WASHINGTON, DC, SEPTEMBER 18, 2023 — The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) and nonprofit organization Healthy Birth Day, Inc. (HBD) have reached the Implementation and Pilot Testing phase of a multiyear agreement to create a fetal movement change pathway to help standardize practice for pregnant people presenting with changes in fetal movement. This collaboration will help engage and educate thousands of women’s health and obstetric nurses across the United States.
Healthy Birth Day, Inc. is the non-profit organization that created the evidence-based stillbirth prevention program – Count the Kicks. Count the Kicks educates expectant parents on how to track their baby’s movements and identify changes in fetal movements. This early warning system has been so successful in identifying issues it has helped save babies in 35 states and five countries.
During the current phase, a pilot will launch in 5-7 birthing centers in the US to determine the feasibility of implementing a standardized algorithm on changes in fetal movement. The pilot centers will attend virtual meetings to share information on barriers and facilitators to the use of this algorithm and determine best practices for educating pregnant people on changes in fetal movement.
Earlier phases of the collaboration included creating an expert stakeholder panel, a literature review, and development of education focused on normal changes in fetal movement. The project will conclude with evaluation, revision, and publishing of the outcomes.
About AWHONN
The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit membership organization. Our mission is to empower and support nurses caring for women, newborns, and their families through research, education, and advocacy.
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For more information, please contact Shannon Doolin at 202-261-2410 or sdoolin@awhonn.org.
About Healthy Birth Day, Inc.
Healthy Birth Day, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention of stillbirth through programming, advocacy, and research. Healthy Birth Day, Inc. is the creator of the Count the Kicks stillbirth prevention program, which is credited with lowering the stillbirth rate in Iowa by more than 30% in the first 10 years (2008-2018). The free Count the Kicks app is a powerful stillbirth prevention tool to help expectant parents be more in tune with their bodies and their babies. Learn more at HealthyBirthDay.org and CountTheKicks.org.
