Maternal and Child Health Promotion Program

A newly released Series on breastfeeding published in The Lancet argues that formula milk companies exploit parents’ emotions and manipulate scientific information to generate sales at the expense of the health and rights of families, women, and children.

A Lancet Series published on Feb. 8, 2023, highlights the continuing struggle that women across the globe face to meet their breastfeeding goals. Yale School of Public Health Professor Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, a leading authority on breastfeeding policy and early childhood nutrition, is co-author of all three Series articles and the lead author of the first paper featured in the Series.

YSPH Professor Rafael Pérez-Escamilla contributed an essay to the American Journal of Public Health's “Nutrition in the First 1000 Days,” a comprehensive special series of editorials, perspectives, and research and analysis about ways to improve nutrition in the crucial first 1,000 days of a child's development, from pregnancy through second birthday.

Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized expert in nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life and a leading authority on breastfeeding and early childhood development.

A team of Yale researchers, working collaboratively with Yale New Haven Hospital and community partners, is exploring ways to improve health outcomes for at-risk postpartum women with the support of a $20.4 million funding award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).

Gestation and the first years of life are the foundation for human development and arguably the development of nations and the future of our planet. Decades of research have documented the enormous harms that poor health, household food insecurity, malnutrition, a lack of early stimulation opportunities, and physical and psychological abuse can inflict in the bodies and minds of children.

The Yale School of Public Health has launched a new academic track that promotes the health of mothers and their babies and children.

Improving maternal and child health has long been a cornerstone of the Yale School of Public Health’s mission—from the pioneering poliomyelitis research of Drs. John Rodman Paul and Dorothy Horstmann to the groundbreaking indoor air quality studies of Brian Leaderer and community alliances for better health established by Jeannette Ickovics.

A team of Yale researchers, working collaboratively with Yale New Haven Hospital, community partners and two regional hospitals, is exploring ways to improve health outcomes among pregnant and postpartum women in priority populations that have been historically underserved and experience systemic racism. A $18 million funding award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) will support the study.