Reproductive Health

Maternal and Infant Health Research

Approximately 6 million women become pregnant in the United States each year. CDC is committed to identifying ways to improve women’s health before, during, and after pregnancy and to identifying strategies to improve the health and well-being of newborns and infants. This is accomplished through research and programs that promote healthy lifestyles and improve early detection and prevention among women and infants at risk.

CDC's Division of Reproductive Health, Maternal and Infant Health Research Team conducts research and surveillance in partnership with multiple federal and nonfederal organizations and shares key findings to improve health outcomes of women and infants. CDC also partners with state health departments, universities, professional societies, and health maintenance organizations to advance understanding of risk factors, causes, and prevention strategies for the leading causes of maternal and infant death and disability; including preterm birth, sudden infant death, and acute and chronic health problems during pregnancy.

An essential part of our research looks at improving what we know about the causes and consequences of differences in pregnancy-related death and illness, preterm birth, and fetal and infant mortality, because major and persistent racial and ethnic disparities affect some subgroups of women and infants more than others. Results from this research will help us identify new opportunities for prevention and turn these new findings into effective public health programs.

Program Highlights

Preterm birth

Conducted and published a study that identified preterm birth as the most frequent cause of infant death in the United States, accounting for approximately 33% of all infant deaths. Findings led to changes in the way CDC's National Center for Health Statistics reports annual U.S. infant mortality rates.
Collaborated with university investigators and state health departments conduct ongoing research to better understand the social, behavioral, community, genetic, and biologic factors associated with preterm birth and racial disparities in pregnancy outcomes.
Conducted a study in three large hospitals, and used medical record reviews and interviews to understand indications for late preterm deliveries that are increasing and account for 70% of all preterm births.

Pregnancy-related complications

Evaluated ways to improve detection, referral, and care of women with a history of gestational diabetes to reduce their high risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
Conducted a collaborative study on adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with the use of chew tobacco among Alaska Native women.
Developed surveillance methods and conducted research on pregnancy-related complications, in partnership with a large managed-care partner, to guide system and provider changes to improve outcomes.

Infant health

Revised Guidelines for Death Scene Investigation of Sudden, Unexplained Infant Death (SUID) in partnership with a national network of participants.
Conducted five regional train-the-trainer courses across the United States to prepare state and local officials in accurate and consistent investigation and reporting of sudden, unexplained infant deaths.
Conducted a state-based Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) Case Registry Pilot Program in collaboration with Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) National Center for Child Death Review to generate surveillance information that comprehensively describes the circumstances and events surrounding infant deaths that occur suddenly and unexpectedly.

Technical assistance to partners

Strengthened and supported community programs to reduce racial disparities in preterm birth in partnership with the Healthy African American Families Project in Los Angeles, California.
Strengthened epidemiologic capacity and public health research in maternal-child health among Native American/Alaska Native populations in partnership with the Indian Health Service and tribal health councils.

Program Impact

Improved reporting of the causes of infant death and increased accuracy of the data used for research to reduce SIDS and other causes of SUIDS through nationwide training of infant death scene investigators.
Used SUID Case Registry data to allow researchers, medico-legal investigators, and program prevention planners better understand characteristics surrounding SUID, evaluate case investigation practices, and ultimately prevent many infant deaths.
Provided accurate information on the health risks of smokeless tobacco use in pregnancy among Alaska Native women to assist local agencies.
Improved assessment of complications and methods for monitoring the pregnancy-related and long-term health of women.
Heightened awareness of the importance of intensive maternal death reviews at the state level with the aim of reducing the persistent disparities in pregnancy-related deaths between black and white women.
Analyzed the contribution of preterm birth to infant mortality and published those results in collaboration with colleagues at CDC’s National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities and CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). NCHS now reports the category of preterm-related infant mortality in annual reports of U.S. infant mortality.