Public Health

Maternal and Child Health

Ensuring the health of a baby begins with the health of the mother before conception and throughout pregnancy. The resources below provide information on public health programs that help to promote healthy mothers and babies, as well as statewide and national statistics on issues such as pregnancy risks and infant mortality.

Highlighted Resources

MDHHS Birth Defects Data and Statistics The Michigan Birth Defects Registry (MBDR) tracks more than 1,000 diagnoses of birth defects. This allows the Prevention program to ensure certain populations receive appropriate services and follow-up.
MDHHS Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Unit This MDHHS unit provides statewide epidemiological leadership and expertise for the maternal and child health programs that support women and children in Michigan.
MDHHS Vital Statistics Michigan statistics developed from the collection of vital records ranging from events such as births, deaths, marriages and divorces.
Michigan Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) The Michigan PRAMS is an ongoing survey project of mothers who deliver live births in Michigan. This program is part of a national effort to reduce infant mortality and adverse birth outcomes by providing useful information for developing and implementing intervention programs and evaluating existing programs.

MDHHS Birth Defects Data and Statistics

The Michigan Birth Defects Registry (MBDR) tracks more than 1,000 diagnoses of birth defects. This allows the Prevention program to ensure certain populations receive appropriate services and follow-up.

MDHHS Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Unit

This MDHHS unit provides statewide epidemiological leadership and expertise for the maternal and child health programs that support women and children in Michigan.

MDHHS Vital Statistics

Michigan statistics developed from the collection of vital records ranging from events such as births, deaths, marriages and divorces.

Michigan Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)

The Michigan PRAMS is an ongoing survey project of mothers who deliver live births in Michigan. This program is part of a national effort to reduce infant mortality and adverse birth outcomes by providing useful information for developing and implementing intervention programs and evaluating existing programs.

Additional Resources

Knowledge and Use of Folic Acid Among Women of Reproductive Age -- Michigan 1998 This Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report focused on the importance of folic acid intake prior to pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects, which include spina bifida and anencephaly.
Michigan Infant Mortality Statistics Reports and statistics from the MDCH Vital Statistics on infant mortality showing trends by county, city and race.
Michigan WIC and Family Planning This MDCH website holds overviews of the Family Planning and WIC programs and newsletters and presentations that were created by the WIC and Family Planning epidemiologist.
National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health This free weekly electronic newsletter from Georgetown University, provides timely reference to research, findings, policy developments, recently released publications, new programs and initiatives all affecting the maternal and child health community.
NIH Child Health and Human Development NICHD conducts and supports research on topics related to the health of children, adults, families and populations in order to improve health of all by reducing infant mortality, understanding reproductive health, fertility/infertility, learn about growth and development and examine, prevent and treat birth defects and intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Knowledge and Use of Folic Acid Among Women of Reproductive Age -- Michigan 1998

This Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report focused on the importance of folic acid intake prior to pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects, which include spina bifida and anencephaly.

Michigan Infant Mortality Statistics

Reports and statistics from the MDCH Vital Statistics on infant mortality showing trends by county, city and race.

Michigan WIC and Family Planning

This MDCH website holds overviews of the Family Planning and WIC programs and newsletters and presentations that were created by the WIC and Family Planning epidemiologist.

National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health

This free weekly electronic newsletter from Georgetown University, provides timely reference to research, findings, policy developments, recently released publications, new programs and initiatives all affecting the maternal and child health community.

NIH Child Health and Human Development

NICHD conducts and supports research on topics related to the health of children, adults, families and populations in order to improve health of all by reducing infant mortality, understanding reproductive health, fertility/infertility, learn about growth and development and examine, prevent and treat birth defects and intellectual and developmental disabilities.