“Newly invited … into government”: Origins of federal government information on maternal and child health

Abstract

The Sheppard–Towner Act, popularly known as the Maternity and Infancy Act of 1921, was one of the first pieces of federal legislation designed to address the concerns of nationally enfranchised women voters. The Act also represented one of the earliest instances of U.S. women acting as producers and consumers of government information. In response to the unique, and then unmet, needs of child-bearing women, new sources of government information were developed. Prior to the law's inception, reports published by the Children's Bureau documented dramatic, widespread conditions that threatened the ability of women and infants to survive pregnancy, labor, and the first years of life. These information and advocacy pieces represented new government direction regarding access to health information.