The compilations and websites listed below present data sets, data tools, and statistics about infants, children, adolescents, pregnant women, and their families. Where appropriate, we've included tips and search examples on how to identify the data and statistics efficiently. See the guide, How to Find Data and Statistics, from Michigan State
University Libraries, which explains the difference between data and statistics and how to find each one.
- CDC Wonder (Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research). Data sets about HIV and AIDS, births, cancer, underlying cause of death (includes infant deaths from linked birth/infant death records), tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases, and vaccinations. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Census Bureau. Data about the nation's people and economy. To view maternal and child health (MCH)–related data, tables, and reports, select People; scan Data by Subject; and click on a subject (e.g., Children). Use data access tools to further search, organize, and present Census Bureau data.
- Child Care and Early Education Research Connections: Datasets. Data sets about child care and early childhood education and a tool for analyzing
the data online. Includes links to state data tools and summary statistical
information about demographics, economic conditions, early care and education,
and programs and policies. National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP), Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), and Administration for Children and Families (ACF).
- ChildStats.gov. Indicators of infant, child, and adolescent well-being, including family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education,
and health. Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics.
- Child Trends DataBank. Indicators of child and adolescent well-being by life stages (e.g., pregnancy and birth), by well-being area (e.g., health and safety), and by context for children (e.g., family and community). The DataBank also contains information
the types of programs and interventions
that may influence particular outcomes
for children and adolescents.
- County Health Rankings and Roadmaps. Data profiles of the counties within each of the 50 states. Counties are ranked according to their health outcomes and the multiple health factors that determine a county's health: health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic, and the physical environment. To get a county profile, click on a state and select a county. Use the tabs at the top of the profile to view a data snapshot, additional measures, and programs and policies designed to address one or more of the factors that influence health. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
Access to datasets that are generated and held by the federal
government. Includes descriptions of the datasets (metadata),
information about how to access the datasets, and tools that
leverage government datasets. Health, education, and safety are among the topics covered.
- Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DRC). Data from the National Survey of Children's Health and the National Survey
of Children with Special Health Care Needs. Browse national and state findings on hundreds of child health indicators, or download state snapshot profiles. Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI).
- diversitydata.org. Metropolitan area indicators of diversity, opportunity, and quality of life (including health) for various racial and ethnic population groups. Data are presented in profiles by metropolitan area or by indicator in ranked lists, maps, bar graphs, or histograms. Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) with the Center for Advancing Health (CFAH).
- FastStats A to Z. Statistical fact sheets on topics of public health importance and about public health in individual states and territories. Fact sheets have links to publications that include the statistics presented, to sources of more data, and to related website pages. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
- Global Health Observatory (GHO) Data Repository. Access to datasets on international health. World Health Organization (WHO).
- Guttmacher Institute Data Center. Data about contraceptive use and services, pregnancy, births, and abortions. Includes demographic data about women of reproductive age and data about adolescents. View international, national, and state profiles or customize the data to create tables, graphs, and maps.
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP): HCUPnet. Health statistics and information on hospital inpatient and emergency department
utilization at the national, regional, and state levels, including use of
hospitals by children. Search example: To identify data about hospital use related to pregnancy and childbirth, select National Statistics on All Stays or State Statistics on All Stays. Select Researcher, medical professional. Under type of query, select Statistics on specific diagnoses or procedures. Select a year (e.g., 2009). Select Diagnoses grouped by Clinical Classifications Software (CCS). Select Principal diagnosis. Under the field, Browse all CCS categories, scroll to 11 COMPLICATIONS OF PREGNANCY, CHILDBIRTH, AND THE PUERPERIUM. Highlight the category of interest (e.g., Normal pregnancy and/or delivery). Hold the control key down and click to make multiple selections. Click on Next. Select the outcomes and measures of interest (e.g., Number of discharges) and click on Next. Select patient and hospital characteristics (e.g., All patients in all hospitals) and click on Next. View your results. Also see the set of HCUP statistical briefs on a variety of MCH topics. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
- Health Data Tools and Statistics Links to public health data tools and statistics, including geographic information systems, health information technology and standards, and tools for data collection and planning. Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce.
- Health Indicators Warehouse (HIW). National, state, and community health indicators organized by topic, geography,
and initiative (including Healthy People 2020). Search example: To identify
indicators about children and adolescents with emotional, behavioral, and mental
health challenges, click on Select a
topic and choose Mental Health
and Substance Abuse. Scan and select an indicator. Use the
filters to narrow the list of indicators. Toggle between an overview of the survey
and the data. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
- Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA): Area Resource File (ARF). Database containing more than 6,000 variables for each of the nation's counties with information about health facilities, health professions, measures of resource scarcity, health status, economic activity, health training programs, and socioeconomic and environmental characteristics.
- Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA): Data Warehouse. Information about HRSA programs and tools to access data about the health care delivery system and factors that may impact health status and health care in the United States (e.g., health professional shortage areas, primary care service areas).
- Health System Measurement Project. Government data on critical U.S. health system indicators including access to care, cost and affordability, health insurance coverage, health care
work force, health information technology, innovation, population
health, prevention, quality, and vulnerable populations. Presents
national trend data by topic or by population characteristics
such as age, sex, income level, and insurance coverage status. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
- Healthy People
2020: DATA2020. Data related to the objectives of Healthy People 2020, a national health-promotion and disease-prevention
initiative of the Department of Health and Human Services. Search by topic area (e.g., Maternal, Infant, and Child Health) or data source.
- KIDS COUNT Data Center. National, state, county, and community data about infant, child, and adolescent
well-being. Data categories include demographics, education, economic well-being, family and community, health, and safety and risk factors. Generate custom graphs, maps,
ranked lists, and state-by-state
E. Casey Foundation.
- MCH Data Connect. Catalog of MCH data sets, interactive tools, and other data resources. Data categories include geography, education, environment and environmental health, health behaviors and risk factors, injury, violence, and safety, life stages and populations, vaccination, chronic conditions, communicable diseases, mental health, oral health, pregnancy and birth, sexual and reproductive health, health care policy, and access to health care. Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Data from this set of large-scale surveys of families and individuals, their health professionals, and employers across the United States about the cost and use of health care and health insurance coverage. Click on a topic (e.g., children's health) for a description of the data captured on the topic, data tables, a query tool, and statistical briefs and other publications. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
- National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. National data about adolescent pregnancy, births, and sexual activity and unplanned pregnancy among all women. State profiles on adolescent demographics, pregnancy, sexual activity, and the costs of adolescent childbearing.
Center for Children in Poverty
(NCCP): Data Tools.
National- and state-level statistics about children
from families with low incomes on topics such
as parental education, parental employment, marital
status, and race/ethnicity. Information about state
and federal policies that assist families with low
incomes. A Basic
Needs Budget Calculator shows how much a family
needs to make ends meet. A Young Child Risk Calculator shows how many young children in a state face individual risks associated with poor health and educational outcomes as well as multiple risks in combination with economic hardship. A Family Resource
Simulator shows the impact of federal and
state "work support" benefits on the budgets of low- to moderate-income families. An Income
Converter converts values among federal poverty
guidelines, state median income, and annual income
- National Center for Education Statistics. Surveys and data about education in the United States and internationally. Presents tools for searching and analyzing data and annual reports, fact sheets, and other publications with education statistics. Department of Education (ED).
- National Center for Health Statistics (NCSH): Surveys and Data Collection Systems. Links to data systems on a broad range of health topics, such as the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States, health care access, childhood immunization coverage, family life, pregnancy, infertility, use of contraception, births, and deaths. Also see FastStats A to Z, Health Indicators Warehouse (HIW), and VitalStats.
Quality Measures Clearinghouse
measures and measure sets for physicians,
hospitals, and health plans to evaluate
and improve the quality of health care
for consumers. Search example: Identify measures about asthma in children and adolescents by selecting Advanced Search. Type asthma in the Keyword field of the search form. Scroll down on the search form to select Age Range (e.g., Adolescent, Child, Infant). Click on Show results to get your
results. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
- NHQRDRNet: An Interactive Tool to Explore Data from the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Online query system to access national and state data on the quality of, and
access to, health care. Click on the topics in the left navigation bar or use the NHQRDRnet Search Tool to locate tables based on selected words, chapters, or type of table. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
- Office of Adolescent Health (OAH): National and State Facts. Statistics about adolescents and mental health, physical health and nutrition, reproductive health, substance abuse, and relationships. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
- Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System (PedNSS): Pediatric Data Tables. Data about the nutritional status of children in federally
funded MCH and nutrition programs. Data on birthweight, short stature, underweight,
overweight, anemia, and breastfeeding are collected for infants, children, and adolescents from birth to age 20 who go to public health clinics for routine care, nutrition education, and supplemental foods. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (available through 12.31.14)
Maternal and infant health–related data at the
national, state, county, and city levels. Topics
include prenatal care; tobacco, alcohol, and substance use; birth rates;
preterm birth; birthweight; singletons and multiples; delivery methods; infant
mortality; and health insurance coverage.
Create graphs and maps. View fact sheets and state summaries. Data are referenced to the relevant source. March of Dimes (MOD).
- Pregnancy Nutrition Surveillance System (PNSS): Pregnancy Data Tables. Data about the risk factors associated with infant mortality and poor birth
outcomes among pregnant women who participate in federally funded public
health programs. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (available through 12.31.14)
Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS).
State-specific, population-based data
on maternal attitudes and experiences before,
during, and immediately following pregnancy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health departments.
- Profile-IQ. Statistics on local health department financing,
workforce, and activities based on data from NACCHO's National Profile of
Local Health Departments Survey. National Association of Count and City Health Officials (NACCHO).
- Quick Health Data Online. County, state, regional, and national women's health data about demographics, mortality, natality, reproductive health, violence, prevention, disease, and mental health. Office on Women's Health (OWH).
- State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC): Data Center. Health insurance coverage estimates from the Current Population Survey's Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS) and the American Community Survey (ACS). Customize tables and graphs of health insurance coverage estimates by state or nationally, by year, by age range, and/or by poverty status. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Minnesota.
- State Health Facts. State-level data on more than 700 health topics. View individual state profiles or compare data for all states by category. Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Data, Outcomes, and Quality. National data on the prevalence, treatment, and consequences of substance abuse and mental illness in the United States.
V Information System (TVIS). Data from annual Title
V Block Grant applications and
reports submitted by all 59 U.S.
states and jurisdictions. Presents financial, program, and performance/indicator data as well as state-by-state, regional, and national composite data. Maternal
and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).
- Uniform Crime Reports. Crime data from law-enforcement agencies across the United States. View the annual report, Crime in the United States, which includes tables depicting adolescent arrests by age and type of crime. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
- VitalStats. Tables, data files, and reports to access and examine birth, mortality, and perinatal mortality data interactively. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
- WISQARS (Web-Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System). Data on injury-related deaths, violent deaths, and nonfatal injuries (including violence-related injuries) for all age groups. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- World Development Indicators (WDI). Indicators for more than 200 countries from 1960 to present. Scroll to the Health section to scan and select
MCH-related indicators. World Bank.
- Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS): Youth Online. National, state, and local data about health-risk behaviors that contribute
markedly to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among
adolescents and adults in the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Related MCH Library Resources
Maternal and Child Health Data and Statistics: Resource Brief. (February 2012).
(Updated: December 2014).
Author: Susan Brune Lorenzo, M.L.S., MCH Library.
Reviewer: Olivia Pickett, M.A., M.L.S., MCH Library.
Editor: Ruth Barzel, M.A., MCH Library.