What are the key milestones in the history of maternal, newborn, and child health and health care.

Maternity | Nursing | Forsyth Tech

The history of maternal, newborn, and child health and health care has seen many key milestones over the years. One significant moment occurred in 1935 when the United States passed the Social Security Act which established a public health system that provided mothers with access to prenatal care. In 1952, people living 2 miles or more away from a hospital were allowed to receive Medicaid benefits for childbirth expenses leading to increased utilization of these facilities.

In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant which expanded access to family planning services and home visiting programs for disadvantaged families. Additionally, following the introduction of new vaccines in 1971 there was a dramatic decrease in infant mortality rates due to preventable diseases such as measles or pertussis. Finally, in 1990 Congress approved legislation allowing states to provide Medicaid coverage for pregnant women regardless of their income level thus helping increase immunization rates among children across America. Thus it is evident that advances made throughout history have had tremendous impacts on improving women’s and children’s health outcomes worldwide.