Category : Health

Educated and empowered moms are key to saving babies. As we become aware of the powerful work of Iowa ACES 360 and a pilot at Broadlawns in conjunction with EveryStep, we want to study whether our stillbirth prevention tools, like the free Count the Kicks app, can play a role in reducing adverse childhood experiences. 

Chaney Yeast shares her journey as part of the first cohort of fellows. Her project focuses on improving children's mental health through a coordinated, collaborative approach.

Mary Nelle Trefz shares her journey as part of the first cohort of fellows. Her project focuses on enhancing how Medicaid delivers care to kids to improve their health now and as adults .

Lisa Cushatt shares her journey as part of the first cohort of fellows. Her project focuses on expanding pediatric and prenatal health care providers' ability to support families in preventing and addressing childhood trauma.

Medicaid helps set kids on a path to be successful adults. Research shows that compared with their uninsured peers, children enrolled in Medicaid are more likely to 1) miss fewer days of school; 2) perform better in school; 3) graduate high school and go to college; 4) earn higher wages and become tax-paying adults. By covering important health services that set children on a path to healthy adulthood, Medicaid supports the long-term financial stability of our health care system.

If we know mothers are having significant levels of stress and trauma before their children are born, we must begin community supports prenatally. If we know parental ACEs can influence maternal and child health, we must begin supporting moms prenatally. If we know that historical trauma, implicit bias, and systemic bias are negatively impacting maternal and child health, we must address bias and better support mothers of color prenatally.