Maternal and Child Health

Improving the well-being of mothers, infants, and children is an important public health goal for the United States, as well as a priority for New Jersey. Their well-being determines the health of the next generation and can help predict future public health challenges for families, communities, and the health care system.¹With the priority of improving equity, New Jersey focuses on many aspects of maternal and child health, including prenatal, perinatal and postpartum care and innovative resources, intraconception care, special child health, breastfeeding, and more.

Objectives

Baseline*

Progress Toward Target

Target*

Assessment is final

Reduce infant death

Reduce low birth weight

Reduce very low birth weight

Increase prenatal care in first trimester

Reduce alcohol use by pregnant women

Reduce smoking by pregnant women

Increase infants put on their backs to sleep

Increase infants ever breastfed

Increase infants exclusively breastfed through 3 months

Increase infants exclusively breastfed through 6 months

Reduce formula supplementation

Increase births at Baby-Friendly Hospitals

Reduce births to teens

Reduce blood lead level in children aged 1-5 years

Reduce average blood lead levels in children aged 1-5 years

Increase newborn hearing screening follow-up

Reduce low-risk c-sections

Legend

Progress Toward Target

*Figures shown are a mix of counts, percentages, rates, and ratios. Click the Objective statement for more information about the corresponding measure.

Exceeding Target

At/Making progress toward Target

Not progressing toward Target

Negative progression toward Target

For more information, please refer to these resources:

Reference:

Maternal, Infant, and Child Health. Healthy People 2020. 5/18/21.

Official Site of The State of New Jersey

Healthy NJ 2020