Maternal & Child Health

The maternal and child health program provides various services to improve the health and well being of women and children within the community and focuses on one health priority issue over a three year contract period.

Health Priority Issue:

The current Health Priority Issue through 2022-2026 is to Promote Safe Sleep practices among newborns to reduce sleep-related infant deaths.

Services Provided:

The current services provided through the Maternal & Child Health Program are:

Vaccines for Children: Immunizations are provided to infants and children in the community at no charge via the Vaccines for Children program for those who are eligible. Children with elevated lead levels are educated and managed with follow-up counseling until levels return to normal levels. Child Care Health Consultation is overseen by one of our registered nurses and acts as an advocate and educator to ensure local daycare facilities are providing the best care possible to our residents. Health promotions are also done at the centers for the children to learn healthy habits.
Car Seat Safety: We have three Certified Child Passenger Technicians that are on staff to install and verify proper placement of car seats. Seat installations and checks are done by appointment. We offer Car Seat Training Courses as well as offer Car Seat Inspections. Learn more >>>
Newborn Screenings: These screenings are performed and education is provided on the testing conducted for this screening. There is a fee for this service.
Safe Sitter Training Courses: We have two Safe Sitter® Training courses available for our youth that are offered yearly during the summer. There is a fee for this service and scholarships are available for those who qualify. Learn more >>>
Baby Basics: These classes help parents learn the basics about caring for their newborn. Learn more >>>
Becoming a Mom: In partnership with March of Dimes, these courses are intended for expecting families to receive education and support during pregnancy. Learn more >>>
Health & Safety Education: We visit local daycare facilities and schools to offer health and safety education in fun and interactive ways to the youth of our community. Some topics include; proper hand washing, dental hygiene, bicycle safety, farm safety and more.

Left Photo: Jamie Anderson, Robyn Orf and Kim Gamm donate bycicle helmets and teach about bycicle safety at local school.

Center Photo: Kim Gamm demonstrates at a local daycare how to properly brush and clean teeth

Right Photo: Robyn Orf presents Child Car Seat Safety at a local children’s event.

In accordance with the Maternal and Child Health Block grant from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, PCHD has been working on a needs assessment and planning process for the next 3 year grant cycle. In October, a process was implemented to determine the priority health need for the maternal and child population (MCH) in Pike County. In order to gain an understanding of the needs in our community, PCHD compiled state and local data, conducted a community survey and met with local stakeholders. Community surveys indicated that the top needs across the MCH population were tobacco use/second hand smoke exposure, alcohol and substance use/exposure, and lack of or inadequate prenatal care leading to preterm birth and/or low birth weight. PCHD and community stakeholders used the data and findings to select the priority health issue of Improving Pre-conception, Prenatal and Postpartum Health Care Services for Women of Childbearing Age. PCHD is currently in a planning year and will work with community partners to develop a plan address this priority health issue through 2021.