This month, we've collected some of our best stories and resources from 2015. Each illuminates some of the great ideas and innovations in children's health that you and NICHQ have had together this year. We hope you enjoy this collection and invite you to visit our website anytime to find out more about the results and impact of our collective work.

As hospitals work to increase exclusive breastfeeding rates, they are often challenged by staff members who are resistant to new processes and workflows. Some hospitals are overcoming this obstacle by fostering staff change agents to help drive decisions and manage change.

Delaware is capturing the attention of the nation as a source of healthcare innovation. The state’s commitment to examine its infant mortality data, search for improvement opportunities, and then create awareness campaigns to address the unwanted trends is leading to fewer infant deaths.

The effort to reverse the U.S. childhood obesity rate cannot rest solely on clinicians. It takes primary care providers, public health professionals, community organizations, schools and more working across traditional professional borders to address obesity at the community level collectively and effectively. Here are six crucial steps to get started in your community.

Tammy Smith's daughter, Precious, often got sick as a baby and she cried—a lot. It wasn't until Precious became so sick and nearly died that Tammy learned Precious had sickle cell disease. Now, 30 years later, Tammy is working to ensure other families don't have the same experience.

Keeping mother and baby together post Cesarean section has been a particularly difficult challenge for hospitals seeking to increase breastfeeding rates. With months of coaching from NICHQ as part of the New York State Breastfeeding Quality Improvement in Hospitals Collaborative, nurses at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center knew a recent situation was an opportunity for change. 

Thousands of infants die each year in unsafe sleep conditions. Sadly, the majority of sleep-related deaths are preventable. One innovative and successful approach to reduce these tragic events is to train law enforcement, fire rescue squads and other first responders to educate families about safe sleep habits.