October 19, 2023

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October 19, 2023

AMCHP Annual Conference

Have you saved the date for the 2 024 Annual Conference? Mark your calendars to join us April 13-16, 2024, at the Oakland Marriott City Center, in Oakland, California! We will continue to offer content in-person and virtually through our conference platform with the theme Partnering with Purpose. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our mailing list to be the first to receive updates and information about the conference!

Call for Proposals Closes November 3!

The Call for Proposals for the 2024 AMCHP Annual Conference is now open! AMCHP is seeking proposals for skills–building sessions, workshops, posters, and roundtables that support the theme, Partnering with Purpose.

Our theme focuses on how people who work in MCH have the power to be intentional about who we partner with and how we can engage with partners to make a positive impact on children and families. Partnering with purpose opens up a space for us to clarify our intentions and combine our resources, ideas, and skills for greater impact in our communities. The conference theme invites us to ask important questions about power – How do good partnerships share and build power? How are our partnerships amplifying the voices of the people we serve?

AMCHP encourages those working in community organizations and tribal entities, family leaders, students, and early career professionals to share their completed (or in progress) work. Given this year’s theme, it is especially important that AMCHP recognizes that the work of Title V and our members is enhanced immeasurably by working in partnership with community organizations, tribal governments, and family leaders. A key piece of this partnership is listening to and learning from people with lived experience about effective initiatives in their communities and collaborating on ways to further support and sustain that work at the state level. It is also important that we hold space for the voices and ideas of those exploring or preparing to explore career pathways in our diverse field. [read more]

Inspired by our theme and want to know more? Please review our Call for Proposals Webinar slides that explain the submission process. A recording of the webinar is also available to aid your proposal development and submission.

Ready to get started? Submit a proposal under one of 10 subject-focused tracks by Friday, November 3 at 11:59 pm PT. Submitters with completed proposals by this deadline will be notified of their session status by the end of December.

Revisit AMCHP 2023 Annual Conference

For one year, registered participants will have access to all the on-demand content, live plenary sessions, workshops, and more! Visit the conference platform, log in with your access key, and continue to be inspired by all the outstanding speakers and participants this year on your own time.

AMCHP Announcements

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Last Chance to Register for Our Title V MCH Federal-State Partnership Meeting

We are counting down to the Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Federal-State Partnership Meeting! The event will be held at the historic Mayflower Hotel in downtown Washington, DC from Sunday, November 5 – Wednesday, November 8, 2023. Optional pre-meeting sessions will begin the afternoon of November 5, with the required meeting beginning on November 6.

This meeting is required for all: 

Title V MCH & Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) Directors 
State Systems Development Initiative (SSDI) Program Directors

Time is running out to secure your spot at the meeting! Registration is still open and will now close on Friday, October 20. There is no registration fee; however, advanced registration is required.

Now is also the time to book your stay at the Mayflower Hotel! The room block is only open until Friday, October 20, or until full. After that, attendees must pay the regular room rate. Rooms can be booked through our e vent room block webpage.

Visit the event webpage for more information such as hotel booking, health and safety information, and the updated preliminary agenda.

AMCHP Announces New MCH Policy Essential Series

The MCH Policy Essential Series is a collection of free, asynchronous training modules that provide people working in MCH with the tools, knowledge, and capacity to effectively engage in policy development, implementation, evaluation, and advocacy. The series aims to ensure that policies affecting maternal and child health populations are effective, equitable, and evidence-based. The first two modules are available now:

Module 1: Exploring MCH Policy and the Policy Process

Module 2: Advancing Health Equity and Anti-Racism in MCH Policy

The MCH Policy Essential Series is a useful workforce development opportunity for any person or program wanting to enhance their ability to understand and influence policy – consider using these modules to onboard new MCH staff, build the capacity of existing staff, or enhance collaborative policy efforts with partners. Explore the series, and share with your peers!

AMCHP’s New Podcast, BirthWork, Features Communities Leading in Maternal Health

AMCHP launched our first episode of BirthWork, a podcast inspired by the community-based organization grantees engaged with the Safer Childbirth Cities Initiative. The grantees are driving community-led initiatives to address structural determinants of health and strengthen the comprehensive perinatal workforce in their cities. Everyone walking this planet is born from someone — yet we rarely celebrate the people and the work of bringing new life into this world. In the face of persistent inequities and threats leading to the Black maternal health crisis and other critical injustices in perinatal health, community-led solutions, policies, and movements are paving pathways toward better birth outcomes. In this podcast, we’ll dig into the work happening today by tremendous individuals to ensure generations of thriving and striving communities. You’ll hear directly from leaders, organizers, and birthworkers as they share what it takes to confront structural and systemic barriers to health and wellbeing and celebrate the transformation of birth for individuals, families, communities, states, and our nation. Together, we will reimagine what birth experiences can be.

In our first episode of BirthWork, your AMCHP hosts and two maternal health experts help to break down some of the responsibilities of Maternal Mortality Review Committees (also known as MMRCs). MMRCs are tasked with reviewing maternal deaths in their jurisdiction, determining “pregnancy-relatedness”, which is a key step of the MMRC process, and proposing recommendations to improve birth experiences and outcomes within their states and/or cities. Listen to this episode to learn more about how MMRCs provide insight and recommendations on how to reduce maternal mortality in the U.S. while helping to rewrite the narrative and transform conversations surrounding “BirthWork” across America.

Guest Speakers:

Dr. Aasta Mehta is an OB/GYN and the Medical Officer of Women’s Health at the City of Philadelphia, Department of Public Health. 
Teneele Bruce is a biologist, doula, and is serving as the Pathways Project Director at Baltimore Healthy Start.

Episode Hosts:

Shaquelle Ballou and Kristina Wint, both former Program Managers at AMCHP, are the co-hosts for this episode.

BirthWork episodes can be found on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon music.

Why tune in to BirthWork?

BirthWork celebrates the ongoing achievements of communities, professionals, practitioners, and families to create safer and more equitable birthing experiences. Our first season is featuring grantees from the Safer Childbirth Cities Initiative who are working towards improving maternal health outcomes by meeting the dynamic needs of their community. Through BirthWork, AMCHP’s Women and Infant Health Team aims to amplify stories of those working to support perinatal health and create space for those with lived experiences.

Who should listen to BirthWork?

BirthWork is tailored to those wanting to learn more about birth justice and efforts led by community-based organizations to create safer spaces for birthing people. Title V MCH & CYSHCN leaders, state and jurisdictional health department staff, individuals with lived experience and their families, MCH faculty and students, public health professionals, and others wanting to transform perinatal health through supporting MCH populations and equitable systems of care should tune in to the BirthWork podcast.

Join AMCHP in Observing Children’s Environmental Health Day and National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week

In October, AMCHP joins maternal and child health (MCH) organizations in observing Children’s Environmental Health (CEH) Day, celebrated on October 12, and National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW), celebrated from October 22 to 28.

To raise awareness of these important observances, we’ve partnered with Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN) to collectively, along with other MCH organizations, increase the visibility of children’s environmental health issues while empowering individuals and organizations to take action on behalf of children nationwide.

Additionally, this month, we join the collaborative effort between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in sharing information and resources about NLPPW to raise awareness of lead poisoning prevention and encourage preventive actions to reduce the likelihood of childhood lead exposure.

We invite you to join us in these efforts by visiting our blog post to access information and resources developed by AMCHP, CEHN, CDC, EPA, and HUD, and encourage you to share them among your networks!

Recent AMCHP Announcements

Revamped Roadmap for Collaboration among Title V, Home Visiting, and Early Childhood Systems Programs

Voices of AMCHP

Rachel Hutson, MSN, RN, CPNP – Secretary (2022-2024)

As part of our Voices of AMCHP series, designed to highlight our dedicated Board members and their work, we invited Rachel to share some insights on her background, journey serving on AMCHP’s Board of Directors, and her advice for established MCH professionals to empower young leaders.

What motivated you to join AMCHP’s Board of Directors?

I was motivated to run for the Region VIII Director position in 2018 because, as Colorado’s Title V Director, I wanted to learn more about what was happening in MCH programs in states across the country. I also wanted to more deeply understand and inform MCH federal policy and practices based on my (and my Region VIII colleagues’) experiences implementing a state MCH program.

How has your previous position as a Regional Director of AMCHP’s Board of Directors prepared you for your current role as Secretary?

It was helpful to first serve as a Regional Director to get grounded in the general roles and responsibilities of serving on the AMCHP Board and have a better sense of the type and scope of the discussions and decisions that are made by the Board. Being on the Board also broadened my understanding of AMCHP’s infrastructure, budget, and operations and the Board functions that support the organization. That experience has helped me know how to adequately capture and share the discussions through the minutes that summarize both the Board and Executive Committee meetings.

Read the full interview.

AMCHP Events & Webinars

Developing Relationships and Exploring Foundational Skills: The Healthy Beginnings Experience

Join AMCHP and colleagues and state health agencies on October 20 from 1-2 pm ET in our public release of learning materials and tools from the Healthy Beginnings with Title V: Advancing Anti-Racism in Preterm Birth Prevention Learning and Practice Cohort. We will provide a brief overview of the initiative, and tour foundational resources that six teams of health agency staff and community-based organizations explored together during the 18-month cohort as they identified and addressed sources of racism in policy, data, and funding structures at the state level and in every day MCH practice that sustain inequities in perinatal health. Speakers will include AMCHP staff members, Steering Committee member Dr. Janelle Palacios, and representatives from the MCH programs in Louisiana and Virginia.

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

Describe the Healthy Beginnings Learning & Practice Cohort and how sustainable and equitable relationships between state MCH programs and community-based organizations (CBOs) were fostered.
Identify learning topics related to advancing anti-racism in policy, data, and funding structures in public health institutions that sustain inequities in perinatal health.
Find resources on foundational skills to use in your own agency, such as understanding power dynamics, protecting community-rooted organization intellectual property in partnerships, or advancing anti-racism across the data life cycle.

Webinar Series: Pathways to Sustainability – Featuring Safer Childbirth Cities Grantees

Community-rooted organizations have substantial evidence that their programs and services are effective at protecting positive birth outcomes for the Black and Brown families they serve and, in many cases, reduce or eliminate racial disparities. Their solutions should be a priority in any public health agenda as communities are experts on their own lives and challenges. So, what is in the way of these solutions being implemented in their respective states and across the country? How can we sustain community-rooted solutions to MCH challenges?

AMCHP is delighted to invite you to our Pathways to Sustainability webinar series, or “Pathways.” A multi-year investment, organized by Merck for Mothers with a co-funding circle of philanthropic partners, supported twenty city-based, community-led and community-centered organizations to implement solutions to address the racial inequities in maternal health this country is facing. These organizations are building the evidence base for their approaches and together, are demonstrating how to turn the tide on maternal health. But shifting tides is a monumental effort that requires dedication from people in power.

Hear from the Safer Childbirth Cities (SCC) leaders and program managers themselves about what community-rooted and community-based organizations need to stoke this momentum and turn their successes into our collective way forward. Let’s consider what it means to organize together and behind them.

Register for the whole webinar series that will take place on Tuesdays in October from 3:00 – 4:00 pm ET. See below for more details on upcoming sessions:

Tuesday, October 24: Cultivating a Space for Birthworkers & Community Advocacy

Registration Link 

Join us as the Jackson Safer Childbirth Cities Experience’s Tara Shaw discusses cultivating a space to center, respect, and listen to the voices of birthworkers, those most impacted, and those who champion the care of families in need. The Jackson Safer Childbirth Cities Experience is community-based and focuses on providing the services of community-based doulas to African American women of childbearing age, specifically those between the ages of 18 and 44. In hosting a one-day conference, the project team aimed to align on best ways to implement holistic care/birthworkers in health care spaces for families across the state as well as collaborate on ways to strengthen resources for birthworkers to build collective care for Black families that is community-driven. 

The second presentation of the day will feature Healthy Start Inc.’s Demia Tyler and Portia Gillespie. The National Healthy Start initiative was established in 1991 with the goal of reducing disparities in infant mortality rates across the United States. Healthy Start, Inc. Pittsburgh (HS), also established in 1991, was created out of this larger initiative as a community-based nonprofit whose mission is to reduce infant mortality rates in specific areas within Pittsburgh, facing the highest rates of poor birth outcomes within Black communities. Educating policy makers and equipping community members with the advocacy tools to continue to push for systemic change is one way to create sustainability. Healthy Start, Inc. supported a number of community advisory committee members to participate in a policy training through Black Women’s Policy Center to learn more about advocating for policy change and engaging elected officials. The project team will share their learnings about working in partnership with community to create sustainable policy pathways.

Tuesday, October 31: Documenting the Impacts of Doulas — Qualitatively and Quantitatively 

Registration Link 

The REACHUP, Inc. team of Ankita Patel, Doula Program Manager for the GROWTH with Doulas and Dads program, and Ronee Wilson, PhD, Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiologist with expertise in disparity-related community-engaged research, will share about their community-based doula program in Tampa, FL. REACHUP, Inc. is a non-profit community-based organization whose work has impacted its community through health advocacy, research, and education. The mission of REACHUP, Inc., is to advocate for and mobilize resources to help communities achieve equality in healthcare and positive health for families. The REACHUP team is producing a journey map that illustrates the successes of their Safer Childbirth Cities community doula program. To date, their program has served nearly 600 birthing people and families. Moving beyond quantitative data, the team is working to document the journey of doulas and families to truly demonstrate the impact that this program has had on lives. One unique aspect of this project is the ability of qualitative documentation to acknowledge the emotional toll of doula work, as they provide emotional support and experience the joys and the sorrows alongside families while they are also caring for their families at home.  

Our second presentation for the day will come from Stephanie Spencer, Founder and Executive Director of Urban Baby Beginnings (UBB). UBB is a non-profit organization that focuses on supporting the health and well-being of pregnant and postpartum people and their families in the Hampton Roads and Central Virginia areas. The organization provides a range of services and programs, including prenatal and postpartum care, breastfeeding support, childbirth education, and doula services. UBB also advocates for policy changes that support maternal and child health and well-being. The UBB team is working to create a report that summarizes the impact of the work, identifies barriers and gaps in services and support, and works toward sustained impact through a collective impact approach. The ultimate goal of collecting this data is to improve the health and well-being of low-income, Black, and Latinx communities by addressing systemic barriers and promoting equitable access to quality maternal and child health services. 

AMCHP Information & Resources

AMCHP Guiding Principles & Values for Family Engagement & Partnership

AMCHP strives to be intentional, thoughtful, and hold ourselves accountable to authentic engagement and partnership. In this spirit, we’ve developed these guiding principles and values to bolster our commitment, and to honor the unique value families bring to our work. You can find this document on the Family Engagement Current Initiatives – AMCHP page of our website!

New Resource About the Roles & Responsibilities of AMCHP Family Delegates

Would you like more information about the roles and responsibilities of an AMCHP Family Delegate? Check out our new fact sheet under the State and Territorial Programs section of the Membership Types – AMCHP page on our website. The fact sheet can also be found under the Family Delegate tab on the Family Engagement Current Initiatives – AMCHP page of our website.

2023 Medicaid Renewal Process Update

As of October 11, according to Kaiser Family Foundation Medicaid Enrollment and Unwinding Tracker, over 8.6 million people have lost their Medicaid coverage due to the national Medicaid redetermination process, which is ongoing through March 2024. The volume of renewals – and the state capacity to manage them – presents a significant risk for coverage loss, particularly in MCH populations.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has called for an all-hands-on-deck approach to ensuring continuity of coverage and a fair redetermination process. The agency has developed a host of resources on the Medicaid/CHIP renewal process, including a communications toolkit, training presentations for advocates (What is Happening With Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Right Now?), and targeted outreach material (Reaching Children and Families in School-Based and Early Education and Care Settings). Thoughtful and strategic communication is critical in the continuing months.

As AMCHP continues to monitor this issue, we encourage you to visit AMCHP’s Resource Library and filter by “Promoting Coverage for MCH” to find more information, facts sheets, toolkits, webinar recordings, and more. We also invite you to visit our latest blog post that covers the landscape of the Medicaid unwinding process, including the alarming national disenrollment trends, and recommends actions for state MCH/Title V programs. More content to come soon.

Be sure to also follow AMCHP on social media as we will continue to post timely information, resources, and events on this topic. If you have any questions or want to connect with an AMCHP team member on this topic, please contact Stacy Collins at scollins@amchp.org.

Legislation & Policy

Explore our revamped Maternal & Child Health Bill Tracker for more information about pending federal legislation to improve maternal health. Also, download AMCHP’s 2023 Federal Policy Agenda outlining where we intend to focus our advocacy work.

AMCHP Leads National Organization Letter Supporting Funding for HRSA’s Title V MCH Block Grant, including SPRANS 

AMCHP is concerned about the proposed reductions in funding for the Special Projects of Regional and National Significance (SPRANS) portion of the Title V MCH Block Grant in Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24)—a $35 million cut in the House of Representatives and a $10 million cut in the Senate. A loss of SPRANS funding could detrimentally impact MCH populations, providers, public health professionals, and trainees in a sweeping way. On October 6th, AMCHP led 55 national organizations and academic institutions in a letter to Congressional leadership supporting the restoration of and increased Title V SPRANS funding in FY24. Please email Amani Echols (aechols@amchp.org) to share how reduced SPRANS funding and a potential government shutdown due to the FY2024 appropriations process would affect your Title V programs and MCH populations. AMCHP will continue to uplift your stories when advocating for robust Title V funding.  [read more]

AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Halls

Thank you to those of you who joined us for AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Halls. You can find the full recordings of past Town Halls on our Government Affairs webpage. Town Halls occur on the second Thursday of every month from 2-3 PM ET. We invite you to register for all future Town Halls at this link.

Opportunities & Funding

AMCHP Career Center: Connecting Talent with Opportunity

AMCHP lists the top jobs available in our industry. Access the AMCHP Career Center to search and apply for open positions or post your jobs and opportunities! Search for Jobs | Post a Job. 

AMCHP Career Opportunities

Be part of our team! AMCHP is seeking individuals for the role listed below. AMCHP offers a 100% virtual work/telework environment for all positions.

Birth Justice Funding Program Manager: This position supports AMCHP’s capacity to sustain transformational partnerships with community-rooted organizations, programs, and thought leaders to advance equity in reproductive and perinatal health. This is a term-limited position that will end December 31, 2024, in alignment with the conclusion of the Safer Childbirth Cities Community of Practice and Sustainability Grant Programs and reports to the Associate Director, Women’s and Infant Health. [learn more and apply]
Chief Government Affairs Officer: This position is accountable for the development and implementation of AMCHP’s public policy and government affairs strategies and the advancement of maternal and child health (MCH) in the U.S. by working on initiatives that support AMCHP’s legislative agenda. This individual maintains a commitment to dismantling structural racism and rebuilding the policy systems that serve our communities in ways that center racial and other forms of equity. The position reports to the CEO. [learn more and apply]

Apply for the Birth & Breastfeeding Leadership Institute by November 1!

Despite our advanced medical system, maternal and infant mortality rates are high, especially among Black women and babies. The Birth & Breastfeeding Leadership Institute, led by the Black Mothers’ Breastfeeding Association, empowers individuals committed to advancing Black maternal health and equity. Are you dedicated to transforming healthcare for Black families? Seeking to enhance your professional skills? The Birth & Breastfeeding Leadership Institute is tailor-made for you!

Participants in this nine-month virtual program will gain expertise in eight modules, including Communications/Messaging, Advocacy & Policy, Program Development, Leadership Development, Fund Development, Content Development, Cross-functional Team Building, and Organizational Leadership. Completion brings recognition in a virtual ceremony and a Certificate of Advanced Leadership in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Invest in yourself this year with the Birth & Breastfeeding Leadership Institute!

Applications are now open until November 1, apply today! Love, Learn, Lead, LIBERATE!

New Funding Opportunity from the National MCH Workforce Development Center: Faculty Fellowship

The National MCH Workforce Development Center is excited to announce a new initiative for early career and mid-level public health faculty members from Diverse Institutions including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Asian American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions.

The Faculty Fellowship will provide opportunities for up to 10 early career and mid-level public health faculty from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) across the country to participate in a 2-year Fellowship.

Fellowships will contribute to building capacity and developing a diverse MCH workforce that is able to build and sustain academic-practice partnerships and address MCH inequities in communities that are historically underserved.

Applications close November 9. [learn more]

Publications & Resources

Strengthen & Enhance Epilepsy Knowledge (SEEK) Training

The National Coordinating Center for Epilepsy has free, ready-to-use epilepsy training modules! These trainings can serve as teaching tools for medical residents, school nurses, social workers, community health workers, public health professionals, and all other health professionals seeking to increase their knowledge and expertise regarding epilepsy care for children and youth with epilepsy. Each training includes a pre-recorded webinar with an accompanying case study and PowerPoint presentation. The SEEK training is flexible; webinars can be viewed individually or in groups as part of a Lunch & Learn and utilize the case studies to initiate discussion. Browse the Strengthen & Enhance Epilepsy Knowledge (SEEK) Training today! (Average length of each training webinar: 20-30 minutes) Note: The trainings are for learning purposes only and are not approved for continuing education credit.

Centering Black Mothers in California: Insights into Racism, Health, and Well-being for Black Women and Infants

More than 420,000 births occurred in California in 2022 and the general population is becoming increasingly racially and ethnically diverse with more than 27% foreign-born. Given the breadth and size of the birthing population, the data collected by the California Department of Public Health, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division (CDPH-MCAH) is highly valued particularly for various sub-populations of birthing people. In 2019, CDPH-MCAH published “California American Indian/Alaska Native Maternal and Infant Health Status Report” and in the summer of 2023, CDPH-MCAH released “Centering Black Mothers In California: Insights into Racism, Health, and Well-being for Black Women and Infants.” Both of these publications were developed, designed, and launched in close partnership with experts and people of lived experience from the communities reflected by this data.  While California has made some progress to reduce maternal mortality, much more needs to be done to eliminate disparities in perinatal outcomes and these reports and their analysis contribute to public health planning and implementation. Title V funding was used to support this effort, as well as funding by the California Health Care Foundation to the University of California San Francisco to support project participation of Black women leaders and community members throughout the state. 

New Systems-Building Website From the ECDHS: Evidence to Impact Center

The Early Childhood Developmental Health Systems (ECDHS): Evidence to Impact Center has launched its new website! The website includes resources, events, and more to support early childhood professionals, providers, and leaders in their systems-building work to best meet the needs of young children and their families. Explore the site and sign up to receive updates from the Center.

New 2022 NSCH NOM and NPM Data Available!

We are excited to announce that new data from the 2022 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) is now available on the Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DRC) website as of October 2. With this new data, you can learn how your state is doing on 19 National Outcome and National Performance Measures (NOM and NPM) by subgroups such as race/ethnicity, poverty level, medical home, insurance type, adverse childhood experiences, and more.

The NSCH is a national survey, funded and directed by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (HRSA MCHB), that provides rich data on multiple, intersecting aspects of children’s health and well-being – including physical and mental health, access to and quality of health care, and the child’s family, neighborhood, school, and social context. Request NSCH datasets in SAS, Stata, and SPSS formats with accompanying codebooks on the DRC website. The DRC is brought to you by the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI). For more information, take a short video tour or contact the CAHMI-DRC team through the Ask Us a Question page or email info@cahmi.org.

New Fact Sheets for Women with Sickle Cell Disease

In partnership with the Foundation for Women & Girls with Blood Disorders, the Sickle Cell Reproductive Health Education Directive (SC RED), and the American Society of Hematology, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed new fact sheets on preconception care, prenatal care, and postpartum care for women living with Sickle cell disease (SCD). Women with SCD are at greater risk for developing complications during pregnancy than women without SCD. For some women with SCD, pregnancy can make their disease more severe, and treatments may need to be changed to help manage complications. This makes preconception, prenatal, and postpartum care especially important to help women with SCD stay healthy throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period.

View and share each fact sheet on what steps women with SCD can take to stay healthy throughout pregnancy: