Prevention Agenda 2019-2024: Promote Healthy Women, Infants, and Children Action Plan

Promote Healthy Women, Infants, and Children Action Plan (PDF, 1.7MB, 102pp.)

Table of Contents

Overview

"Improving the well-being of mothers, infants, and children is an important public health goal for the United States. Their well-being determines the health of the next generation and can help predict future public health challenges for families, communities, and the health care system." - Healthy People 2020

The health of women, infants, children, and their families is fundamental to population health. This Prevention Agenda priority aligns directly with the Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant(Title V) Program, the core federal and state public health program for promoting the health and well-being of the nation's mothers, infants, and children, including children and youth with special health care needs, and their families. As part of Title V, states are required to develop a Maternal and Child Health (MCH) State Action Plan that includes state priorities, objectives, and strategies, which are established based on data and stakeholder input obtained through a comprehensive and ongoing needs assessment process.

Addressing these priorities requires strong partnerships and collaboration at all levels. Such partnership and collaboration are at the heart of the Prevention Agenda, providing a natural opportunity to align the Prevention Agenda 2019-2024 with NY's Title V State Action Plan. The Prevention Agenda goals, objectives, and interventions for Healthy Women, Infants, and Children were drawn from the state's Title V plan, with special consideration for those areas that would benefit from enhanced local action and cross-sector collaboration, and for which local data are available to track progress across the state.

Mirroring NY's Title V action plan, the Prevention Agenda Healthy Women, Infants, and Children (HWIC) priority focuses on health outcomes in three focus areas:

  1. Maternal and Women's Health,
  2. Perinatal and Infant Health, and
  3. Child and Adolescent Health, including children with special health care needs (CSHCN)

In addition, the HWIC plan includes a fourth cross-cutting focus area on social determinants of health and health equity, intended to address the entire MCH life course.

It is important to view these focus areas in the context of a life course perspective. Promoting healthy development, behaviors, and relationships early in life and during critical periods lays the groundwork for health promotion and disease prevention throughout the lifespan. Supporting the health and wellness of all women is essential to their current and lifelong well-being, regardless of their age, sexual or gender identity, pregnancy history, or future reproductive plans. Moreover, it requires a deep commitment to promoting health equity and eliminating racial, ethnic, economic, and other disparities, as reflected in the fourth cross-cutting focus area.

Guided by a life course framework, interventions must focus on mitigating risk factors, strengthening support for individuals and families, building resiliency, and addressing the broad social, economic, and environmental determinants of health. Interventions need to focus on critical periods of development (such as fetal development and early childhood), as well as the cumulative impact of exposures and adverse experiences over the life course and across generations. Public health efforts must include strategies that engage and support individuals, families, and providers across different settings and sectors and over time.

New York State Title V State Action Plan priorities (2016-2020)

  • Reduce maternal mortality and morbidity.
  • Reduce infant mortality and morbidity.
  • Support and enhance children's and adolescents' social-emotional development and relationships.
  • Increase supports to address the special needs of children and youth.
  • Increase use of primary and preventive health care services across the life course.
  • Promote oral health and reduce tooth decay across the life course.
  • Promote supports and opportunities that foster healthy home and community environments.
  • Reduce racial, ethnic, economic and geographic disparities and promote health equity.

The health of women, infants, and children is integral to other priorities addressed by the Prevention Agenda. Thus, information presented for this priority should be viewed in conjunction with, not separately from, other sections of the Prevention Agenda.

For additional information about the importance of promoting healthy women, infants and children and the life course perspective/framework, see the companion document: Prevention Agenda Toward the Healthiest State Progress Report 2017: Health of Women, Infants, and Children.


Focus Area 1. Maternal & Women's Health

Goal 1.1 Increase use of primary and preventive health care services among women of all ages, with special focus on women of reproductive age

Goal 1.2 Reduce maternal mortality & morbidity

Focus Area 2. Perinatal & Infant Health

Goal 2.1 Reduce infant mortality & morbidity

Goal 2.2 Increase breastfeeding

Focus Area 3. Child & Adolescent Health

Goal 3.1 Support and enhance children and adolescents' social-emotional development and relationships

Goal 3.2 Increase supports for children and youth with special health care needs

Goal 3.3 Reduce dental caries among children

Focus Area 4. Cross Cutting Healthy Women, Infants, & Children

Goal 4.1 Reduce racial, ethnic, economic, and geographic disparities in maternal and child health outcomes, and promote health equity for maternal and child health populations

Appendix: Evidence Base and Implementation Resources Detail (PDF, 1.6MB, 59pp.)