Infant, Child, and Adolescent Health

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is a normal part of mothers and babies being together. It is what nature intended for mothers and babies. Breastfeeding isn’t just about the milk though. Breastfeeding helps to build a bond that can last a lifetime.

Birth Certificates

Florida's birth certificate is a computer certification that contains an embossed seal incorporated into the safety paper.

Florida has issued computer certifications since the 1980s, which is accepted by the U.S. Passport Office, Social Security Administration, courts, school districts, and other state and federal entities requiring proof of U.S. birth.

Children’s Medical Services

Children’s Medical Services (CMS) is a collection of programs that serve children with special health care needs. Each program provides family-centered care using statewide networks of specially qualified doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals.

CMS Managed Care Plan

Children’s Medical Services' Managed Care Plan provides Florida children with special health care needs a family-centered, comprehensive, and coordinated system of care. The CMS Plan is designed to serve children under age 21 whose serious or chronic physical or developmental conditions require extensive preventive and ongoing care.

Drowning Prevention

Drowning prevention awareness is critically important as Florida loses more children under age five to drowning than any other state. 

Early Steps

Early Steps, within Children's Medical Services, serves families with infants and toddlers, from birth to 36 months of age, who have developmental delays or an established condition likely to result in a developmental delay.

Healthy Start

Healthy Start includes targeted support services that address identified risks. The range of Healthy Start services available to pregnant women, infants, and children up to age three, include information, psychosocial, childbirth, and home visiting.

KidCare

Florida KidCare is the state's child health insurance program for children from birth though age 18 who do not have insurance. Eligibility for Florida KidCare is based on income and family size.

Lead Poisoning

Lead poisoning testing is done with a simple blood test, and is the only way to tell if your child is being affected by lead. If lead is a concern, it is important to ask your doctor to test your child because blood lead testing is not considered routine.

Newborn Screening

Newborn Screening Program screens all babies born in Florida for over 36 different conditions, unless a parent declines the service. Before leaving the hospital, a few drops of blood are taken from the heel of the baby, and sent to the laboratory for analysis. Hearing tests are also routinely completed.

School Health

School Health Services program provides basic health services to all public school students. All 67 Florida counties provide basic school health services, including health appraisals; nursing assessments; child-specific training; preventative dental screenings and services; vision, hearing, scoliosis, and growth and development screenings; health counseling; referral and follow-up of suspected or confirmed health problems; first aid and emergency health services; assistance with medication administration; and health care procedures for students with chronic or acute health conditions.

Sudden Unexpected Infant Death

When an infant under the age of 1 year dies suddenly and unexpectedly, it is called sudden unexpected infant death. Some of these deaths may be caused by suffocation, asphyxia, infection, metabolic diseases, heart problems, injuries (accidental or non-accidental), SIDS, or other reasons. 

Women, Infants, and Children

WIC is a federally funded nutrition program for women, infants, and children. WIC provides healthy foods, nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding support, and referrals for health care at no cost.