Seven national health organizations, including the March of Dimes sent a joint statement to 3,000 maternity hospitals in the United States calling for their pledge to support the Strong Start initiative by eliminating non-medically indicated deliveries before 39 weeks.

The American Academy of Family Physicians; American Academy of Pediatrics; American College of Nurse Midwives; American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; American Hospital Association; Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses; and the March of Dimes signed and delivered the statement to the hospitals May 1.

The call to action included resources and information for each hospital on how to implement the plan.

The Strong Start initiative is an effort by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to reduce preterm births and improve birth outcomes for mother and child.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new data revealing the national infant mortality rate dropped 12 percent from 2005-2011.

Photo courtesy of the March of Dimes

Four of the five leading causes of infant mortality also saw decreases. The rate of premature and low birthweight babies born in the United States fell 9 percent. An article published on the New York Times website attributed the 39 Weeks initiative as a likely influence on the percent drops.

“Another possible factor is a recent emphasis on preventing planned early deliveries. A growing number of hospitals are not allowing mothers to schedule births before 39 weeks without a medical reason. In 2011, the March of Dimes started a public education campaign, Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait, to reduce medically unnecessary deliveries before 39 weeks of gestation.”

- Abby Goodnough for The New York Times

Results from the Multistate Quality Improvement Program Study, a March of Dimes’ initiative aimed at reducing early elective deliveries (EEDs), showed an 83 percent decrease of the number of EEDs in Florida, California, Texas, Illinois and New York. The program study could also play a significant role in the decrease of the nation’s rates.

CineMama, the free March of Dimes iPhone app allows moms-to-be to turn daily belly photos into a mini movie keepsake.

The user-friendly app has a camera equipped with a belly grid for consistent alignment. The app’s calendar organizes photos by day and month so moms can track their growth.

Cataloging important milestones and events is made easy with the app’s diary, which allows for text and photos to be uploaded.

At the end of the pregnancy, the photos placed in CineMama can be turned into a ready-to-be-shared mini movie, with customized titles and soundtrack options.

Download CineMama for free here.

The results of a study published in the Obstetrics & Gynecology journal Monday revealed early elective non-medically indicated deliveries in Florida, California, Texas, Illinois and New York dropped 83 percent in just one year!

The Multistate Quality Improvement Program Study is one of the March of Dimes’ initiatives aimed at reducing early elective deliveries.

Courtesy of the March of Dimes

This incredible decrease shows hospital-based quality improvement programs are effective in reducing the rate of early elective deliveries. Out of the 25 participating hospitals in five states, six were in Florida.

Think 39 Weeks! Florida is thrilled with this accomplishment. Our mission is to raise awareness of the importance of the last weeks of pregnancy to healthy fetal development and encourage women and their doctors to allow labor to begin on its own unless otherwise medically needed.

Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait!

The Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative  held its second annual conference March 21-22 in Tampa, Fla.

The two-day educational conference was designed to expand the knowledge and skill base for perinatal health care professionals in the following areas: The identification of quality improvement opportunities, the planning and implementation of quality improvement initiatives, and the advancement of evidence-based practice at the institutional, community and state levels.

The conference covered a wide variety of subjects including the Perinatal Care (PC) project, antenatal steroids, sustainable perinatal quality improvement, statewide progesterone project and instituting baby friendly practices in maternity facilities.

The conference also highlighted ongoing FPQC projects such as the March of Dimes 39 Weeks Provider, Payer and Consumer Education Campaign. The campaign is a joint effort between FPQC and the Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions, Inc. 

Wendy Struchen-Shellhorn, 39 Weeks Project Evaluator, and Sara M. Rieger, 39 Weeks Project Coordinator, stand next to the “Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait” poster abstract at the conference. They were available to answer questions about the 39 Weeks consumer education and awareness campaign to conference attendees.

Mothers are introducing solid food to their babies months too soon, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC administered a survey to 1,334 mothers in the United States, asking what age  their baby was when they were given solid food. Forty percent responded they began to feed their baby solid food before they were four months old. The recommended age for solid food is four months. Even more alarming — 9 percent of mothers stated they fed their baby solid food at just four weeks old.

It is dangerous to feed a baby younger than four months solid food because they cannot lift their head properly (choking is a risk) and also their gut has not developed the bacteria needed to break down solid food yet. For healthy development, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends babies to be breastfed  up to six months old.

The study revealed most women did not know at what age their baby was supposed to be given solid food. Researchers also discovered socioeconomic factors had an impact — younger, single women with low income and less education introduced solid food to their babies earlier. The cost of baby formula and the difficulty of breastfeeding for some may also be linked to the problem. In some instances, women reported a doctor told them it was okay to go ahead and feed their baby solid food before four months.

For guidelines on what to feed your baby when, visit the March of Dimes website.

If you’re expecting, it may be hard to tell which medications are safe to take just by reading a drug’s label. So where do most pregnant women turn to for answers? Google, of course.

But a new study suggests the internet is not the most accurate source for pregnant women who are trying to distinguish between good and bad drugs. When comparing 25 different pregnancy informational websites, researchers discovered no two lists of supposedly safe drugs were the same.

In most cases, determining which medications are safe can depend on the individual’s health condition. The CDC recommends pregnant women should talk to their doctor before starting or stopping any medication.

Access to safe medication information for pregnant women is important. Some drugs like Accutane (usually prescribed for acne) and Qsymia (a weight-loss drug) put a baby at risk for birth defects, which are one of the main attributes to infant deaths, according to the CDC.

In an effort to solve the lack of viable information available on the internet, the CDC is working on a new program, Treating for Two. The program will look into how to get better information on safe medications for pregnant women.

For more information on drugs and pregnancy, visit the March of Dimes website.

The last few weeks of pregnancy are exciting, but can also be an uncomfortable time. Some moms-to-be will experience constipation, heart burn and painful swelling  in their back, legs and ankles.  Here are a few tips from the March of Dimes on how to keep your cool during the home stretch!

Stay Active

The key to feeling good is to keep moving. Exercising can help alleviate back pain, constipation and those aching legs. Walking, swimming and prenatal yoga are all excellent ways stay active during your pregnancy.

For back pain relief, try sitting cross-legged or squatting; these positions relax the back muscles. Also try tilting your pelvis on your hands and knees or doing  knee-to-shoulder exercises.

Water exercises are helpful for aching legs, swollen ankles or varicose veins.

Avoid exercising late in the day, as it can lead to insomnia.

Eat well 

Researchers at the University of Kansas found pregnant women who were given the prenatal supplements containing 600 milligrams of DHA, gave birth to heavier babies and were less likely to be born prematurely.

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is an omega-3 fatty acid and cannot be produced in the body on its own. During pregnancy, DHA helps form a fetus’ brain and central nervous system. It is primarily found in seafood and fish oil.

Pregnant women are usually deterred from eating large amounts of seafood because of their mercury content. Swordfish, Ahi Tuna and Mackerel have the highest levels of mercury. The Mayo Clinic staff recommends sticking to smaller non-predatory sea creatures to avoid these high levels of mercury such as shrimp, crab and salmon.

For a complete list of seafood mercury levels and recommended servings for pregnant women visit the American Pregnancy Association’s web page, Mercury Levels in Fish.