Maternal and Child Health News
Crisis pregnancy centers come up short in providing access to information on pregnancy options
August 9, 2021 New findings from a study co-authored by maternal and child health researchers at the Gillings School and the University of California at San Francisco suggest that crisis pregnancy centers are not meeting the needs of people seeking information on abortion.
Gillings School maternal and child health workforce development center renewed through 2026
July 26, 2021 The Department of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) has received a $1.97 million award from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau, which will renew funding of the department’s National MCH Workforce Development Center for another five years.
Improving maternal and child nutrition is a family endeavor
July 16, 2021 Maternal and child nutrition researchers are gaining a clearer picture of the role that fathers, grandparents and other family members play in feeding. To develop a holistic approach that considers this family system, experts at UNC-Chapel Hill, including Dr. Stephanie Martin, have contributed to a special compendium of research that could lead to better nutritional results for caregivers and children.
For Black Americans, strong family bonds are instrumental to increasing breastfeeding rates
May 20, 2021 To improve breastfeeding rates among Black Americans, Dr. Alexis Woods Barr and graduate student Jacquana Smith have co-authored studies examining the role intergenerational family support networks have in infant feeding practices. This understanding can help shape more empathetic and culturally mindful approaches to public health messaging.
Little known about needs of people who experience menopause while incarcerated
April 26, 2021 Without necessary care and support, those who experience menopause while incarcerated face significant challenges that can contribute to increased distress and compound existing systems of injustice, according to the results of a pilot study led by maternal child and health alumna Elana Jaffe.
Five Gillings community members honored with 2021 awards for mentorship, teaching, research and service
April 22, 2021 The Gillings School has announced the 2021 winners of four of the School's most prestigious awards – the Bernard G. Greenberg Alumni Endowment Award, the John E. Larsh Jr. Award for Mentorship, the Edward G. McGavran Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Harriet Hylton Barr Distinguished Alumni Award.
Seven faculty members win 2021 Teaching Innovation Awards
April 21, 2021 Students at the Gillings School voted recently to select seven of the School’s most innovative classroom teachers for the annual Teaching Excellence and Innovation Awards.
Chalachala works to improve maternal health and family planning in the DRC
April 6, 2021 Jean Lambert Chalachala has a calling: to improve the human condition. As a clinician and public health expert, the Gillings School alumnus has found ample opportunities to do just that – working in surgery, hospital administration, epidemic and crisis management, lactation support, family planning and more.
Martin receives Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement
March 22, 2021 Dr. Sandra Martin is a professor, associate chair for research and director of graduate studies in the Department of Maternal and Child Health at the Gillings School. She is also the 2021 recipient of UNC's Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement.
The next generation of public health leaders must focus on human rights
March 4, 2021 Twelve students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill teamed up to publish a perspective in the American Journal of Public Health about why and how they — the next generation of public health leaders — must center human rights in their work.
