15 (48%) had direct oversight. Twenty-two (71%) of 31 states with a designating authority required ongoing monitoring, 14 (64%) used both hospital reporting and site visits for monitoring with only ten requiring site visits.Limited direct oversight influences regulation of regionalized systems, potentially impacting facility service monitoring and consequent management of vulnerable infants.

Background The Affordable Care Act (ACA)-dependent coverage Provision (the Provision), implemented in 2010, extended family insurance coverage to adult children until age 26. Objectives To examine the impact of the ACA Provision on insurance coverage and care among women with a recent live birth. Research design, subjects, and outcome measures We conducted a difference-in-difference analysis to assess the effect of the Provision using data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System among 22,599 women aged 19-25 (treatment group) and 22,361 women aged 27-31 years (control group). Outcomes include insurance coverage in the month before and during pregnancy, and at delivery, and receipt of timely prenatal care, a postpartum check-up, and postpartum contraceptive use. Results Compared with the control group, the Provision was associated with a 4.7-percentage point decrease in being uninsured and a 5.9-percentage point increase in private insurance coverage in the month before pregnancy, and a 5.4-percentage point increase in private insurance coverage and a 5.9-percentage point decrease in Medicaid coverage during pregnancy, with similar changes in insurance coverage at delivery. Findings demonstrated a 3.6-percentage point increase in receipt of timely prenatal care, and no change in receipt of a postpartum check-up or postpartum contraceptive use. Conclusions Among women with a recent live birth, the Provision was associated with a decreased likelihood of being uninsured and increased private insurance coverage in the month before pregnancy, a shift from Medicaid to private insurance coverage during pregnancy and at delivery, and an increased likelihood of receiving timely prenatal care.

PROBLEM/CONDITION Since the first U.S. infant conceived with assisted reproductive technology (ART) was born in 1981, both the use of ART and the number of fertility clinics providing ART services have increased steadily in the United States. ART includes fertility treatments in which eggs or embryos are handled in the laboratory (i.e., in vitro fertilization [IVF] and related procedures). Women who undergo ART procedures are more likely than women who conceive naturally to deliver multiple-birth infants. Multiple births pose substantial risks to both mothers and infants, including obstetric complications, preterm delivery, and low birthweight infants. This report provides state-specific information for the United States (including Puerto Rico) on ART procedures performed in 2013 and compares infant outcomes that occurred in 2013 (resulting from ART procedures performed in 2012 and 2013) with outcomes for all infants born in the United States in 2013. REPORTING PERIOD COVERED 2013. DESCRIPTION OF SYSTEM In 1996, CDC began collecting data on ART procedures performed in fertility clinics in the United States as mandated by the Fertility Clinic Success Rate and Certification Act of 1992 (FCSRCA) (Public Law 102-493). Data are collected through the National ART Surveillance System (NASS), a web-based data collection system developed by CDC. This report includes data from 52 reporting areas (the 50 states, the District of Columbia [DC], and Puerto Rico). RESULTS In 2013, a total of 160,521 ART procedures (range: 109 in Wyoming to 20,299 in California) with the intent to transfer at least one embryo were performed in 467 U.S. fertility clinics and were reported to CDC. These procedures resulted in 53,252 live-birth deliveries (range: 47 in Alaska to 6,979 in California) and 66,691 infants (range: 61 in Alaska to 8,649 in California). Nationally, the total number of ART procedures performed per million women of reproductive age (15-44 years), a proxy measure of the ART usage rate, was 2,521 (range: 352 in Puerto Rico to 7,688 in DC). ART use exceeded the national rate in 13 reporting areas (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, and DC). Nationally, among ART transfer procedures in patients using fresh embryos from their own eggs, the average number of embryos transferred increased with increasing age of the woman (1.8 among women aged 37 years). Among women aged

Objectives. We explored how changes in insurance coverage contributed to recent nationwide decreases in newborn circumcision. Methods. Hospital discharge data from the 2000–2010 Nationwide Inpatient Sample were analyzed to assess trends in circumcision incidence among male newborn birth hospitalizations covered by private insurance or Medicaid. We examined the impact of insurance coverage on circumcision incidence. Results. Overall, circumcision incidence decreased significantly from 61.3% in 2000 to 56.9% in 2010 in unadjusted analyses (P for trend = .008), but not in analyses adjusted for insurance status (P for trend = .46) and other predictors (P for trend = .55). Significant decreases were observed only in the South, where adjusted analyses revealed decreases in circumcision overall (P for trend = .007) and among hospitalizations with Medicaid (P for trend = .005) but not those with private insurance (P for trend = .13). Newborn male birth hospitalizations covered by Medicaid increased from 36.0% (2000) to 50.1% (2010; P for trend Conclusions. Shifts in insurance coverage, particularly toward Medicaid, likely contributed to decreases in newborn circumcision nationwide and in the South. Barriers to the availability of circumcision should be revisited, particularly for families who desire but have less financial access to the procedure.

Rates of short-interval pregnancies that result in unintended pregnancies remain high in the United States and contribute to adverse reproductive health outcomes. Long-acting reversible contraception methods have annual failure rates of

To compare fetal and first day outcomes of American Indian and Alaskan Natives (AIAN) with non-AIAN populations. Singleton deliveries to AIAN and non-AIAN populations were selected from live birth–infant death cohort and fetal deaths files from 1995–1998 and 2005–2008. We examined changes over time in maternal characteristics of deliveries and disparities and changes in risks of fetal, first day (

Perinatal regionalization, or risk-appropriate care, is an approach that classifies facilities based on capabilities to ensure women and infants receive care at a facility that aligns with their risk. The CDC designed the Levels of Care Assessment Tool (LOCATe) to assist jurisdictions working in risk-appropriate care in assessing a facility's level of maternal and neonatal care aligned with the most current American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists/Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (ACOG/SMFM) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines. LOCATe produces standardized assessments for each hospital that participates and facilitates conversations among stakeholders in risk-appropriate care. This article describes how public health departments implement and use LOCATe in their jurisdictions.

Compare state policies with standards outlined in the 2012 AAP Policy Statement on Levels of Neonatal Care. Systematic, web-based review of publicly available policies on levels of care in all states in 2014. Infant risk information, equipment capabilities, and specialty staffing were abstracted from published rules, statutes, and regulations. Twenty-two states had a policy on regionalized perinatal care. State policies vary in consistency with the AAP Policy, with 60% of states including standards consistent with Level I criteria, 48% Level II, 14% Level III, and one state with Level IV. Ventilation capability standards are highly consistent (66–100%), followed by imaging capability standards (50–90%). Policy language on specialty staffing (44–68%), and subspecialty staffing (39–50%) are moderately consistent. State policies vary in consistency, a potentially significant barrier to monitoring, regulation, uniform care provision and measurement, and reporting of national-level measures on risk-appropriate care.

BACKGROUND: Care for infants born preterm or with major birth defects is costly. Specific estimates of financial burden for different payers are lacking, in part because use of administrative data to identify preterm infants and costs is challenging. METHODS: We used private health insurance claims data and billing codes to identify live births during 2013 and calculated first-year expenditures for employer-sponsored health plans for infants born preterm, both overall and stratified by major birth defects. RESULTS: We conservatively estimated that 7.7% of insured infants born preterm accounted for 37% of $2.0 billion spent by participating plans on the care of infants born during 2013. With a mean difference in plan expenditures of ∼$47 100 per infant, preterm births cost the included plans an extra $600 million during the first year of life. Extrapolating to the national level, we projected aggregate employer-sponsored plan expenditures of $6 billion for infants born preterm during 2013. Infants with major birth defects accounted for 5.8% of preterm births but 24.5% of expenditures during infancy. By using an alternative algorithm to identify preterm infants, it was revealed that incremental expenditures were higher: $78 000 per preterm infant and $14 billion nationally. CONCLUSION Preterm births (especially in conjunction with major birth defects) represent a substantial burden on payers, and efforts to mitigate this burden are needed. In addition, researchers need to conduct studies using linked vital records, birth defects surveillance, and administrative data to accurately and longitudinally assess per-infant costs attributable to preterm birth and the interaction of preterm birth with major birth defects.

Disparities in infertility and access to infertility treatments, such as assisted reproductive technology (ART), by race/ethnicity, have been reported. However, identifying disparities in ART usage may have been hampered by missing race/ethnicity information in ART surveillance. We review infertility prevalence and treatment disparities, use recent data to examine ART use in the United States by race/ethnicity and residency in states with mandated insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization (IVF), and discuss approaches for reducing disparities. We used 2014 National ART Surveillance System (NASS) data to calculate rates of ART procedures per million women 15–44 years of age, a proxy measure of ART utilization, for Census-defined racial/ethnic groups in the United States; rates were further stratified by the presence of insurance mandates for IVF treatment. Missing race/ethnicity data (35.6% of cycles) were imputed. Asian/Pacific Islander (A/PI) women had the highest rates of ART utilization at 5883 ART procedures per million women 15–44 years of age in 2014, whereas American Indian/Alaska Native non-Hispanic women had the lowest rates at 807 per million, compared with other racial/ethnic groups. In each racial/ethnic category, ART utilization rates were higher for women in states with an insurance mandate for IVF treatment versus those without. In 2014, A/PI women had the highest rates of ART utilization. ART utilization for all racial/ethnic groups was higher in states with insurance mandates for IVF than those without, although disparities were still evident. Although mandates may increase access to infertility treatments, they are not sufficient to eliminate these disparities.

Disasters disproportionally affect vulnerable, technology-dependent people, including preterm and critically ill newborn infants. It is important for health care providers to be aware of and prepared for the potential consequences of disasters for the NICU. Neonatal intensive care personnel can provide specialized expertise for their hospital, community, and regional emergency preparedness plans and can help develop institutional surge capacity for mass critical care, including equipment, medications, personnel, and facility resources.

Beginning in the 1980s, there was a growing recognition of the need to quantify the work and contributions of state maternal and child health (MCH) departments [1]. In 1987, the Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Program (MCHEP) was initiated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) to provide epidemiologic leadership for State MCH programs [2, 3]. The success of the MCHEP spawned subsequent initiatives to build MCH data capacity including the development of a National Action Agenda, which was led by the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) and CityMatch, and included other national organizations such as the Association of Schools of Public Health, the Association of Teachers of Maternal and Child Health, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), and the National Association of County and City Health Officials [4, 5]. The National Action Agenda focused on increased funding in CDC and HRSA for three areas: better training, stronger data and information systems, and more field-based capacity building. These efforts contributed to a plethora of programs in these areas, including the strengthening of masters, doctoral, and post-doctoral MCH epidemiology training opportunities through programs such as: the MCHB MCH Graduate Student Epidemiology Program for master’s level students; the MCHB MCH Epidemiology Doctoral Fellowship Program; and the CDC/MCHB MCH Epidemiology Master’s and Post-Doctoral Fellows Program, directed by CSTE [6, 7]. Programs to strengthen the analytic skills of the present workforce have included: the MCHB/CDC MCH Epidemiology Methods Training Course; the MCHB MCH Navigator, designed to address and support continuous MCH professional and workforce development needs, including epidemiology; the CDC/MCHB pre-conference trainings at the MCH Epidemiology Conference, administered by the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, which have featured such trainings as data linkage, geographic information systems, and needs assessment; pre-conference trainings and focused MCH epidemiology tracks at the CityMatCH and Association of Maternal and Child Health Program Conferences, including trainings on synthetic estimates, small area analysis, and communicating data findings; the CDC evaluation practicum developed to provide a framework for evaluating state MCH programs; and the CDC distance-based course in epidemiologic methods [8–13]. Additionally, the MCH Epidemiology Conference was established in the mid-1990’s, and has served as the focal point for the latest developments in the field [14, 15]. In turn, many factors in maternal and child health data collection and analysis have improved. Since the inception of the program, the capacity of State MCH programs to provide and analyze data has greatly increased [16–19]. Data systems unavailable to states before the late 1980’s, such as linked birth-infant death files, the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), the Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System, the Title V Information System, the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), the National Survey of Family Growth, and the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs, are now routinely used. Data systems that are state-based have greatly enhanced our understanding of population-based factors, and have influenced state policies in maternal and child health. For example, data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System has provided information on state smoking policies on maternal smoking and quit rates [20], breast feeding rates as affected by policy on hospital formula bags [21], and state early discharge policies for newborns [22]. Furthermore, advanced computer software has allowed data systems like vital statistics and Medicaid data to be linked to examine such issues as birth outcomes among Medicaid recipients. A major challenge for leadership in maternal and child health epidemiology was how to increase data and analytic capacity at the State level. In that regard, there has been a great deal of success, as measured by CSTE’s periodic surveys on epidemiologic capacity. From 2004 to 2009, MCH State epidemiologists had the second largest increase in staffing and analytic capacity among all the epidemiologic areas examined, after bioterrorism [23]. As a further measure of success, these assessments also indicated that the percent of states reporting full maternal and child health epidemiologic capacity increased during that time period from 43 to 55 %. Maternal and child health outcomes have also changed since the inception of MCH epidemiology programs. The preterm birth rate and low birth weight rate both rose over 20 % between the early 1990’s and 2006, then began a slight decline [24]. The cesarean section rate climbed almost 50 % between 1996 and 2010 [24]. The Back to Sleep Campaign and the introduction of pulmonary surfactants in the early 1990’s led to a decline in the infant mortality rate through 2000. Infant mortality remained stagnant till 2007, when the decline resumed [25, 26]; yet despite recent declines, the US ranks 34th in the world for infant mortality rates in 2011 [27]. The percent of children with special health care needs has increased, and much of that increase has occurred among developmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorders and attention deficit disorders [28]. The percent of children classified as overweight or obese increased dramatically between 1990 and 2010 [29, 30]. The analytic understanding of these changes in maternal and child health would not have occurred without the work of MCH epidemiologists. But, times have changed, and therefore, the challenges for MCH epidemiology have changed too. The passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010 increased the emphasis of the health care system on prevention and health promotion, as well as increasing coverage for those previously uninsured. Budgetary limitations have meant cutbacks at the local, State, and Federal levels, as well as even greater demands for accountability for dollars and demonstration of impact. It is becoming more difficult and costly to obtain needed data. There has been a decline in the response rates for all types of surveys, whether they are in-person surveys, like the National Health Interview Survey, or telephone surveys such as the National Survey of Children’s Health. It is no longer enough to report simple associations only between a risk factor and an outcome. Theories on life course and fetal origins of adult disease have accelerated the need to account for the complexities that shape the health of children. Prenatal and early life experiences have been seen as having increasing importance on the health of adult populations [31–33]. Advances in communication technology have also affected the speed and mechanisms of MCH information: policy makers and the public expect data and information to be provided more rapidly. What are the challenges that leaders in MCH epidemiology will face in the future?

Purpose Although studies have examined overall temporal changes in gestational age–specific fetal mortality rates, there is little information on the current status of racial/ethnic differences. We hypothesize that differences exist between racial/ethnic groups across gestational age and that these differences are not equally distributed. Methods Using the 2009–2013 data from US fetal death and live birth files for non-Hispanic white (NHW); non-Hispanic black (NHB); Hispanic; and American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) women, we conducted analyses to examine fetal mortality rates and estimate adjusted prevalence rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results There were lower risks of fetal mortality among NHB women (aPRR = 0.76; 95% CI = 0.71–0.81) and Hispanic women (aPRR = 0.89; 95% CI = 0.83–0.96) compared with NHWs at 22–23 weeks’ gestation. For NHB women, the risk was higher starting at 32–33 weeks (aPRR = 1.11; 95% CI = 1.04–1.18) and continued to increase as gestational age increased. Hispanic and AIAN women had lower risks of fetal mortality compared with NHW women until 38–39 weeks. Conclusions Further examination is needed to identify causes of fetal death within the later pregnancy period and how those causes and their antecedents might differ by race and ethnicity.