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With many of the state and territorial legislatures reconvening over the next few weeks, we can look forward to new (and not-so-new) legislation start to crop up that will impact public health. To help navigate the new legislative ...

Perinatal substance use is a serious public health issue, resulting in detrimental and even life-threatening fetal outcomes, and it continues to grow.

Approximately 700 women die annually in the U.S. between 2007-2016 as a result of pregnancy or its complications, according to CDC data. This is one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the developed world. On top of that, there are ...

Recap the state legislative sessions in 2025 thus far, spanning maternal health, infectious disease, and other important public health issues.

ASTHO develops resources and facilitates learning communities to help health officials reduce maternal mortality, a Healthy People 2030 leading health indicator.

In 2023 legislative sessions, states considered measures to improve access to care for pregnant people experiencing substance use disorder, increase provider knowledge of screening and treatment practices, coordinate care for conditions ...

Rural hospital closures exacerbate poor socioeconomic conditions, job loss, cost of health services, transportation times and barriers, and inequitable access to quality care, all of which contribute to unfavorable maternal and infant ...

State and federal actions to expand the doula workforce and improve maternal health.

Samuel Walker of Java Jam, a fatherhood initiative dedicated to amplifying the lived experiences of men experiencing the birthing and lactation journey alongside their partners.

There are significant disparities in pregnancy-related outcomes in the United States. Many of these deaths considered preventable, so state and federal policy makers are taking steps to improve health outcomes for pregnant people.

Every August, national, state, and local breastfeeding stakeholders celebrate National Breastfeeding Month by engaging each other and the public in conversations about changes needed to build a landscape of breastfeeding support. The 2021 ...

ASTHO CEO Michael Fraser, PhD, and Tracey Wareing Evans, President and CEO of APHSA, sit down to discuss building a foundational family well-being roadmap amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn how access to risk appropriate care can improve the health of mothers and infants in the US.

While the Biden Administration and Congress have no shortage of immediate health issues to focus on, improving maternal health outcomes—particularly Black maternal morbidity and mortality—have become a priority for federal lawmakers. To ...

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated barriers to care and treatment for individuals experiencing opioid use disorder. Experts estimate a record-setting 90,000 people died of a drug overdose in 2020. Additionally, as the pandemic ...

States Support Postpartum Health with Medicaid Expansions astho, association of state and territorial health officials, 2023 state legislative session, medicaid expansions, postpartum health, the consolidated appropriations act, national ...

Interview with LaQuandra Nesbitt, MD, MPH, director of DC Health, about perinatal health, collaboration with community health centers, and opportunities to address disparities in maternal and child health outcomes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted pregnant people and infants more severely than some other populations. As such, it is important to pay special attention to this vulnerable group.

Many states have introduced bills to strengthen and increase access to these prenatal, delivery, and postpartum services, building a solid foundation of care for women who must navigate the healthcare system and make difficult decisions ...

Two rising health trends are negatively affecting women’s health across the United States: maternal mortality (death from pregnancy or delivery complications) and severe maternal morbidity (mental and physical health consequences from a ...