Count the Kicks Campaign Launches in Nevada

News,  State Expansion,  Stillbirth Prevention

• Kimberly Isburg
• 07.12.21

We are excited to announce Health Plan of Nevada is partnering with us to educate and empower expectant Nevada parents about the importance of tracking movement daily in the third trimester of pregnancy. According to CDC Wonder, one out of every 143 pregnancies in Nevada ends in stillbirth. Our goal is to reduce the state’s stillbirth rate by 32 percent as we’ve done in Iowa, which would save more than 80 Nevada babies each year.‬

Thanks to the partnership with Health Plan of Nevada, maternal health providers, birthing hospitals, social services agencies, childbirth educators and other providers in Nevada can order FREE Count the Kicks educational materials (including brochures, posters, and app reminder cards in English and Spanish) to help them have the kick counting conversation with expectant parents. With the addition of Nevada, we now have partnerships in 14 states!

Count the Kicks teaches the method for, and importance of, tracking fetal movement during the third trimester of pregnancy. Research shows the benefits of expectant moms tracking their baby’s movements daily and learning how long it normally takes their baby to get to 10 movements.

After a few days, moms will begin to see a pattern, a normal amount of time it takes their baby to get to 10 movements. If their baby’s “normal” changes during the third trimester, this could be a sign of potential problems and is an indication that the expectant mom should call her healthcare provider. 

Mariana Falvey is a Las Vegas mom who was using the Count the Kicks app when she noticed a change in her baby’s movement. “I agreed to go and get a fetal heart monitor check after really looking at the app and seeing the time increase for tracking his movements. It was a constant 10-15 minute time to almost an hour to track movements as the week progressed,” Mariana said.

“Within the hour, I was scheduled and prepped for an emergency Cesarean. If I had waited all weekend until my appointment, I truly don’t know if the outcome would have been the same or worse. I cannot express how incredible this app is and continues to be. ”

According to CDC Wonder, Nevada loses approximately 241 babies to stillbirth each year. In Iowa, where Count the Kicks began, the state’s stillbirth rate dropped by nearly 32 percent in the first 10 years of the campaign (2008-2018). Iowa’s rate went from 33rd worst in the country to one of the lowest, while the country’s rate remained relatively stagnant. Health Plan of Nevada is hoping to bring the same success that Iowa has seen to Nevada.