Maternal and Child Health

The AHA is committed to driving improvement in maternal and child health. Healthy pregnancies and a strong start for all children are a cornerstone to advancing the nation’s health.

The AHA spotlights strategies that hospitals and health systems can adopt to improve the physical, mental and social health of patients throughout pregnancy, infancy and beyond. We also advocate for policies that enable health care organizations to provide high-quality maternal and pediatric care for their patients and communities. This work is guided by a committee composed of 15 individuals representing health care leadership from some of the country's leading women's and children's health provider organizations and systems.

Core Principles

The AHA encourages hospitals and health systems to apply these four core principles into their maternal and child health efforts.

Examine quality and outcomes data to guide strategy

Systematically collect data, review metrics and identify disparities to drive strategies for improvement in health outcomes. 

Consider the causes of disparities in health outcomes 

Investigate how clinical and community-based strategies work toward reducing disparate outcomes. 

Involve patients and community in their own care

Engage patients, families and community stakeholders to design care that is responsive to their needs and preferences.

Engage the workforce

Deploy interdisciplinary care teams who are trained to provide person-centered care.