Nearly one in ten babies is born premature in the United States, potentially resulting in long-term health and developmental challenges.[i] Despite efforts to improve health and well-being for mothers and babies, critical gaps in progress remain. Among these is the persistent presence of major health inequities in the prevention of preterm birth among minorities, particularly the African-American community which suffers the highest rates of preterm birth across the nation.
AMAG is passionate about raising awareness of this important issue and remains committed to working in collaboration with healthcare leaders to promote greater health equity for mothers and infants. As part of this commitment, we partnered with leading experts in maternal and infant health to form the Maternal and Infant Health Inequities Working Group to help reduce health inequities and improve the health of mothers and babies in communities across the nation.
Together, we developed the Pregnancy & Baby Health Clearinghouse to support community health leaders interested in starting or expanding free, local programs that provide support and education to improve the health and well-being of mothers and babies most in need. The site connects community health leaders to relevant data, examples of successful programs, and experts across the country to help develop or enhance services for local families. In addition, healthcare providers and their staff can use this site to identify and tap into resources in their communities to improve care and support for their patients.
[i] http://www.marchofdimes.org/materials/premature-birth-report-card-united-states.pdf
