Helping Mothers Have Healthy Babies

During Infant Mortality Awareness month, on September 20, 2007, a press conference was held to recognize the successful efforts of Baltimore City Healthy Start in reducing the number of very low birth weight (VLBW) babies born to clients. VLBW babies weigh less than 3.3 pounds and are at greater risk of dying before the age of one.

In 2006, babies born to mothers in Baltimore’s Healthy Start program had a VLBW rate of 0.9%. This rate meets the Surgeon General’s goal in Healthy People 2010 and represents the closing of a historical health disparity between African American and White babies in our city and state.

Guests and speakers at the event included: Commissioner of the Baltimore City Health Department and Healthy Start Board Chair, Dr. Josh Sharfstein; Peggy Sanchez Mills, the CEO of the National Healthy Start Association; Healthy Start Board members, senior staff, program participant, Ms. Shante’ Brown, and many of our partners.

Recognizing the success of Baltimore’s program and the other 99 Healthy Start Programs across the nation, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate recently passed a reauthorization appropriation of $110 million. This amount represents a 9% increase over last year’s funding and offers local programs like Baltimore’s the prospect to expand to include much needed nutrition, mental health and dental services for families.

Please write your federal representatives to thank them for their support for Healthy Start and to urge the President to sign this important reauthorization.

Alma Roberts, MPH, FACHE
President and CEO