The well-being of mothers, infants, and children is an important public health goal for the United States because it predicts the health of the next generation. The objectives of the Maternal, Infant, and Child Health focus area address a wide range of conditions related to the quality of life for mothers and their children. Many of these conditions disproportionately affect select racial and ethnic populations in the United States.

At the midcourse review, progress was made toward achieving many of the maternal, infant, and child health objectives. Clear reductions occurred in infant deaths and deaths attributed to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Reported rates for SIDS declined by 15 percent between 1999 and 2002.

As a result of the "Back to Sleep" campaign and other SIDS prevention education, the proportion of infants being put to sleep on their backs has doubled since the baseline in 1996, but the rate has leveled off in recent years. ^{1, 2, 3, 4} The proportion of women of child-bearing age consuming the recommended daily intake of folate has increased. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has emphasized food fortification with folic acid to help prevent neural tube defects (NTDs). Efforts have been made to improve the health of underserved populations and to reduce health disparities in the rate for NTDs, including the use of evidence-based communication interventions to reach the Hispanic population and other groups with higher rates for NTDs.⁵ Another HHS program is the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA's) Healthy Start Initiative, which aims to ensure adequate prenatal care and to reduce barriers to health care access in low-income communities.⁶