Based on the assumption that all American children deserve an opportunity to be born healthy and to grow up healthy, this guide presents the recommendations approved by the majority of the National Commission on Children for improving the health of the nation's pregnant women and children. The Commission's five recommendations are: (1) provide universal health insurance coverage for pregnant women and children through age 18 through a public-private system that includes a basic level of care and provisions to contain costs and improve care quality; (2) expand effective health care programs for underserved populations; (3) improve the delivery of health care through joint efforts by health care professionals and professionals from other disciplines to ensure the quality and comprehensiveness of health and social services, participate in publicly funded programs, and serve their communities as volunteers; (4) reinforce parental responsibility to protect their children's health by protecting their own health, modeling healthful behavior, providing a safe home environment, and seeking essential health services for their children; and (5) increase community responsibility for creating safe neighborhoods, supporting the development of community-based health education and health care programs, and sponsoring activities and special projects to help families gain access to needed services. This guide outlines steps to implement these recommendations. (AC)