Louisiana Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System Application

CDC-RFA-DP-21-001 Louisiana PRAMS Application Project Introduction: The Louisiana Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) performs a key role in evaluating and guiding the Louisiana Bureau of Family Health’s (BFH) efforts through data analysis and translation in order to reduce infant morbidity and mortality by impacting maternal behaviors before and during pregnancy and in early infancy. The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), Office of Public Health (OPH), Bureau of Family Health (BFH) has successfully collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on PRAMS as a grantee since 2001. Since then, Louisiana PRAMS data have been used by program planners, healthcare providers, policy makers, and public health leaders to design, implement and evaluate programs and services relevant to women and infants in Louisiana. This funding opportunity will allow Louisiana to continue to provide valuable and unique data to stakeholders. Prevalence of behaviors and risk factors during the perinatal period can illuminate strategies for action, and ultimately improve health across the life course for women and infants. This aim is accomplished through monitoring health status and progress in addressing Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant 5-Year Priority Needs and through the following objectives:  To implement population-based surveillance within a defined vital records jurisdiction on selected maternal behaviors and experiences that occur prior to, during, and shortly after pregnancy among women with a recent live birth, including emerging issues, i.e. opioid use and post-disaster surveillance needs, as they arise.  To ensure data are of high scientific quality and comparable to other jurisdictions by following the methodology documented in the CDC PRAMS protocol.  To conduct comprehensive analyses of PRAMS data based on a written jurisdiction- specific analysis plan designed to inform programmatic activities, research, and public health practice.  To translate and disseminate analytic results into useable information for public health action that can guide program development and evaluation in collaboration with a jurisdiction-level steering committee. Monitoring is performed through data collection and analysis of MCH indicators such as prenatal care visit access and content, tobacco and alcohol use, breastfeeding practices, oral health during pregnancy, partner violence, stressful life events, infant sleep position, maternal depression, pre-pregnancy weight, insurance coverage, and birth outcomes. Louisiana PRAMS findings and data, which are linked to Louisiana's birth data, are used both internally and externally to impact public health practice, program implementation and evaluation, legislation and policy. 1