Photo of a pregnant belly with hands covering the stomach

Research Accelerators

Maternal and Child Health Research Accelerator

Improving Maternal and Child Health Across Georgia and the U.S.

The health and well-being of women, children, and families is paramount to the health and prosperity of populations broadly. Public health research must integrate evidence and practice that has the potential to eliminate the significant and persistent disparities in health outcomes in maternal and child health (MCH) populations.

The MCH Research Accelerator is making innovative improvements in MCH across multiple levels and contexts, targeting diverse populations in the United States. Georgia, a state with among the highest rates of maternal morbidity and mortality, is of particular interest.

The accelerator's immediate goal is to support innovative research ideas and collaborations among Rollins faculty and across Emory University, encouraging cross-department collaboration and engagement with community and clinical partners.

The group plans to broaden it's scope to support mentorship and career development as well as to encourage community engaged research and policy development.

Funded Projects

PIs: Melissa Young and Amy Rule

Limited maternal care access in communities with high maternal mortality disparities are preventable travesties in Georgia and globally. Safe+natal has a proven track record of improving maternal and fetal outcomes in global health contexts, combining cultural responsiveness with cutting edge AI technology and evidence-based care. This project is the first community-based Georgia pilot with the potential to expand in the U.S., particularly to rural areas that experience even greater disparities.

Project Aims:

Co-design safe+natal with refugee mothers and advocates for the multicultural Clarkston, Georgia context.
Pilot safe+natal in the Clarkston PEACE prenatal program with refugee mothers, measuring usership, acceptability, and complication detection and completed referrals.

PIs: Sarah Blake, Kait Stanhope, Kathleen Adams, and Peter Joski

To address the maternal mental health crisis in the state, the Georgia Department of Community Health implemented a Medicaid postpartum extension in 2022 that provides enrollees up to 12 months of continuous coverage after delivery. The expansion of Medicaid represents a critical pathway by which postpartum women have additional opportunity to seek and receive appropriate mental health services while covered by Medicaid. This study offers the first known evaluation of mental health service utilization through Georgia’s Medicaid postpartum extension.

Project Aims:

Characterize the scope, implementation, and communication of mental health services covered under Georgia’s Medicaid postpartum extension.
Evaluate the association between Georgia’s Medicaid postpartum extension and receipt of mental health services, including screening, follow-up, and treatment.

PIs: Dabney Evans, Rameshbabu Manyam, Lavanya Vasudevan, Leslie Johnson

Many first-time parents turn to the internet or AI for health-related information during pregnancy, but the information they find is not always easy to understand or reliable. This project helps first-time parents get clear, trusted information during pregnancy. The research will allow us to learn what information first-time parents need and support the development of a simple AI-enabled tool that explains pregnancy topics, supports informed decision-making, and connects families to help.

Project Aims:

Determine informational priorities, information sources, and AI use among first-time expectant parents.
Assess decision-making and AI engagement around priority pregnancy topics, including social support and healthy relationships.
Identify multilevel determinants for implementing an AI-companion prenatal education and social support tool to support first-time expectant parents across Georgia.