FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Anne Manning

University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Communications & Marketing

 (901) 448-4072

 

March of Dimes Tennessee Chapter Awards Grant to

UTHSC Children’s Foundation Research Center of Memphis

to Help Hispanic Mothers and Babies

Grant is One of Seven Awarded in 2006

 

(Memphis, TN, February 13, 2006)--The March of Dimes Tennessee Chapter is pleased to advance maternal and infant health in Memphis by supporting the Children’s Foundation Research Center at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). The Children’s Foundation Research Center has partnered with the Memphis and Shelby County Health Department to implement a prenatal education program with Latinas.  This effort is designed to support healthy behaviors and encourage early prenatal care.

Titled “Comenzando bien” (translated, “beginning well”), the prenatal curriculum was developed by the March of Dimes in partnership with the National Alliance for Hispanic Health.  The program is being implemented at the Hickory Hill Public Health Clinic and CentroSalud, which serve a large Hispanic population. The continued funding will allow the program to be offered in additional church locations, as well. The curriculum reinforces cultural values and supports healthy lifestyles during pregnancy.  Topics include the importance of early prenatal care, healthy nutrition practices (including folic acid), and avoiding alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. Evaluation measures are related to knowledge changes, as well as the timing of prenatal care and number of prenatal visits kept.  Alejandra Gómez serves as the “promotora” (lay health advisor) who teaches the group sessions.

Marian Levy, Dr.PH, RD, of the Children’s Foundation Research Center at UTHSC states, “We are grateful that successful fundraising efforts, such as WalkAmerica, make it possible for the March of Dimes to support efforts to help more babies be born healthy in Shelby County.  Specifically, our funding was made possible by the WalkAmerica contributions raised by Christie Free of FedEx. These grants are one way the March of Dimes pursues its mission of preventing premature births and infant mortality.”

Each week in the state of Tennessee, 205 babies are born prematurely.  In 2002-2004, the March of Dimes invested more that $1,556,510 in Tennessee for program services, including national research grants, community grants, and local public and professional education.  Through these grants, The March of Dimes is seeking ways to prevent birth defects and infant mortality, find the causes of preterm birth, increase access to prenatal care, and educate men and women about having healthy babies.

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a five-year campaign to address the increasing rate or premature birth. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at www.marchofdimes.com

 or its Spanish Web site at www.nacersano.org.  For more information on the annual March of Dimes WalkAmerica, visit the Web site at www.walkamerica.org.

 

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