Saving Babies this New Year and Every Year

Disparities,  Fundraising

• Guest Blogger
• 12.27.17

Our mission to save babies is only going to amplify in 2018. In the coming year, Count the Kicks will take a highly targeted approach to reaching at-risk and underserved moms who are more likely to lose a baby — and some startling statistics sparked the refinement of our approach.

In Iowa where we are based, the racial disparities for stillbirth are alarming: an African-American mom is almost twice as likely to have a baby born still than a Caucasian mom. An Hispanic mom is one-and-a-half times more likely to lose her baby. The racial disparities are the same across the U.S.

Researchers point to a variety of reasons for the disparities: genetics, access to adequate healthcare, racism and toxic stress. In the coming year, we need to reach those moms who are most at risk of losing a baby and we need your help. As 2017 comes to a close, we thank you for your belief in our mission and ask for an investment in our work to reach at-risk moms in 2018. Your gift will allow us to educate at-risk moms on the importance of kick counting. Empower them. And give them a tool that could save their baby — the free Count the Kicks app.

Your gift will allow us to train more doctors, nurses, visiting nurses, midwives, office staff and childbirth educators on the importance of tracking fetal movement in the third trimester, and to conduct more outreach to at-risk moms on social media, in churches, community centers and baby fairs.

A baby is born still every 22 minutes in the U.S. One in every 167 pregnancies ends in a stillbirth. We have to do better.

Thank you for considering a gift that will help us reach the women (and babies) who need us the most. We can’t do this important work without you. We wish you and yours a very Happy New Year.

Warmly,

The Count the Kicks Team