Journal profile · PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
Maternal and Child Health Journal
ISSN 1092-7875 · eISSN 1573-6628 · Springer Nature · 12 issues per year
Maternal and Child Health Journal: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.83; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,590; median 443 days to acceptance (54 articles, last 24 months); 171 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Maternal and Child Health Journal is published by Springer Nature and is in Zone 4 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum, Global Maternal and Child Health and Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions, together about 29.6% of its articles. Its main subfields are Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Maternal and Child Health Journal publishes original research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and policy-related studies aimed at advancing scientific and professional knowledge in maternal and child health (MCH). The journal welcomes peer-reviewed articles designed to improve understanding, prevention, management, and policy approaches that impact the health and well-being of mothers, infants, children, adolescents, families, and communities globally. As maternal and child health continues to evolve rapidly, the journal serves as a critical forum for disseminating evidence-based knowledge that addresses emerging and persistent issues across the entire spectrum of MCH research, practice, and policy. Submissions may encompass epidemiological research, health status assessments, innovative interventions and service initiatives, implementation and evaluation of programs, policy analysis and advocacy efforts, and professional training and development within the MCH field. The Maternal and Child Health Journal specifically invites: Original research articles, including epidemiological and clinical studies, policy analyses, and health services research. Systematic, meta-analytic, narrative, and scoping reviews adhering to recognized reporting standards such as PRISMA. Qualitative and quantitative studies designed to enhance quality of care, improve health outcomes, better understand communities, inform policy decisions, and foster effective program implementation. Short communications, notes from the field, letters to the editor, invited commentaries, debates, and organizational updates. Authors are encouraged to consult established reporting checklists (e.g., STROBE, COREQ) to ensure comprehensive and transparent presentation of their research. See our Guidelines for Authors for more specific details. The Maternal and Child Health Journal is committed to fostering an inclusive and dynamic dialogue among researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and communities, supporting efforts that significantly enhance maternal and child health outcomes worldwide.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
Editor-in-chief Timothy De Ver DyePublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 58, France 2, Canada 2, Hong Kong, China 1, United Kingdom 1 (71 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and PostpartumMedicine12.9%
- Global Maternal and Child HealthMedicine9.5%
- Maternal and Perinatal Health InterventionsMedicine7.2%
- Gestational Diabetes Research and ManagementMedicine7.1%
- Breastfeeding Practices and InfluencesMedicine6.6%
- Food Security and Health in Diverse PopulationsHealth Professions4.5%
- Birth, Development, and HealthMedicine3.9%
- Obesity, Physical Activity, DietMedicine3.9%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Public, Environmental & Occupational Health | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Public, Environmental & Occupational Health | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Public, Environmental & Occupational Health | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
SCIEMEDLINEPsycINFOCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, Semantic Scholar
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 1.83LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.9Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.8LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.79LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.87LetPub ·
- h-index
- 142OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,815OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.7OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 33.55%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 157LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,025Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 1,100,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,582 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 117 | 57 | 9 |
| 2025 | 171 | 91 | 208 |
| 2024 | 168 | 87 | 558 |
| 2023 | 304 | 157 | 1,814 |
| 2022 | 258 | 144 | 2,618 |
| 2021 | 213 | 101 | 2,712 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
443 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 344 days – 546 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 23 days (91 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 469 days
- Sample
- 54 articles with submission and acceptance dates (332 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Submission to first decision
- 208 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,590 / EUR 3,590 / GBP 2,890 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,000 / EUR 2,200 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Reference style
- APA
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Required, 3
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted6, with length limits
- brief reportay relate to maternal and child health. Brief Reports (2500 word limit) are short analyses of specific topics, usually reflemain text ≤ 2,500 words
- commentary.com/article/10.1007/s10995-011-0754-4. Commentary or Letters to the Editor (2500 word limit)reflect a systematically presented opinion around a pmain text ≤ 2,500 words
- editorialDouble-Blind Peer Review All manuscripts are anonymously reviewed. Each copy of a manuscript should include a separate title page with authors’ names and affili…Length not stated
- original researchpts of the following types are welcome: Original Research reports (3500 word limit) results from an empirical research study, whether qumain text ≤ 3,500 words
- original research articlesection of the narrative to another. • Original Research articles, which include Review articles, should be limited to 3500 words with no more than 35 reference…main text ≤ 3,500 words
- reviewtake the format of a systematic review. Reviews on specific, defined topics (3500 word limit) are welcome if they are systematic and reported in amain text ≤ 3,500 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Open access, Peer review, Self-archiving
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship
Structured abstract of up to 250 words required. Model summary
A structured abstract of up to 250 words is to be provided.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
Open Choice publication fee: US$ 3000/EUR 2200 (excl. VAT). Model summary
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Maternal and Child Health Journal, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Double-blind peer review; all manuscripts anonymously reviewed. Model summary
Double-Blind Peer Review All manuscripts are anonymously reviewed.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Self-archiving
Authors must suggest three reviewers who are not from their departments/institutions and have not participated in writing, editing, or reviewing the submission. Model summary
Authors are asked to submit the names, current email addresses, and other contact information for three (3) suggested reviewers for their article.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Frequency
- 12 issues per year
- ISSN
- 1092-7875
- Electronic ISSN
- 1573-6628
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 30, Issue 9 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Maternal and Child Health Journal
What CAS zone is Maternal and Child Health Journal in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Maternal and Child Health Journal is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Public, Environmental & Occupational Health. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Maternal and Child Health Journal?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.83; CiteScore 3.8, h-index 142.
How long does peer review take at Maternal and Child Health Journal?
Based on the dates recorded on 54 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 443 days (interquartile range 344–546 days). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Maternal and Child Health Journal?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Reference style: APA; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Required, 3; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Maternal and Child Health Journal based?
Of the 71 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (58), France (2) and Canada (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Maternal and Child Health Journal?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Maternal and Child Health Journal is indexed in SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists SCIE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Maternal and Child Health Journal open access, and what is the APC?
Maternal and Child Health Journal is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,590.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .