Next week Time Magazine will feature an article on TEXT4BABY, launched by Healthy Mothers, Health Babies Coalition in January, which continues to add new subscribers every week. This free program, among the first to combine technology and health messaging to its recipients, is the result of impressive public private sector collaboration. In addition, a Congressional Briefing on the initiative's lightening speed progress will be held in Washington DC next Wednesday.
From an LA Times article, "the goal of the campaign is to improve the health of infants through their first birthdays and lower premature-birth and infant-mortality rates, the White House said in a news release. The U.S. has one of the highest infant-mortality rates in the industrialized world. More than 500,000 U.S. babies, or one in eight, are born prematurely each year. About 28,000 infants die before their first birthday."
Each week during pregnancy and the postpartum, subscribers can receive text messages reminding them of important relevant information. Not mentioned in the article, is the messaging related to postpartum depression which encourages mothers to reach out for help if they are sad, not sleeping or experiencing other signs and symptoms associated with mood disorders.
There are now posters available in English and Spanish which can be featured in practices, programs and services showcasing this groundbreaking outreach and sharing information about how to sign up! You can feature banners or buttons on your website or become a partner with this initiative which is seeking to collect and review results of this outreach as part of its mission. Visit this page if you are interested in ordering some or grabbing a web banner.
The early and ongoing success of TEXT4BABY will be celebrated at a Congressional briefing luncheon in Washington DC next Wednesday.
I am looking forward to hearing the following speakers: Wanda K. Jones, Dr.P.H., Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Frances Ashe-Goins, RN, MPH, Acting Director, Office on Women’s Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Hillary Chen, Policy Analyst, White House Office of Science & Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President, Judy Meehan, the tireless and accomplished Executive Director of National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, Tina Sharkey, Chairman, Global President, BabyCenter, a Johnson & Johnson company andKimberly Bassett, Executive Director, CTIA, The Wireless Foundation.
For more information, contact The Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coaltion, look for TEXT4BABY on Twitter or on its own page on the web: