With nearly 4 million babies born each year in U.S., hospitals and health care systems play a key role in improving maternal and infant outcomes.
Each year, more than 50,000 pregnant women are affected by severe maternal morbidity, 800 women die due to pregnancy-related complications and over 20,000 infants die.
Most of these adverse outcomes are preventable, according to the CDC.
The AHA’s Better Health for Mothers and Babies Initiative recognizes that mothers and infants are at risk from the first days of pregnancy through the postpartum period. Through this initiative, the AHA is working alongside hospitals and health care systems to help mothers and their babies thrive.
Better Health for Mothers and Babies Toolkit
RESOURCES
Explore actionable tools and resources to enhance your efforts to address maternal and infant outcomes.
Care models that improve pregnancy, postpartum and infant outcomes.
Treating perinatal mental health and substance use.
Designing care to fit the unique needs of patients and communities.
Nonmedical factors impact women’s health and well-being.
Digital strategies expand the reach of care to meet patients where they are.
Comprehensive, coordinated approach improves care.
Maintaining maternity care quality and access in rural settings.
Preventing infant mortality within and outside hospital walls.
Webinar Replay: Elevating Patient and Community Voices in Maternal Care
Recorded October 16, 2025
Learn how leaders at District of Columbia Hospital Association, Temple Health, University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Mama’s Voices are pursuing patient and community experiences to co-develop innovative solutions, enhance community partnerships and build trusting provider-patient relationships.
Additional Resources
Better Health for Mothers and Babies Presentation Deck
Use this slide deck to foster conversations with your team and community about ways hospitals can improve maternal and child health outcomes.