Newborn Screening
Newborn screening is one of our nation’s most successful public health programs. Each year, nearly every one of the approximately 4 million infants born in the United States is screened for certain genetic, metabolic, hormonal and/or functional conditions, which saves or improves the lives of more than 12,000 infants each year. In FY 23, March of Dimes successfully secured $3 million increased for both CDC and HRSA newborn screening program.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
NICHD supports vital research on preterm birth, maternal mortality, maternal substance use, prenatal substance exposure and related issues through extramural grants, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units, the Neonatal Research Network and the intramural research program. NICHD was funded at $1.749 billion in FY 23.
Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies (SET-NET)
SET-NET was created during the Zika outbreak, which allowed CDC to create, a unique nationwide mother-baby linked surveillance network to monitor the virus’ impact in real-time to inform clinical guidance, educate health care providers and the community, and connect families to care. March of Dimes led a successful advocacy that resulted in an increase of funding for this program by $13 million ($23 million) in FY 23.
Perinatal Quality Collaboratives/Maternal Mortality Review Committees
Perinatal Quality Collaboratives (PQCs) are state or multistate networks working to improve the quality of obstetric care and improve outcomes. Currently, CDC funds 13 state-based PQCs that are implementing recommendations across health facility networks.
Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs) provides funding, technical assistance, and guidance to state maternal mortality review committees. These multidisciplinary committees identify, review and characterize maternal deaths and prevention opportunities. Both programs are funded via the Safe Motherhood Initiative which March of Dimes helped to secure a $25 million increase ($108 million) in FY 23.
Maternal Mental Health
One in five women are affected by anxiety, depression, and other maternal mental health (MMH) conditions during pregnancy or the year following pregnancy. March of Dimes continues to advocate for increased funding for MMH programs.
The Maternal Depression Screening and Treatment Grant program provides real-time psychiatric consultation, care coordination, and training for front-line providers to better screen, assess, refer and treat pregnant and postpartum women for depression and other behavioral health conditions. This program was funded at $6.5 million in FY 22. This program was funded at $10 million in FY 23. The Maternal Mental Health Hotline qualified counselors to staff a hotline 24 hours a day and conduct outreach efforts on maternal mental health issues and was funded at $7 million in FY 23.