Text4baby Message Development and Review

Background: Text4baby messages are based on research compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration, and other HHS agencies and guided by discussion groups with pregnant and new moms. Text-length messages were developed by the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, and an extensive collaborative team took part in the review process. Messages focus on a variety of topics critical to the health of mothers, babies and families, including the importance of prenatal and infant care, immunization, nutrition, mental health, breastfeeding, oral health, smoking cessation, infant feeding, child passenger safety, safe sleep and others.

Program background: Text4baby is a free mobile information service designed to promote maternal and child health.  An educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB), text4baby provides pregnant women and new moms with information to help them care for their health and give their babies the best possible start in life. 

Evaluation Methods and Results: To ensure message content is clear, understandable and actionable by mothers of all literacy levels, HMHB worked with the Emory at Grady Health Literacy (EAGHL) Team lead by Dr. Ruth Parker to perform one-on-one cognitive testing of messages with the target audience.

Conclusions: In process. Will be completed in the next month.

Implications for research and/or practice: Text4baby provides a maternal and child health resource that has undergone a comprehensive content review process and has been tested with the intended audience.