Physically and emotionally healthy babies are more likely to become healthy, stable, successful adults. Good nutrition, nurturing relationships with parents and caregivers, and high-quality medical care support sound bodies and minds and influence all areas of a child’s development.
To grow up healthy, babies need policy supports that effectively address:
- Health Care Access/Affordability
- Food Security
- Food Nutrition
- Maternal Health
- Child Health
- Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
The State of Babies Yearbook: 2019 shows wide variation in babies’ health outcomes and their families’ access to care—both key factors related to good health. For example:
- 16.5% of babies live in households that don’t have access to enough healthy food due to lack of resources.
- On average, 6 in 1,000 babies born in the U.S. will not survive to see their first birthday. In some states, 9 in 1,000 babies born will not survive.
- Income eligibility limits set for pregnant women to participate in Medicaid range from as low as 138% to as high as 380% of the federal poverty level.
States that are ‘Working Effectively’ towards creating good health among babies include: