SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
April is Dedicated to Assisting New and Pregnant Mothers
Nevada’s First Lady, Kathleen Sandoval, Immunize Nevada and the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services’ Maternal Child Health Division are teaming up for Mayors and Mommies Month starting April 1. Mayors and Mommies Month is a statewide initiative encouraging Nevada’s mothers to sign up for Text4Baby, a free national health information text messaging service. The goal of Mayors and Mommies Month is to have 4,000 mothers signed up for Text4Baby by Mother’s Day, May 13.
“Pregnancy can be a stressful and overwhelming time for many mothers,” said Sandoval. “I’m proud to support a program that helps ease the stress of pregnancy and parenting and keeps mothers and children healthy. Text4Baby is the first program of its kind and is a wonderful tool for parents. I urge Nevada’s mayors, healthcare professionals and mothers to get behind this program and encourage mothers in their communities to sign up for Text4Baby this April.”
To sign up for Text4Baby, expecting mothers and new parents can simply text the word BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411. Mothers will receive weekly text messages specific to their due date or the baby’s birth date. The messages cover everything from nutrition to how to access local low-cost resources. With more than 15 participating mobile operators, Text4Baby is free no matter what cell phone plan the user has.
As part of Mayors and Mommies Month, Immunize Nevada and the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services’ Maternal Child Health Division are asking healthcare providers to get involved by pledging to educate and sign up at least five mothers for Text4Baby. To learn more about the pledge, visit immunizenevada.org/pledge.
Research shows that simply increasing knowledge and awareness of prenatal, infant and maternal health can help decrease premature births, infant deaths and other prenatal and maternal health problems that can occur during pregnancy or in the child’s first year of life. Text4Baby was created to help educate mothers and provide them with control over their baby’s health as well as their own health.
“As a new parent or expecting mother, there is a lot to keep track of and so much to learn when it comes to keeping mother and baby safe and healthy,” said Emily Stratton, project and marketing Manager for Immunize Nevada. “Text4Baby provides real-time updates and information that is specific to developmental stages during pregnancy and the first year of life, and it’s all done in 160 characters or less. The messages provide enough information and offer insight to available resources. It’s an easy way for mothers to stay on top of everything, from well-check visits with their healthcare provider to how to properly install a car seat.”
To find out more about Text4Baby, or to get involved in Mayors and Mommies Month, call Julia Kruper at 775-686-7413 or visit immunizenevada.org/text4baby.
Immunize Nevada is a diverse coalition of individuals and organizations throughout Nevada who work together to raise awareness about immunizations statewide. The mission of the non-profit is to increase vaccine rates in Nevada through provider education, parent outreach and communication, and advocacy.
