Text4baby Contest Seeks to Connect Moms to Free Health Info

Free text service raises awareness during National Infant Mortality Awareness Month

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- September marks National Infant Mortality Awareness Month and while millions of families prepare their children for a new school year, this is also a time to reflect on the thousands of families who have lost a child far too soon. The infant mortality rate (6 in 1,000 live births) in the U.S. is one of the highest among developed nations and rates are much higher within the African-American community, regardless of income, educational level, or location. More than twice as many Black babies die compared to their White counterparts during the first year of life, statistics that reflect a true health crisis in our community.

We know that providing mothers with the best possible information and access to care can help. This is where text4baby comes in. Text4baby is the nation's first free text messaging service for pregnant women and mothers of infants under age one. Moms receive three text messages every week, timed to their due date or baby's birth date, throughout pregnancy and up to baby's first birthday. Moms get information on labor signs and symptoms, developmental milestones, breastfeeding, car seat and sleep safety, and many other topics. To sign up, text BABY to 511411.

In honoring Infant Mortality Awareness Month and striving to empower more moms with text4baby, those who sign up between September 1 and September 30 will be entered to win a year's supply of baby products courtesy of the program's Founding Sponsor, Johnson & Johnson. Learn more about the contest at www.text4baby.org.   

Text4baby is a free service of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition. This month, we partner with the National Healthy Start Association and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., in tackling infant mortality through health education.

About Text4baby
Text4baby is made possible through a public-private partnership. Johnson & Johnson is the founding sponsor. Founding partners include National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, Voxiva, CTIA – The Wireless Foundation, and Grey Healthcare Group (a WPP company). Learn more:  www.text4baby.org.

About National Healthy Start Association
The National Healthy Start Association (NHSA) is committed to improving birth outcomes and health disparities that exist within communities of color throughout the United States.  Learn more: http://www.nationalhealthystart.org/.

SOURCE Text4baby