Stillbirth is commonly defined as the loss of a baby at 20 weeks or greater gestation during pregnancy. It is a national public health crisis that impacts more than 21,000 families in the United States each year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately 626 Michigan families experience the tragedy of stillbirth each year, and one in every 173 pregnancies ends in stillbirth. Racial disparities persist, and a disproportionate number of babies are stillborn to Black, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander and American Indian or Alaska Native families.
To help reduce infant mortality, the MDHHS Division of Maternal and Infant Health is partnering with Count the Kicks, an evidence-based stillbirth prevention program, to educate expectant parents and providers about the importance of paying attention to baby’s movements in the third trimester of pregnancy. The following no-cost resources are available to expectant parents and providers:
Count the Kicks app: after a few days of using this free app, parents will begin to see a pattern of how much time it takes their baby to get to 10 movements. Information is available in more than 20 languages, as a web-based counting platform or via a paper chart.
CountTheKicks educational materials: providers can use these resources to help them discuss baby movement patterns with expectant parents. These no-cost materials are available in Arabic, English and Spanish.
Providers may Register for a Count the Kicks webinar on June 24, 2024.
