Investing in Maternal and Child Health

The Business Case for Protecting and Promoting Child and Adolescent Health

Key Health Risks: Children

While most children are generally healthy, all children face health risks. Business Group membership

surveys show that large employers are particularly concerned with child health risks that are serious

(i.e., they result in long-term or permanent problems) and costly to treat or manage. In 2005, the

Business Group asked its large-employer members to name the most “problematic” health conditions

that affected their child and adolescent beneficiaries (refer to Figure 4B on page 24). Respondents

reported that for children aged 0 to 12 years preterm birth, asthma, diabetes, injuries, and infections

were the most problematic conditions; for adolescents aged 13 to 18 years, the most problematic

conditions were asthma, behavioral health problems, injuries, and obesity.^3

Vaccine Preventable Diseases

Health Impact

Immunizations have a powerful positive impact on the

overall health of children. Childhood immunization^21 :

• Is generally safe;

• Protects children from a number of potentially

serious and even deadly childhood diseases;

• Prevents outbreaks of infectious diseases and the spread of epidemics; and

• Is one of the only defenses against many childhood infections, such as chicken pox, polio,

and measles.

Average Prenatal Care and Maternity-Related Hospital

Payments for Privately-Insured Women, 2004

$7 ,20 5

$10 ,32 4

$46 3

$52 3

$0

$2 ,00 0

$4 ,00 0

$6 ,00 0

$8 ,00 0

$10 ,00 0

$12 ,00 0

Infant Hospital Charges

5,80 0

205 ,00 0

$0

$50 ,000

$10 0,000

$15 0,000

$20 0,000

$25 0,000

Normal birt hweigh t Low birt hweight

He alth care Cos ts Paid by Employe rs for

Care in th e Firs t Ye ar of Li fe , 200 1

$2 ,83 0

$41 ,61 0

$0

$5,00 0

$1 0,000

$1 5,000

$2 0,000

$2 5,000

$3 0,000

$3 5,000

$4 0,000

$4 5,000

Full -T erm Deli very , No

Compli ca tions

Deli very with Diagnosis

of Pre maturi ty

Preterm Birth Asthma Diabetes Injuries Obesity Infection/Virus Behavioral

Health

Problems

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

        0%

67%

33%

50%

33%

25% 25%

42%

25%

33%

25%

0% 0%

33%

N/A

Figure 4B: Child and Adolescent Health Problems of Concern to Employers Age 0-12 years

Age 13-18 years

Source: National Business Group on Health. Maternal and Child Health Benefits Survey.   Washington, DC: National    Business    Group   on  Health; January 2006.

Childhood immunizations have

eliminated or nearly eliminated

many infectious diseases that

affected children in the past.