Maternal Health

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
blog
Pandemic-Era Parties, China's Global Influence, Reducing Infant Mortality: RAND Weekly Recap
Jul 2, 2021
This weekly recap focuses on assessing the risk of small gatherings during the pandemic, China's ability to exert influence around the world, using big data to reduce infant mortality, and more.
Read More »

Health Interventions
essay
Reducing Disparities in Infant Mortality: Using Big Data to Help Babies at Risk
Jul 1, 2021
Black babies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania—and across America—face much higher mortality rates than white babies. Researchers pulled together thousands of data points on more than 150,000 births to better predict who is at risk and how to help.
Read More »
Maternal Health
commentary
Mothers Need a Continuous System of Care Even After Babies Are Born
Lois McCloskey, Ann Celi, Chloe E. Bird @ChloeBirdPhD
May 10, 2021
Newsweek
In the United States, babies are born into a system of well-child care—a series of planned health care visits designed to protect their health from day one through age six. But no such system exists for their mothers. How do we create a system of health care for mothers that mirrors well-child care?
Read More »
Maternal Health
blog
Infectious Diseases, Zimbabwe, Students with Disabilities: RAND Weekly Recap
Feb 14, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on the U.S. response to infectious diseases, Zimbabwe after Mugabe, the support for students with disabilities, and more.
Read More »
Substance Abuse
commentary
Policies That Punish Pregnant Women for Substance Use Don't Help Mother or Baby
Laura J. Faherty @LauraFahertyMD
Jan 28, 2020
Tennessee Justice Center
About half of all U.S. states now have policies that criminalize substance use during pregnancy, consider it grounds for civil commitment, or consider it child abuse or neglect. But research suggests that punitive policies aren't beneficial for infants or their mothers.
Read More »
Media Literacy
blog
How Americans Get the News, Iran, Caregiving: RAND Weekly Recap
Dec 13, 2019
This weekly recap focuses on how Americans consume the news, U.S.–Iranian relations, how federal disability payments help caregivers, and more.
Read More »
Maternal Health
commentary
Meghan Markle May Avoid the Spotlight After Giving Birth and Send a Powerful Public Health Message
Sarah MacCarthy
Apr 11, 2019
USA Today
Meghan Markle plans to break from royal tradition by declining to present her baby to the public on the the steps of the maternity ward, hours after giving birth, with flawless hair and makeup. This could bring attention to many of the postpartum challenges faced by women everywhere.
Read More »
Gender Equity in the Workplace
commentary
Is It Time to Extend Maternity Leave Across Europe?
Lucy Strang, Miriam Broeks
Sep 13, 2016
EurActiv
Any policy solution for extending maternity leave must strike a balance between protecting infant health through extended breastfeeding and mitigating any potentially negative impact on the mother's career progression or increased costs to business.
Read More »
Family Planning
commentary
The Economic Rationale for Investing in Family Planning in Sub-Saharan Africa
Peter Glick, Sebastian Linnemayr
Aug 3, 2016
The World Bank Investing in Health Blog
Proven benefits to reduced fertility — or to delayed start to childbearing and greater spacing between births — include lower maternal mortality, fewer unsafe abortions, reduced risks from early childbearing, and women's ability to engage in more income-generating opportunities.
Read More »
Depression
commentary
New Depression-Screening Guidelines Could Help Both Mother and Child
Dana Schultz
Mar 18, 2016
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Behavioral health professionals and community agencies often do not consider the impact of parental depression on young children or focus on the adult's role as a parent. New guidelines recommending depression screening during primary care visits for pregnant women and new mothers are a critical first step.
Read More »
Africa
commentary
Africa Succeeds in Meeting Many Long-Term U.N. Development Goals
Mahlet Atakilt Woldetsadik
Dec 7, 2015
The RAND Blog
Over the past decade and half, Africa has made great strides toward meeting the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals, eight objectives that included halving extreme poverty rates, providing universal primary education, and ending the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015.
Read More »
Health Care Costs
commentary
A Tale of Two Deliveries, or an Out-of-Network Problem
Erin Audrey Taylor, Layla Parast
Nov 4, 2015
Health Affairs Blog
Two mothers gave birth within weeks of each other, at the same hospital, using the same employer-sponsored insurance. Both had an epidural. But one received a surprise physician bill for anesthesiology, while the other didn't have to pay a dime. Why?
Read More »
Maternal Health
commentary
Family Planning Must Be Part of the Humanitarian Response in Africa's Conflict Zones
Mahlet Atakilt Woldetsadik
Jul 1, 2015
The RAND Blog
Worldwide, nearly 800 women die every day due to mostly preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. More than half of these deaths occur in fragile states torn by armed conflict and generalized violence.
Read More »
Developing Countries
commentary
Insurance and Incentives: A Dual Approach to Try to Improve Maternal Health in Nigeria
Adeyemi Theophilus Okunogbe
Jun 10, 2014
The RAND Blog
Less than 5% of Nigerians have insurance; two-thirds of all health care costs are paid out of pocket. When people must pay out of pocket for health care at the point of service, this restricts access, excludes the poorest and most vulnerable, and leads to delays in patients seeking help.
Read More »
Developing Countries
commentary
Maternal Deaths: Turning the Tide in a Nigerian State
Adeyemi Theophilus Okunogbe
Apr 16, 2014
The RAND Blog
Bold and innovative approaches are being developed in different parts of the African continent in the quest to reduce maternal mortality. A noteworthy example of this is the Abiye Safe Motherhood program in Ondo State, Nigeria.
Read More »

Approaches and Obstacles to Teaching Media Literacy

How Does North Korea Evade Sanctions?

As U.S. Shifts Arctic Strategy to Counter Russia, Allies Offer Valuable Info

Renters' Last Chance for Pandemic Aid Before Evictions Resume

From 9/11 to COVID-19: What Have We Learned About U.S. Preparedness?

The Policy Currents Podcast

Developing Strategies for Summer Learning

Improving Psychological Wellbeing and Work Outcomes in the UK

Helping Coastal Communities Plan for Climate Change

Getting to Know Military Caregivers and Their Needs

Maternal Health

Pandemic-Era Parties, China's Global Influence, Reducing Infant Mortality: RAND Weekly Recap

Reducing Disparities in Infant Mortality: Using Big Data to Help Babies at Risk

Mothers Need a Continuous System of Care Even After Babies Are Born

Infectious Diseases, Zimbabwe, Students with Disabilities: RAND Weekly Recap

Policies That Punish Pregnant Women for Substance Use Don't Help Mother or Baby

How Americans Get the News, Iran, Caregiving: RAND Weekly Recap

Meghan Markle May Avoid the Spotlight After Giving Birth and Send a Powerful Public Health Message

Is It Time to Extend Maternity Leave Across Europe?

The Economic Rationale for Investing in Family Planning in Sub-Saharan Africa

New Depression-Screening Guidelines Could Help Both Mother and Child

Africa Succeeds in Meeting Many Long-Term U.N. Development Goals

A Tale of Two Deliveries, or an Out-of-Network Problem

Family Planning Must Be Part of the Humanitarian Response in Africa's Conflict Zones

Insurance and Incentives: A Dual Approach to Try to Improve Maternal Health in Nigeria

Maternal Deaths: Turning the Tide in a Nigerian State

Connect

Contact Us

I am interested in

Follow

Stay Informed

Resources

Site Information