Data & Insights
Maternal and Child Health
Nearly four million babies are born each year in U.S. hospitals.
As hospital executives, your commitment to women’s health, a healthy pregnancy and a good start for all children is a cornerstone to improving the nation’s health. Still, 8.1% of babies are born low birthweight and 9.6% are born preterm; 17.4% of children aged 6-11 are obese; 3.2% of children aged 5-11 miss 11 or more days of school a year due to illness or injury; and, overall, more than 15% of children aged 5-11 years are not in very good health.
The American Hospital Association and its members take aim on these maternal and child health challenges. Together, we are driven to advance women’s and child health through partnerships and innovation in the quality, cost and delivery of care.
Consistent with our goals, this web page is designed to provide easy access to information and tools that will assist in navigating the changing maternal and child health care system. Every day, our nation’s hospitals work in their communities sponsoring family health education, prevention and outreach services. Look here to find news, resources, data, and best practices shared by other health leaders that can help you on the journey to accessible, affordable and safe care for women and children.
Explore Maternal and Child Health Topics
Better Health for Mothers and Babies
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Maternal health is a high priority for AHA and its member hospitals and health systems. As part of that commitment, AHA has long partnered with national organizations as an active member in the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM). Together we are working to safegua...
Medicaid
Medicaid is the nation’s largest single source of coverage primarily serving low-income populations – children and their families, adults, seniors and disabled individuals. The program provides a broad array of health care services such as primary and acute care services, as well as lon...
Behavioral Health
Behavioral health disorders affect nearly one in five Americans and have community-wide impacts.
Hospitals and health systems provide essential behavioral health care services to millions of Americans every day. The American Hospital Association has a long-standing commitment to sup...
Addressing the Opioid Epidemic - Resources
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AHA Resources
Download the PDF
Stem the Tide: Addressing the Opioid Epidemic (October 2017)
This toolkit, released by the AHA, provides guidance and information to hospitals and health systems on how they can partner with patients, clinicians and communities to address the opi...
Drug Prices
The price of prescription drugs has skyrocketed over the past several years. These price increases are extremely troublesome throughout the health care system.
Unchecked drug price increases are not sustainable, and are a serious economic threat to the patients and communities we se...
Clinical Integration
Some hospitals and health systems already are using a broad range of approaches to integrating more closely with physicians and other health care providers.Clinical integration spans the spectrum from initiatives aimed at achieving greater coordination around a single clinical condition...
Workforce
An aging population, better care coordination and integrating behavioral and physical health care are all challenges the changing health care workforce must address.
The American Hospital Association’s Workforce Center supports hospitals facing unique workforce issues by providing the ...
Access to Care in Vulnerable Communities
For millions of Americans living in vulnerable rural and urban communities, their hospital is often the only source of care. However, many of these hospitals are fighting to survive – potentially leaving their communities at risk for losing access to health care services.
The AHA'...
Related Resources
Action Alert
Improving maternal safety and outcomes in the U.S. is a top priority for hospital and health systems. While the field has worked hard to improve outcomes, we…
Testimony
AHA statement before the Committee on Ways and Means of the U.S. House of Representatives on : Overcoming Racial Disparities and Social Determinants in the…
Advancing Health Podcast
In this Advancing Health podcast, Jay Bhatt, senior vice president and chief medical officer for the American Hospital Association speaks with Rear Admiral…
Letter/Comment
AHA letter to Senator Richard J. Durbin expressing support of provisions of legislation, S.