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 Infant sleep-related deaths are on the rise in Franklin County and CelebrateOne is committed to turning this around. These deaths are preventable. It will take all of us, though, to educate our residents about the actions they can take to ensure more babies celebrate their first birthday.
Join Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther for a Town Hall meeting at 6 p.m. January 24 at First Church of God, 3480 Refugee Rd. There will be a panel discussion. Click here to register for the event.
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During the first weeks of a baby's life, some parents choose to room-share. Room-sharing is when you place your baby's crib, portable crib or bassinet in your own bedroom instead of in a separate nursery. This keeps baby nearby and helps with feeding, comforting and monitoring at night.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends room-sharing without bed-sharing. While room-sharing is safe, putting your infant to sleep in bed with you is not. Bed sharing increase the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and other sleep-related deaths.
Follow these recommendations for a safe sleep environment for your little one:
- Always place your baby on their back to sleep, not on the stomach or side.
- Use a firm, flat sleep surface. Cover the mattress with a sheet that fits snugly.
- Do not put anything else in the crib or bassinet. Keep plush toys, pillows, blankets, unfitted sheets, quilts, comforters and bumper pads out of your baby's sleep area.
- To avoid overheating, dress your baby for the room temperature and don't over bundle. Watch for signs of overheating, such as sweating or feeling hot to the touch.
- Watch out for other hazards, such as items with cords, ties, or ribbons that can wrap around a baby's neck and objects with any kind of sharp edge or corner. Hanging mobiles, wall hangings, pictures, draperies, and window blind cords could be harmful if they are within a baby's reach.
- Don’t let your baby fall asleep on a product that isn’t specifically designed for sleeping babies, such as a sitting device (like a car seat) or feeding pillow (like the Boppy pillow).
- Don’t use products or devices that claim to lower the risk of SIDS, such as sleep positioners (like wedges or incliners) or monitors that can detect a baby’s heart rate and breathing pattern. No known products can actually do this.
- Don’t use weighted blankets on or around your baby.
- Make sure that all sleep surfaces and products you use to help your baby sleep have been approved by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and meet federal safety standards.
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If you just took a pregnancy test and got a positive result, there may be a lot going through your mind. After processing the fact that you might be pregnant, the next step for many expecting moms is to schedule a doctor’s appointment.
The earlier you start your prenatal care — also known as care you receive while pregnant — the better. Prenatal care is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of complications for both you and your little one, helping to reduce low birthweight and premature birth.
Check out the video above to learn more about how our partner, StepOne, helps pregnant women with their prenatal care.
What happens during a prenatal care visit? Depending on where you are in your pregnancy, prenatal appointments may include:
- An estimated due date
- A review of your medical history
- A physical exam
- Blood tests
- Measuring your baby’s growth
- Checking your baby’s heartbeat
- Checking your blood pressure
- Recording your weight
- At least one ultrasound, possibly more
Additional tests may be required, depending on your needs. Your provider will decide how often they want to see you throughout your pregnancy.
How often do I need prenatal visits?If you’re over 35 or have a pre-existing health condition, your doctor may want to see you more frequently. Otherwise, prenatal appointments will likely be scheduled:
- Once a month from weeks 4 to 28
- Every two weeks from weeks 28 to 36
- Every week from weeks 36 to 40
If you need a doctor, please call StepOne, 614-721-0009.
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Name: Mona Duffy
Title: Senior Health Equity Manager
When did your start at CelebrateOne? May 2022
Tell us about your job We need to make sure that at the very beginning of life, every baby has an equal chance of survival, regardless of the color of their skin or where their families live. I collaborate with our partners and develop a plan so that our policies, budgets and programs remain equitable. I also advocate for policies at the state and local level that address infant mortality and disparities currently in the areas of teen reproductive health, housing for pregnant women and doula services. I serve on several coalitions, and committees that are dedicated to addressing infant mortality and racial disparities.
What do you find challenging? CelebrateOne supports a teen reproductive health program. The program is a peer-to-peer sexual health education and leadership program that draws on the credibility young people have with their peers and leverages the power of positive role modeling. Teens have an opportunity to receive a stipend for their participation and gain valuable personal skills, such as communication, organizational and accountability.
What has been challenging is finding youth who want to participate. The program provides such a rich experience for the youth. I really wish that more would get involved.
What is the most rewarding aspect? The most rewarding aspect about working at CelebrateOne is knowing that the work we do collectively as an organization is really making a difference in preventing infant deaths. Another rewarding aspect is helping women and families in our underserved communities so that everyone gets the health care they deserve.
Since we are just a few weeks into 2023, what are you looking forward to this year? Personally, I am looking forward to seeing my daughter graduating from high school and going off to college. This will be a proud mom moment for me.
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