New Jersey programs

Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait^® (HBWW) is a preterm birth prevention initiative, with a focus on “preventable” late preterm birth. Through partnerships and collaborations between hospitals, heath departments and community organizations, HBWW provides education for pregnant patients, Perinatal providers and the greater community on the problem of preterm birth, risk factors and strategies for reducing risk. In addition, HBWW provides a supportive structure for implementing bundled evidence-based preterm birth prevention interventions.

Based on the pilot initiative completed in Kentucky in 2010, the HBWW initiative will be expanding to New Jersey in 2011, thanks to funds provided jointly by the March of Dimes and Johnson and Johnson.  A demonstration project will  determine how the HBWW model might be best applied to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in preterm birth among the African-American population, specifically in Newark and the surrounding community.

Our goal for the program is to reduce preterm birth rates over the 3 year program.  This will be accomplished by establishing the inclusion of a number of evidence based interventions at our partner sites including Newark Beth Israel, UMDNJ- The University Hospital and Newark Community Health Centers.  The interventions will be matched to the needs of the patient population and the site.  Possible interventions  include:  improving access to referral services, case management, CenteringPregnancy, improved cultural competence, intimate partner violence screening, increasing folic acid, infection diagnosis and treatment, improving nutrition, identifying and treating periodontal disease, preconception and interconception care, eliminating elective deliveries prior to 39 weeks, reducing stress, and substance abuse treatment and counseling.

Our partners and advisors include the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, The City of Newark Department of Child and Family Well Being, Gateway Northwest Maternal Child Health Network, Northern  New Jersey Maternal Child Health Consortium, Prevent Child Abuse, the Nicholson Foundation, UMDNJ, Newark Beth Israel, Newark Community Health Centers, Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey, Jewish Renaissance Center, Planned Parenthood, Newark NOW, Family Intervention Services, and many more.

To learn more about March of Dimes efforts to decrease late preterm birth in New Jersey, visit www.marchofdimes.com/hbww 

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