Texting for pregnant women & new moms

According to a recent article in the Arizona Daily Sun, a new program called Text4Baby targets pregnant women and new moms via text message. Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson and launched by the National Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies Coalition, the program's goal is to give pregnant women and new mothers with the information they need to give their babies a healthy start.

Baby's Palate And Food Memories Shaped Before Birth

An interesting podcast and story on NPR today discusses how an infant's food preferences can be shaped while still in the womb. While developing, the baby consumes several ounces of amniotic fluid daily which is flavored with the foods and beverages that the mother has consumed within the last few hours.

University of Florida taste researcher Linda Bartoshukuk believes that it might be possible to get a baby used to a healthier diet by exposing to flavors like carrots early on. If those taste experiences are reinforced as the baby grows, it may even promote healthy eating.

Friday Roundup

Here is a review of articles of interest published within the last 7-10 days:

Health
1. Preemie births inch down, but still a big problem, MSNBC.com, 11/17/2010
Brief Intro: According to a report from the March of Dimes, premature births have inched down from 12.8% of U.S. babies born in 2006 to 12.3% in 2008.

2. 'Tooth Angels' provide free dental care to Maine students, WMTW.com, 11/16/2010
Brief Intro: A group of dental hygienists are traveling across Maine to provide students in need with free dental care.


Vulnerable Populations
1. Unemployment benefits extension introduced in house, CNNMoney.com, 11/17/2010
Brief Intro: A bill introduced into the House on Wednesday would give the unemployed three more months to file for extended jobless benefits. The legislation would extend the deadline to file for federal unemployment benefits to Feb.28 instead of the current deadline of Nov. 30th. This would spare the benefits of 4 million people.

Senate panel examines how chemicals affect kids' health

A recent article on CNN details how a Senate panel is examining how chemicals used in everyday life affect the health of children. The subcommittee is examining how chemicals affect children, especially those developing in the womb. Several studies have shown that hundreds of toxic chemicals are found in mothers, and subsequently, their babies after birth.

A surprising find by a non-profit environmental advocacy organization, Environmental Working Group, found an average of 232 chemicals in the cord blood of babies born in 2009.

The Birthing Project

A recent article on CNN provides readers with information on Birthing Project USA. The founder of the nonprofit organization, Kathryn Hall-Trujillo, noted that while she was working as the public health administrator for the state of California, she learned that it cost about $300,000 to stabilize a sick baby for the first 90 days compared to $2,000 to ensure care for expectant mothers that would help with a healthy pregnancy and proper delivery.

Since the start of the project, the program has helped with more than 12,000 babies in 94 community chapters in the U.S. At-risk pregnant women are paired up with more experience women who have further education and a more stable income. This partnership helps improve birthing outcomes as both work to ensure that the mother-to-be is engaging in healthy behaviors and attending prenatal appointments.