Anonymous Donor Helps Healthy Start Coalition’s

“Save My Life” Program Combat Racial Birth Disparities

Non-profit Organization works to Reduce Fetal Mortality, Infant Mortality, and Prematurity in Newtown

January 17, 2012 (Sarasota, FL) —

Maybe guns aren’t the biggest threat in Newtown.

Perhaps the biggest threat is the area’s staggering rates of poor birth outcomes, such as premature birth, fetal mortality, and infant mortality. Despite a statewide decrease in deaths among children younger than one year old, the infant mortality rate for African-Americans in Sarasota County has continued to creep upward. And disparities between rates of fetal mortality, infant mortality, and prematurity between blacks and whites continue to be alarmingly present. Sarasota County’s most recent 2008-2010 rolling average data indicates the African-American rates for fetal mortality is more than twice as high as whites; infant mortality is 3.5 times as high; and preterm birth is 1.7 times as high.

Aimed at reversing this alarming trend, the Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County created the “Save My Life” Program in 2008, an education and support-based Childbirth and Parenting Education program centered in the Newtown area. The Save My Life Program offers small group and individual classes on the importance of health during childbearing years and during pregnancy, stress reduction, childbirth education, breastfeeding education, in-home support for breastfeeding, and safe sleep practices for infants. Outreach efforts, education, and classes are offered by the only African-American Childbirth Educator in Sarasota County, Beverly Phelps.

“Early intervention to begin reversing this cycle must begin prior to pregnancy, and continue throughout pregnancy and after pregnancy. The early experiences of any human, from the beginning of pregnancy into the first few years of life are crucial,” said Jennifer Highland, Executive Director of the Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County. “By focusing on education, support, and prevention, we aim to improve chances young families will stay healthy.”

Funding for this vital program comes from donations and grants, both of which are currently threatened. After 3 ½ successful years, this program will end in spring of 2012 without additional funding. However, the Healthy Start Coalition has been presented with a unique opportunity to continue funding this important program: an anonymous donor has come forward with a $10,000 Challenge. If $5,000 is raised by the community before February 15, the donor will match it with another $5,000.

“This is an important opportunity for our Community to get involved in the health of our youngest citizens”, continued Highland, “It is time for us to rally as a community to save our babies!”

For more information, contact info@healthystartsarsota.org.

3rd Annual “An Evening for Healthy Start”

January 4, 2011 (Sarasota, FL) — On Thursday, January 26th, from 6 to 9 pm, Sarasota Architectural Salvage will host the 3rd Annual “An Evening for Healthy Start” Fundraiser to benefit The Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County. The event will be emceed by former Sarasota Mayor Kelly Kirschner, and will feature live music by local Latin, Caribbean, Funk and Motown dance music band, Big Night Out.
The event comes at a critical time in the Healthy Start Coalition’s fiscal year, when funding for critical programs threatens to expire. This year’s event has the potential to raise more money for Sarasota’s pregnant women, infants and young children than in previous years, due to the generosity of several local business members and individuals, including those from the fields of obstetrics, perinatology, midwifery and pediatrics.
Sarasota Architectural Salvage paints an eclectic and distinctive backdrop for “An Evening for Healthy Start,” making it one of the most unique fundraising events of the season. Guests will be treated to light fare provided by local restaurants, including Nancy’s BBQ, Caragiulo’s, Nellie’s Deli, Carrs Corner Café, The Lollicake Queen, Gold Coast Eagle Distributing, Vin Cella and Local Coffee and Tea. The event will also feature a raffle and silent auction, featuring an exquisite pendant necklace from world-famous jewelry designer Ned Bowman of Bowman Originals in Sarasota.
Tickets are $20 in advance and $30 at the door, and include two beverage tickets and a coupon for Sarasota Architectural Salvage. To purchase tickets, call (941) 373-7070, or visit www.SarasotaSalvage.com.
The Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County is a non-profit, 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of pregnant women, infants, and young children in the community. Healthy Start coordinates a variety of specialized programs to serve high-risk groups and address specific risk factors that contribute to fetal death, prematurity, low birth weight, and infant death. For more information, please call (941) 373-7070 or visit www.healthystartsarasota.org.
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MEDIA TOURS AND INTERVIEWS WITH BOARD MEMBERS, CARE PROVIDERS, STAFF AND CLIENTS ARE AVAILABLE AT PRESS’ CONVENIENCE. PLEASE CALL CIERA GALBRAITH AT (941) 373-7070 ext. 303.

The World Health Organization (WHO) released a new international growth standard statistical distribution  in 2006, which describes the growth of children ages 0 to 59 months living in environments believed to support what WHO researchers view as optimal growth of children in six countries throughout the world, including the U.S. The distribution  shows how infants and young children grow under these conditions, rather than how they do grow in environments that may not support optimal growth.

Why use WHO growth standards for infants and children ages 0 to 2 years of age in the U.S?

• The WHO standards establish growth of the breastfed infant as the norm for growth.Breastfeeding is the recommended standard for infant feeding. The WHO charts reflect growth patterns among children who were predominantly breastfed for at least 4 months and still breastfeeding at 12 months.
• The WHO standards provide a better description of physiological growth in infancy.Clinicians often use the CDC growth charts as standards on how young children should grow.  However the CDC growth charts are references; they identify how typical children in the US did grow during a specific time period.  Typical growth patterns may not be ideal growth patterns.  The WHO growth charts are standards; they identify how children should grow when provided optimal conditions.
• The WHO standards are based on a high-quality study designed explicitly for creating growth charts.The WHO standards were constructed using longitudinal length and weight data measured at frequent intervals. For the CDC growth charts, weight data were not available between birth and 3 months of age and the sample sizes were small for sex and age groups during the first 6 months of age.

Downloadable PDFs of Growth Charts:

• GIRLS: Birth to 24 Months: Length-for-age and Weight-for-age percentiles
• GIRLS: Birth to 24 Months: Head circumference-for-age and Weight-for-length percentiles
• BOYS: Birth to 24 Months: Length-for-age and Weight-for-age percentiles
• BOYS: Birth to 24 Months: Head circumference-for-age and Weight-for-length percentiles

How different are the new standards from the old growth charts?

The new standards differ from any existing growth charts in a number of innovative ways. First the MGRS was designed to provide data that describe “how children should grow,” by including in the study’s selection criteria specific health behaviors that are consistent with current health promotion recommendations (e.g., breastfeeding norms, standard pediatric care, non-smoking requirements). This new approach is fundamentally different from that taken by the traditional descriptive references. By adopting a prescriptive approach, the protocol’s design went beyond an update of how children in presumably healthy populations grow at a specific time and place and explicitly recognizes the need for standards (i.e., devices that enable value judgments by incorporating norms or targets in their construction). Arguably, the current obesity epidemic in many developed countries would have been detectable earlier if a prescriptive international standard had been available 20 years ago.

Another key characteristic of the new standard is that it makes breastfeeding the biological “norm” and establishes the breastfed infant as the normative growth model. The previous reference was based on the growth of artificially-fed children.

The pooled sample from the 6 participating countries will allow the development of a truly international standard (in contrast to the previous international reference based on children from a single country) and reiterate the fact that child populations grow similarly across the world’s major regions when their needs for health and care are met.

These standards also include new innovative growth indicators beyond height and weight that are particularly useful for monitoring the increasing epidemic of childhood obesity, such as the skinfold thicknessess.

The study’s longitudinal nature will also allow the development of growth velocity standards. Health care providers will not have to wait until children cross an attained growth threshold to make the diagnosis of under-nutrition and overweight since velocity standards will enable the early identification of children in the process of becoming under- or over-nourished.

Lastly, the development of accompanying windows of achievement for six key motor development milestones will provide a unique link between physical growth and motor development.

To celebrate, the Healthy Start Coalition is working alongside organizations across the world to increase awareness about the importance of breastfeeding for the health and well-being of babies, and specific ways that businesses, health care facilities, and employers can promote breastfeeding.

We’re kicking it off with our 6th Annual World Breastfeeding Week Door Decorating Contest!

Local businesses and healthcare facilities are invited to decorate an office door that is visible to the public with a message that promotes or supports breastfeeding.

Click here to download the 2011 WBW Door Decorating Contest Entry Form!

Judging will take place on Thursday, August 4th, and winners will be announced the following Monday, August 8th.

Contest winners will be published in the Healthy Start E-newsletter, as well as posted to the Healthy Start Coalition website.

If you have any questions, please contact Ciera Galbraith, (941) 373-7070 ext. 303.

Click here to see previous year’s winners!

Happy decorating! We can’t wait to see the creative door designs you come up with this year!

What is Healthy Start Prenatal Risk Screening?

Every doctor in the state of Florida is required to offer a Healthy Start Screening to all pregnant women and their babies. By initialing “Yes” to being screening on the Healthy Start Prenatal  Risk Screen, women will know within minutes, if they or their baby have any potential health risks.

Healthy Start believes every woman deserves to know if she or her baby is at risk.

After completing the Healthy Start Screen, the doctor’s office or delivering facility will refer to Healthy Start based on answers provided on the Screening Form. Healthy Start and the doctor’s office continually communicate with each other to make sure the client has the best outcome possible.

What if I don’t need any help?

Even if you don’t have problems or the desire to use the Healthy Start services, completing the Healthy Start screen at your doctor or midwife’s office will be helpful in gathering the data and funding necessary to improve the system of care for ALL moms and babies in North Central Florida.

Click below to view a sample Healthy Start Prenatal Risk Screening form!

Every doctor in the state of Florida is required to offer a Healthy Start Screening to all pregnant women and their babies. By initialing “Yes” to being screened on the Healthy Start Infant Risk Screen, women will know within minutes, if  their baby has any potential health risks.

Healthy Start believes every woman deserves to know if she or her baby is at risk.

After completing the Healthy Start Screen, the doctor’s office or delivering facility will refer to Healthy Start based on answers provided on the Screening Form. Healthy Start and the doctor’s office continually communicate with each other to make sure the client has the best outcome possible.

What if I don’t need any help?

Even if you don’t have problems or the desire to use the Healthy Start services, completing the Healthy Start screen at your birthing facility will be helpful in gathering the data and funding necessary to improve the system of care for ALL moms and babies in Sarasota County.

Click below to view a sample Healthy Start Infant Screening form!

In the face of severe, state-wide budget cuts, the Healthy Start Coalition relies on outside support now more than ever.  Without our donors and sponsors, we would be severely limited in our capacity to support pregnant women and infants in Sarasota County.

Thank you for your support!

Donors:

Foundations:

• The Apisdorf Charitable Foundation
• The CJ Foundation for SIDS
• The Community Foundation of Sarasota County
• The Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice
• The Sarasota County Foundation

Organizations:

• The Boys and Girls Club of Sarasota County
• The Downtown Sarasota Farmer’s Market
• Forty Carrots Family Center
• Gulfcoast South Area Health Education Center
• The Kiwanis Club of Sarasota

Local Businesses:

• Bloomin’ Bellies Maternity Boutique
• Bowman Originals
• European Focus
• Family Living Magazine
• Fresh. Salon
• Gold Coast Eagle Distributing
• Kangaroo Promotions
• Michael’s on East
• Mommy Magazine
• North Port Magazine
• Publix
• Sarasota Architectural Salvage
• Sarasota Film Society