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Sadly, infant deaths in KC, MO are well above the national average and Black babies are more than twice as likely to pass away.* Please help us spread the word that September is Infant Mortality Awareness Month. Nurture KC educates families on safe sleep practices for babies to save lives and helps families who have experienced an unimaginable loss. Learn more at www.nurturekc.org/issues/infant-mortality/.

*Source: City of Kansas City, Missouri Health Department
Black Infant Mortality Rate – 9.4 out of 1,000 live births
White Infant Mortality Rate – 3.9 out of 1,000 live births
All Infant Mortality Rates – 6.3 out of 1,000 live births

National Infant Mortality Rate – 5.4 out of 1,000 live births (per CDC)

Nurture KC’s Marcela Metcalf talks with Telemundo KC about the importance of immunization and our upcoming flu + COVID vaccine clinics with Walgreens. Watch the PSA here.

(Translation: Marcela de Nurture KC habla con Telemundo Kansas City sobre la importancia de la inmunización y nuestras próximas clínicas de vacunación contra la gripe y el COVID con Walgreens.)

Go Chiefs!

There is always something new and exciting happening at Nurture KC. We are proud of our staff for all the ways they help the families we serve + community outreach and advocacy! See our August newsletter here.

For Immunization Awareness Month, our MAIC members have been sharing their “Why We Care about Vaccination” stories. These graphics will continue to appear on Nurture KC’s social media channels to increase public awareness about immunization.

The Mid America Immunization Coalition (MAIC) hosted a webinar featuring a former anti-vax mom, who is now pro-immunization. Lydia Greene shared her moving journey. Here’s a snippet …

“I fell for the anti-vax rhetoric and into the rabbit hole of vaccine misinformation. SIDS, autism, allergies. I became consumed by awful stories without scientific backing. I believed these parents and supposed health professionals. I believed I was saving my child,” Lydia says. “Then I started reading scientific rebuttals to many of the talking points I heard over and over. The facts and evidence don’t lie. Although it took some time, I pulled myself out of fear, did the research and learned the facts. I talked with a nurse who worked with me to get my kids back on track with vaccines. Now, I no longer feel nervous. I’m just happy to protect the health of my kids through immunization.”

MAIC is a program of Nurture KC. Learn more at nurturekc.org/solutions/immunization/#maic.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services published the most recent data in this annual report. Nurture KC runs the Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) program in Kansas City and contributed to this report. It’s crucial to understand the data, so systematic improvements can be made, and we can save moms’ lives!

Check out these breastfeeding facts vs. myths we created for the moms in our Healthy Start program.

We’ve got that #FridayFeeling seeing these cute brothers! 😍 Their family is in our Healthy Start program. While they were at our office, they got t-shirts and books to read for summer break.
Learn more about Healthy Start at https://nurturekc.org/solutions/.

This month’s UPDATE includes the below news and more:

• Will offer doula services, thanks to funding by the Health Forward Foundation

• Named to the Impact 100 by the United Way of Greater Kansas City

• Presented on Maternal Health Webinar by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)