Healthy Birth Day, Inc. And Elevance Health Foundation Expand Stillbirth Prevention Partnership To 11 States
Elevance Health Foundation has granted Healthy Birth Day, Inc. a new $1.3 million grant to expand the Count the Kicks stillbirth prevention program to more families in the U.S. Through this new funding, Count the Kicks will be able to support education, training, tools and awareness campaigns in 11 states, including California (select counties), Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, New York, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Since 2023, Elevance Health Foundation has joined communities across the country in reducing the rate of stillbirth through the evidence-based Count the Kicks program. Research shows that at least 1 in 4 stillbirths can be prevented. Count the Kicks helps prevent stillbirths and improve birth outcomes for moms and babies by teaching expectant parents a simple method for understanding their baby’s normal movement patterns starting at 28 weeks.
Research shows a change in a baby’s normal movement pattern is sometimes the first or only indication there may be an issue developing during the pregnancy. By making movement monitoring – also known as “kick counting” – easy and accessible for parents, Count the Kicks and Elevance Health Foundation are working together to improve birth outcomes for moms and babies in grant-funded states, sometimes saving two lives at once.
Stillbirth is commonly defined as the loss of a baby at 20 weeks or greater gestation during pregnancy. It is a national public health crisis that impacts more than 20,000 families in the U.S. every year, according to the CDC. Differences in stillbirth outcomes persist, and data shows that a disproportionate number of babies are born still to Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native families. Expectant parents in some age groups, geographic locations, and those expecting multiples also face an increased risk of stillbirth.
Impact of Count the Kicks in Grant-Funded States
Since the beginning of the partnership, Count the Kicks has heard from 14 families in grant-funded states who credit the program with helping their baby have a safe arrival. Jessica Smith, a mom from New York, learned about Count the Kicks after her first daughter was stillborn. During her next pregnancy, having more awareness of her baby’s normal movement patterns made all the difference.
“I was at a regularly scheduled appointment when my sonographer asked me about my daughter’s movements. That was when I realized that while she had been moving, her movements were not as intense as they had been before,” she said. “Because of your education and advocacy, I knew to trust that instinct. Thanks to the Count the Kicks app I had the data to show and back me up on this change.”
Jessica’s daughter Aria was born safely, fully wrapped in her cord. “If I had not found Count the Kicks, I truly believe Aria would not be here today,” Jessica said.
About Elevance Health Foundation
Elevance Health Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Elevance Health Inc. The Foundation works to improve the health of the socially vulnerable through partnerships and programs in our communities with an emphasis on maternal-infant health; behavioral health; and food as medicine. Through its key areas of focus, the Foundation also strategically aligns with Elevance Health’s focus on community health and becoming a lifetime, trusted health partner that is fueled by its purpose to improve the health of humanity. To learn more about Elevance Health Foundation, please visit www.elevancehealth.foundation or follow us @ElevanceFND on X and Elevance Health Foundation on Facebook.
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