COVID-19 + Pregnancy

How to Improve Outcomes in a Global Pandemic

According to the CDC, pregnant and recently pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant people. Recent research has identified significant increases in stillbirth and maternal death since the pandemic began. 
Count the Kicks is partnering with Amerigroup Iowa, an Anthem Company for a free webinar to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prenatal care and pregnancy outcomes. Join us Oct. 21 at 1 p.m. CST for “COVID-19 + Pregnancy: How to Improve Outcomes in a Global Pandemic.” 

Our panelists will discuss the impact of the pandemic on prenatal care and explore trends in birth outcomes for expectant parents with COVID-19. We will also share evidence about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and hear from a new mom about her experiences with pregnancy during the pandemic. 

PANELISTS:

• Sharon Deans, M.D., currently serves as Plan Performance Medical Director for Healthy Blue Missouri, a Medicaid managed care subsidiary of Anthem, Inc. A graduate of Howard University School of Medicine, Dr. Deans completed her residency at Howard University Hospital. She later went on to complete her MPH at Columbia University, New York and her MBA at Washington University, St. Louis. Dr. Deans has been in healthcare for over 40 years, first as a nurse; 25 years as a practicing clinician; and the last eight years as a physician executive. The highlight of her current role is the opportunity to develop population health programs for our communities that includes closing social determinants of health gaps and focuses on improving access to care and health outcomes. An avid advocate for women’s health and safety, Dr. Deans is dedicated to improving the lives of the Medicaid populations she serves. 
• Ashley Smoots, MPH, is an epidemiologist on the CDC Division of Reproductive Health’s (DRH) Emergency Preparedness and Response team. She has supported COVID-19 Response activities on the Pregnancy and Infant Linked Outcomes Team and on the v-safe Pregnancy Registry. Previously she was the project coordinator for Rapid Maternal Overdose Review, part of Enhancing Reviews and Surveillance to Eliminate Maternal Mortality. Prior to joining DRH, Ashley worked on CDC’s Zika Virus Response and with CDC’s Division of Birth Defects and Infant Disorders where she coordinated population-based surveillance of birth defects potentially related to Zika virus infection during pregnancy, as well as provided technical assistance to states in support of the U.S. Zika Pregnancy and Infant Registry. Ashley holds an MPH in Epidemiology from Emory University and a BS in Bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
• Jasmine Abraham, is a new mom and an Ambassador for Count the Kicks in the state of Ohio. Jasmine’s son Qasem was born still in June 2020 near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. She recently welcomed a daughter, Aya, and she will join us to share her experiences with pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic and how she decided whether or not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy.
• Stephaney Moody, Health Equity Coordinator for Healthy Birth Day, Inc., will moderate the panel during the webinar and will offer specific, tangible ways the Count the Kicks app can help expectant parents during the third trimester of pregnancy.

March 9 Webinar

Millennial Health & Pregnancy

Sponsored By

The Millennial Health and Pregnancy webinar, held March 9, 2021, explores trends in health and pregnancy complications among Millennial women as they navigate pregnancy during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Count the Kicks partnered with experts at Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield on this webinar. Panelists include Mark Talluto, Vice President, Strategy and Analytics for Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Dr. Tim Gutshall, Chief Medical Officer at Wellmark. Vu-An Foster, a Count the Kicks Ambassador and millennial maternal health professional whose life’s work is centered on improving birth outcomes, shares her experiences with pregnancy as a millennial and discusses the impact of COVID-19 on women who are currently pregnant.

Tune in for key takeaways to help expectant parents and maternal healthcare professionals navigate pregnancy during the ongoing pandemic.

Millennial women currently make up 85 percent of all pregnancies, and while most will experience a healthy pregnancy, a recent analysis of Blue Cross Blue Shield data shows this generation is experiencing some of the highest increases in health conditions that could lead to higher risks of pregnancy and childbirth complications.

Aug. 11 Webinar

Ask a Lactation Consultant

Sponsored By:

The Ask a Lactation Consultant webinar featuring Dr. Dr. Nastassia Davis, DNP, MSN, RN, IBCLC, Assistant Professor of Nursing at Montclair State University and Founder of the Perinatal Health Equity Foundation was held Aug. 11, 2021.

The event was hosted by Count the Kicks in partnership with Amerigroup Iowa, and moderated by Jazzmine Brooks, a full spectrum doula with Jai Olive. Dr. Davis shares the basics of breastfeeding/chestfeeding and answers questions about lactation.