Title:Postpartum health care, social support

In the year following childbirth, many new parents experience a sharp decline in health care access and social support. To combat this critical gap in the U.S. healthcare system, the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH) at Georgetown University has launched the Postpartum Systems of Care Repository.

Led by John Richards, research professor and executive director of NCE-MCH, the repository contains over 5,000 curated resources designed to turn research into practical, lifesaving implementation. It is housed within Georgetown’s MCH Library, one of Georgetown University’s six special collections and a primary resource for the maternal and child health workforce.

The United States continues to face a maternal mortality crisis, with a significant percentage of pregnancy-related deaths occurring in the postpartum period. Mental health conditions, drug overdoses, and cardiac complications remain leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the months following delivery.

“The Postpartum Repository was built to help ensure that no postpartum person falls through the cracks of our health care system,” says Richards. “By organizing thousands of evidence-based tools, we are providing the infrastructure necessary to move from recognizing the problem to implementing sustainable, high-quality care for every family.”