Seven nonprofit organizations have been awarded grants totaling $363,650 from the Aetna Foundation to help expectant women from minority populations have healthier pregnancies and healthier babies. The funding is part of the Aetna Foundation's commitment to promoting racial and ethnic health care equity by reducing the high rate of infant mortality in the U.S. among vulnerable communities, particularly in the African-American population where preterm birth and mortality in the first year of life are double the rates of the white population and where breastfeeding rates are lower.
The grants will address such issues as breastfeeding, obesity and pregnancy, perinatal stress, access to prenatal care and the effectiveness of doulas. The programs will focus on at-risk women and their babies in California, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas.
'Helping at-risk mothers access high-quality care, good nutrition and education about healthy living is a way to ensure their children get a healthy start in life,' said Sharon Dalton, vice president of the Aetna Foundation and director of its regional grant making. 'For example, we know that breastfeeding can boost immunity and reduce the risk of obesity for children, and that stress-reduction and healthy weight in expectant mothers lead to fewer complications in pregnancy and childbirth.
'Our support of these programs aims to broaden the reach of much-needed services to women from vulnerable populations and to help organizations research the effectiveness of their programs to deliver strong results,' said Dalton.
Keywords: Bariatrics, Obstetrics, Pediatrics, Overnutrition, Women's Health, Diet and Nutrition, Nutrition Disorders, The Aetna Foundation Inc..
This article was prepared by Pediatrics Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2012, Pediatrics Week via NewsRx.com.
