Exciting news just launching today!

Text4baby is a new, free mobile information service providing timely health information to pregnant women and new moms from pregnancy through a baby's first year.An educational program ofthe National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB), text4baby provides participants with information to help them care for their health and give their babies the best possible start in life.

Women who sign up for the service by texting BABY to 511411 (or BEBE in Spanish) will receive three free SMS text messages each week, timed to their due date or baby's date of birth. These messages focus on a variety of topics critical to maternal and child health, including prevention of birth defects, immunization, nutrition, seasonal flu, mental health [YES!!!!], oral health and safe sleep. Text4baby messages also connect women to prenatal and infant care services and other resources.

"We believe the power of partnership and community can make an incredible difference in women's and children's lives," said Judy Meehan, executive director of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition. "Text4baby brings HMHB's mission to life and with the help of our partners, we believe we can be a strong catalyst for change."

I am thrilled to say that Postpartum Support International (PSI)is an outreachpartner of text4baby. Texts related to moms' mental health will connect women to PSI resources. Other outreach partners include state and local health departments, community health centers, WIC programs, health plans, major medical associations and nonprofit organizations dedicated to the health of mothers, babies and families.

"Postpartum Support International is proud to be a part of text4baby," said Birdie Gunyon Meyer, president of PSI. "Mobile health services around the world have demonstrated the ability to help change patient behavior and improve health outcomes, and we believe that this program can have a significant impact on maternal and child health in our country."

Here arejust a fewexamples of the texts thatpregnant women and motherswho opt in to this program will receive:

Breastfeeding gives babies a great start! Call 1-800-311-BABY (2229) to learn about help in your community for breastfeeding moms.

Your state offers free/low-cost health care for moms & babies. Call 877-543-7669 to ask if you qualify. Call 800-311-BABY (2229) to connect to care.

Next week your baby is 6 months old! Call the Dr. for a checkup. She will get shots protecting her from deadly diseases like pneumonia and meningitis.

If you feel sad, anxious or hopeless, call the Dr. or 800-944-4773. Postpartum depression can happen any time in the 1st year after having a baby.

Each year in the US, more than 500,000 babies are born prematurely and an estimated 28,000 children die before their first birthday — signifying a public health crisis. The infant mortality rate in the US is one of the highest in the industrialized world, and for the first time since the 1950s, that rate is on the rise. Research shows that while 90 percent of Americans have a mobile phone, fewer have access to the internet, and texting is more prevalent among women of childbearing age.

Text4baby is made possible through an unprecedented public-private partnership which includes the White House Office on Science and Technology Policy, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Voxiva, CITA-The Wireless Foundation, Grey Healthcare Group (a WPP company) and founding corporate sponsor Johnson & Johnson. Premier sponsors include WellPoint, Pfizer and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and wireless carriers that are distributing the text messages at no charge to recipients.

The text4baby wireless carriers are voluntarily providing the critical communications link of the initiative, distributing text messages to recipients at no charge. Participating carriers include: Alltel, AT&T, Cellular South, Cellcom, Centennial Cellular, Cincinnati Bell, Metro PCS, N-Telos, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Verizon and Virgin Mobile.

For more information about text4baby, please contact HMHB at (703) 797-1945 or info@text4baby.org.

Update 2pm: Here's a link to the White House blog writing about text4baby today.Just receivedlink from HMHB.

Update 4pm: The website for text4baby is now fully up and functioning. I don't think it was this am. So go check it out.