Texting for Your Babies Health
Written by Post Public Information Representative, May 9, 2012, 0 Comments
Courtesy Xochitl Mora,
Laredo, TX- The City of Laredo Health Department has recently entered into a partnership with text4baby, a national health texting service to promote early critically important prenatal care. Text4baby provides timely alerts on pregnancy, prenatal care and other health tips sent directly to participants’ cell phones in the form of text messages. Text4baby is the first free health education program in the country to harness the popularity of texting as a mode of communication by providing expectant or new moms personal and timely information directly to them three times a week wherever they are at the moment.
“Text-messaging is a part of the social media culture in terms of how we communicate and since overwhelmingly cell phones are the primary mode of mass communication in Laredo; this will assist our first time and expectant moms. They will get timely and important alerts on the importance of their prenatal and women’s care and birth in an easy and efficient manner.” said Dr. Hector F. Gonzalez, Director of Health for the City of Laredo Health Department.
The messages will text information on nutrition, immunizations, birth defects and prematurity prevention. The focus is women’s preventive health and their baby’s birth and health until their first birthday. Sample text4baby messages include:
· Need free or low-cost health care for you and your baby? Your state has programs to help. Call 877-543-7669 to find out if you qualify.
· Talk to your Dr. about getting a flu shot. Pregnant moms & babies can get very sick from flu. For info call CDC at 800-232-4636.
- Did you get information from your Dr. on newborn screening tests? If not, ask for it. Your baby will have these tests in the first 48 hours after birth.
- Do you know you can prevent prematurity?
- Do you know about the Nurse Family Partnership that can assist you during pregnancy?
Text4baby is an exciting and innovative way for the millions of pregnant women and new moms across the country to get the most important information they need to ensure their child’s healthy development.
If you’re an expectant mother or new mom or you know one and want to join the program, please text the word BABY (BEBE in Spanish) to 511411, visit www.text4baby.org , or call the Healthy Texas Babies program at (956)712-6015 or the Nurse Family Partnership at 523-7848,7845.
