Safe and Connected Communities
Investing in communities and strengthening social connections can address multiple social drivers of health that impact birthing people, babies and families.
What We Know
Numerous facets of community life impact maternal and infant health, including access to and investment in public services, such as community health centers, community gardens, transportation, safe housing, quality childcare and workforce development.
Investment in neighborhoods and support services are investments in families
Evidence shows that pregnant women who reside in low-opportunity neighborhoods (measured by residents' economic mobility) have an increased risk of preterm birth; this risk is higher for Black women than White or Latina women.
The Risk
Highly segregated communities have significantly higher preterm birth rates than communities that are less segregated, even when controlling for factors such as neighborhood poverty, insurance coverage and maternal medical conditions.
--Associations of neighborhood-level racial residential segregation with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Salow, Arturo D, et al. 2018, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, pp. e1-7.
News & Resources
A national organization of urban maternal and child health leaders that works to promote equity and improve the health of urban women, children, and communities by strengthening public health leaders and organizations.
This series of in-depth reports and briefs explores a range of topics that cover the crucial elements to build a culture of health, education and economic mobility in lower-income communities.
The Innovation Hub is an online platform that provides maternal and child health (MCH) professionals with tools and resources to explore, replicate and share successful and effective practices from the MCH field. It is home to the MCH Innovations Database, a searchable repository of “what’s working” in the field that improves the health and well-being of MCH populations.