Infants fighting for their lives shouldn’t also have to fight insurance barriers to get optimal nutrition. That’s the message behind a bill recently introduced by U.S. Rep. Morgan McGavery.

Following an unprecedented uptick in stillbirths, Congress may be getting serious about reducing the number of babies who never take their first breath.

For the first time in two decades, infant mortality is on the rise in the United States.

Neonatal intensive care units can look like something out of science fiction. Blinking lights, machines, tubes, lines, alerts and a steady stream of people coming and going can be confusing and frightening to parents of preemies.

No parent wants to see their child wince in pain or hear their baby cry. Yet enduring the undesirable for just a minute – as the child is vaccinated – can save heartache down the road.

“I don’t know what it’s like to deliver a term baby. But, like many other African American women, I know the frustrations and fears that come with prematurity.”

Among the world’s developed countries, the United States holds the unwanted distinction of being a leader in maternal and infant deaths. In an attempt to turn the tide, the federal government last month announced a new $350 million investment.

Maternal vaccines can protect pregnant moms and vulnerable babies. So why aren’t more women getting them?

I am a neonatologist by training, a “neo-gadgetologist” by passion. I love testing out device prototypes and integrating new technologies at the hospital where I practice. I get excited by their potential to improve care for the infants we treat.

Everyone knows children inherit some things from their parents: their blue eyes, their curly hair, or perhaps their love of the outdoors. Moms take prenatal vitamins and get maternal vaccines like Tdap to transfer health benefits and good antibodies to their unborn babies.