NH DHHS - NH Receives Award for Low Premature Birth Rate

Concord, NH - Jose Montero, MD, Director of the Division of Public Health

Services at the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and

Henry Chen, MD, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Health, were

honored by the March of Dimes with the Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Prematurity Leadership Award at its annual, national Volunteer Leadership

Conference in Orlando, Florida on October 26, 2012.



Dr. Montero and Dr. Chen each received the Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Prematurity Leadership Award for exceeding the March of Dimes goal of

lowering preterm birth in their states to less than 9.6 percent.



Premature birth is a serious health problem. The period of gestation is one

of the most important predictors of an infant’s subsequent health and

survival. Premature babies are at increased risk for newborn health

complications, such as breathing problems, and even death.



New Hampshire’s prematurity rate (also known as preterm birth) at 9.4

percent is promising when compared with the national rate of 12 percent,

but each baby born prematurely, even those just a few weeks early, is at

risk for serious health concerns. Dr. Montero stated at the award ceremony,

“The NH Division of Public Health has committed to work with the March of

Dimes, health care providers, communities, and families to further reduce

prematurity by 8% by 2014. In New Hampshire, that means we are hoping to

have at least 100 fewer babies born too soon.”



New Hampshire will continue to celebrate its success and continued

commitment to reducing prematurity with an event honoring Nicholas Toumpas,

Commissioner of the NH Department of Health and Human Services, on November

12, 2012 in Manchester, NH, at the NH Chapter of March of Dimes, Signature

Chefs Auction.



The March of Dimes is a nonprofit organization dedicated to pregnancy and

baby health. With chapters nationwide, March of Dimes works to improve the

health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant

mortality. For more information, visit the March of Dimes at

www.marchofdimes.com or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC) at

www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/MaternalInfantHealth/PretermBirth.htm

NH DHHS - NH Competes in National Contest to Help Pregnant Women and New Mothers

New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Aims to

Reach 3,000 Moms with text4baby Program



Concord, NH – In honor of Mother's Day and National Women's Health Week,

the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health

Services announced today its participation in the 2012 Text4baby State

Enrollment Contest, a national competition to enroll pregnant women and new

mothers in the text4baby program. The official launch of the Contest was

announced today as part of a Congressional Briefing in Washington, DC,

which was co-hosted by Senators Ayotte (R-NH), Carper (D-DE), Cochran

(R-MS), and Landrieu (D-LA). The New Hampshire WIC Breastfeeding

Coordinator, Lissa Sirois, also spoke at the Congressional Briefing about

the collaborative work New Hampshire has done to promote text4baby.



Text4baby, the country's first free health education program in the form of

text messages, provides timely tips and expert advice directly to the cell

phones of pregnant women and new moms. Pregnant women and new mothers who

text “BABY” (or “BEBE” for Spanish) to 511411 receive weekly text messages,

timed to their due date or their baby's birth date, through the baby’s

first year. The messages, which have been developed by government and

non-profit health experts such as the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention and American Academy of Pediatrics, cover nutrition,

immunizations, breastfeeding, and birth defect prevention, among other

health topics.



“The Division of Public Health Services is pleased to partner with the

text4baby initiative to give expectant and new mothers critical information

they need so they can take charge of their health and the health of their

babies,” said Public Health Director, Dr. Jose Montero.



The United States has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the

industrialized world. Each year in the U.S. more than 500,000 babies are

born prematurely and an estimated 28,000 children die before their first

birthday. In response to this national public health crisis, the National

Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB) launched text4baby in

partnership with founding sponsor Johnson & Johnson, Voxiva, CTIA-The

Wireless Foundation, Grey Healthcare Group (a WPP company), the nation’s

wireless carriers, and the U.S. government.



In its first two years, text4baby has already reached more than 335,000

users nationwide, including 2,500 users in New Hampshire, thanks to its

unprecedented public–private partnership. By engaging a vast network of

over 775 text4baby Outreach Partners around the country, including fourteen

in New Hampshire, the Contest aims to reach even more women through healthy

competition among the states.



A number of formal evaluations of Text4baby are underway to determine its

impact on the knowledge and behaviors of its users. An early evaluation

conducted in San Diego County, California with interviews and phone surveys

of 160 women indicated that text4baby is increasing user's health

knowledge, facilitating interaction with their health providers, improving

adherence to appointments and immunizations, and improving access to health

services.



The top three states to enroll the most users by population between May 17

and October 22, 2012 will be announced and recognized during the American

Public Health Association Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California in

late October. Last year, New Hampshire won 2nd place in the enrollment

contest. New Hampshire currently leads the nation for total enrollment of

unique users since the launch of the text4baby program on February 2, 2010.



For more information about text4baby, WIC, and the Division of Public

Health Services visit www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/index.htm . For more information

about the national text4baby program visit www.text4baby.org .



Community programs, hospitals, healthcare providers, and new moms are

encouraged to contact the New Hampshire text4baby program for enrollment

posters and brochures. Emails may be sent to text4baby@dhhs.state.nh.us

NH DHHS - Text4baby Turns One Year Old in New Hampshire

Concord, NH - This month the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of Public Health Services (DPHS) celebrates making the mobile health program, text4baby, available for the past year to women in New Hampshire. Happy 1st Birthday text4baby!

DHHS signed on as an outreach partner one year ago, and hasn’t stopped texting since. With multiple local community programs and two State Agencies (DHHS and the Department of Education) signed on as outreach partners, New Hampshire is excited to be involved in a new and exciting mobile health technology project. Pregnant women and new mothers who text "BABY" (or “BEBE” for Spanish) to 511411 receive free text messages, timed to their due date or their baby's birth date through the baby’s first year.

In its first year, text4baby has already reached more than 145,000 women across the nation, thanks to an unprecedented partnership between the nonprofit Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies (HMHB), the private sector and government partners including the White House Office on Science and Technology Policy, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), CTIA – The Wireless Foundation, and Voxiva. Johnson & Johnson is the program’s founding sponsor. New Hampshire has over 1,000 women enrolled in text4baby, second nationally for the highest percentage of women enrolled.

Text4baby provides timely pregnancy and health tips sent directly to participants’ cell phones in the form of text messages. While 90 percent of people in the U.S. have cell phones, text4baby is the first free, health education program in the country to harness the popularity of texting as a mode of communication.

“What is exciting about text4baby, is that it brings the information right to the mom on her cell phone,” said Dr. José Montero, Director of Public Health at DPHS. “She gets three messages per week tailored to her due date or the child’s date of birth. We are thrilled to be a part of text4baby, and will continue to collaborate with local community programs across the State, to make the program available to more mothers.”

The messages, which have been vetted by government and non-profit health experts such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Academy of Pediatrics, and March of Dimes, deal with nutrition, immunization, and infant safety, among other topics.

New Hampshire is preparing to enter a nation-wide text4baby enrollment competition. The state with the highest enrollment percentage increase, will win a local text4baby media event. If you are a community organization and want to get in on the competition to help New Hampshire win, send an email to text4baby@dhhs.state.nh.us

Text4baby is an exciting and innovative way for the millions of pregnant women and new moms across the country to get the most important information they need to ensure their child’s healthy development. If you’re an expectant or new mom or you know one and want to learn more, go to www.text4baby.org .

These recommendations are one of the topics DHHS is focusing on this week in recognition of National Public Health Week; for more information go to www.nphw.org .

NH DHHS - National Birth Defects Prevention Month Spotlights Medication Use During Pregnancy

Concord, NH – January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month, and this year’s campaign focuses on medication use before, during, and after pregnancy. The New Hampshire Birth Conditions Program and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of Public Health Services (DPHS) is joining over 350 members of the National Birth Defects Prevention Network to share the message that women of childbearing age should talk with a doctor about which medications are safe to take while pregnant. Medication use during pregnancy is common: two out of every three women take prescription medications during pregnancy.

“Women of childbearing age should discuss any medications they plan to take or are taking, whether prescription or over-the-counter, with a doctor,” says Dr. José Montero, Director of Public Health Services. “Though many women know that certain prescription medications can cause birth defects, they may not be aware that some dietary supplements and herbal remedies may also harm a developing fetus.”

Not all medications should be discontinued during pregnancy; some may need to be changed or adjusted. Medical conditions such as diabetes, influenza, and asthma need to be managed during pregnancy and may harm both mother and baby if left untreated. In some cases, doctors may need to weigh the benefits of a medication against the potentially harmful effects.

A baby’s organs, such as the heart, brain, and spine, begin developing in the first few weeks, before a woman may even realize she is pregnant. For that reason, it is important for women to have conversations with their health care providers about medications before pregnancy. Every woman should take a multivitamin with 400 mcg of folic acid daily, starting before pregnancy, to improve the likelihood of delivering a healthy baby. Pregnant women should also eat a healthy diet, not smoke, avoid alcohol, and get a flu shot.

The National Birth Defects Prevention Network has members from all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The Network collects and distributes information about birth defects and their prevention, encourages research, and provides technical support to state and local birth defects monitoring programs. To learn more about the Network and Birth Defects Prevention Month, please visit www.nbdpn.org.

The New Hampshire Birth Conditions Program is a member of the Network and works with DPHS to detect trends in the occurrence of birth conditions in New Hampshire; evaluates access to supportive health services; guides and assesses the progress of statewide prevention activities; and educates the community, health care providers, and service agencies regarding birth conditions. To learn more about the New Hampshire Birth Conditions Program call 603-653-3163 or visit www.nhbcp.org. For more information about having a healthy baby, visit the New Hampshire DHHS Maternal and Child Health website at www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/bchs/mch/index.htm.