Saving Babies

Women and their doctors use our findings on risk factors and prevention to give the 4 million babies born every year in the United States a healthier start.

Healthcare providers in 75 health centers are implementing proven tools to reduce excessive alcohol use, including alcohol use in pregnancy, preventing FASDs.

31 jurisdictions are addressing emerging health threats to mothers in babies – specifically,  COVID-19, hepatitis C, syphilis, and Zika.

Our experts in infant health identified Zika as a cause of birth defects and neurodevelopmental problems and continue monitoring more than 7,400 pregnancies across the country.

Every year more than 1,300 babies are born without a neural tube defect because our science resulted in national folic acid fortification – saving the United States more than $600 million yearly.

Six jurisdictions are implementing a standardized surveillance case definition for monitoring the number of infants diagnosed with NAS at birth to help understand and address the impact of substance use during pregnancy so mothers and their babies can thrive.

Scientists are learning more about potential causes of stillbirth, informing research for prevention, and helping families understand potential causes.