First-Ever Free Mobile Health Service Text4baby Provides Health Tips to Pregnant Women, New Moms and Addresses Rising U.S. Infant Mortality Rates

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless, the company with the nation's largest and most reliable wireless voice and 3G data network, said today that it is participating in text4baby – a new, free mobile information service providing timely health information to pregnant women and new moms through a baby's first year.  

Women can sign up for the service by texting "BABY" to 511411 (or "BEBE" for Spanish) to receive three free SMS text messages each week timed to their due date or baby's date of birth.  These messages focus on a variety of topics critical to maternal and child health, including birth defects prevention, immunization, nutrition, seasonal flu, mental health, oral health and safe sleep.  Text4baby messages also connect women to prenatal and infant care services and other resources.

"We're proud to participate in text4baby and give our customers the opportunity to access such vital information.  It's always great to put wireless technology to work in our communities, especially for such an important effort," said Howard Woolley, senior vice president, wireless public policy, Verizon.

Text4baby is an educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB) that delivers timely health tips via text message to those who need it most.  Text4baby founding partners include HMHB, Voxiva, CTIA -- The Wireless Foundation, Grey Healthcare Group (a WPP company) and founding corporate sponsor Johnson & Johnson.  U.S. government partners include the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Department of Health and Human Services.  Premier sponsors include WellPoint, Pfizer and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.  Implementation partners include BabyCenter, LLC; Danya International; Syniverse Technologies; Keynote Systems and The George Washington University.

Verizon Wireless is among the wireless service providers that are providing the critical communications link of the initiative, distributing text messages to recipients at no charge. 

For more information about text4baby, visit www.text4baby.org.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and data network, serving 91 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 83,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (Nasdaq and LSE: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition

The National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB) is the only coalition of its kind which acts as a catalyst for change by creating partnerships among community groups, nonprofit organizations, professional associations, businesses and government agencies. The Coalition promotes optimal health for mothers and babies, and works to strengthen families and build healthy communities.

SOURCE Verizon Wireless

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