This MCH Action Guide was created in order to assist local MCH programs with developing their MCH plan. The "Healthy Baby" Action Guide is intended to help local health agencies and community partners develop evidence-based Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time-framed (SMART) goals and good objectives. This guide identifies strategies and action steps to reduce Colorado's Low Birth Weight (LBW) rate in your community.

High rates of low birth weight deliveries and infant mortality are persistent public health problems. There has been little improvement in rates of low birth weight and preterm births in the past 20 years. Equally disturbing is the persistent disparity in low-income and minority communities, where the rates of prematurity and low birth weight are twice the national average.

An interactive platform for visualizing geographic disparities for selected social determinants of health, life expectancy estimates, and key health conditions/outcomes across Colorado. Specific areas covered include: population density, life expectancy, age, disability, education, employment, income/poverty, language, race/ethnicity, asthma, diabetes, suicide, low birth weight, drug overdose, low birth weight, and teen fertility.

Having a baby is a life-changing event for parents, and giving birth prematurely can bring a complex set of challenges and emotions to an already intense experience. But in this authoritative, warm, and positive guide, Dr. Su Laurent guides parents through having a premature baby, giving them the tools they need to parent confidently. Covering topics including what to expect in the Special Care Baby Unit, taking your baby home, avoiding or dealing...