Washington, D.C., 4 February 2010 – Today the Federal Chief Technology Officer and an Associate Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Aneesh Chopra announced today the launch of text4baby – an unprecedented mobile health public-private partnership – designed to promote maternal and child health among underserved women.
Text4baby – the first-ever free mobile health service in the United States—provides timely and expert health information through SMS text messages to pregnant women and new moms through their babies’ first year.
By texting BABY to 511411 (or BEBE for Spanish), women 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 birth defects prevention, immunization, nutrition, seasonal flu, mental health, oral health and safe sleep. Text4baby messages also connect women to prenatal and infant care services and other resources.
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, Assurance Wireless, AT&T, Boost Mobile, Cellular South, Cellcom, Centennial Cellular, Cincinnati Bell, Metro PCS, N-Telos, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Verizon Wireless and Virgin Mobile USA.
Click here for a PDF of the press release from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
For more information, please visit text4baby.org.