Priority Area: Maternal/Child Health

The CDC calls Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) “the death of an infant less than one year of age that occurs suddenly and unexpectedly and whose cause of death is not immediately obvious before the investigation.” SUID accounts for approximately 3,500 deaths in the United States annually. Following the safe sleep practices ABCs, putting baby to bed Alone, on her Back and in a Crib is an effective way to decrease the incidence of these deaths.

Parkview Wabash Hospital partners with 85 HOPE, the county’s free health clinic, to offer free pap exams to low- income, uninsured Wabash County women. The exams are held on two different evenings – one in Wabash and one in North Manchester.

Parkview Wabash Hospital will offer three different prenatal classes that help to prepare, encourage, and support families prior to the birth of a new baby. Classes include the following: Pet-Friendly Class, Grandparents Class, Breastfeeding Support Group and Dad’s Boot Camp. All classes are free and open to the public. Group parenting classes are rated as scientifically supported by the County Health Rankings.

Smoking is a risk factor associated with preterm birth, low birth weight and infant mortality. Parkview Wabash Hospital awarded a $4,480 grant to the Wabash County Tobacco Free Coalition to provide this program to county women. Their main source of referrals come from the LIFE Center, a pregnancy center that focuses on low income women. If a pregnant woman reports that she smokes, she is encouraged to stop and given the opportunity to join the Tobacco Free Coalition’s cessation program. The program offers incentives for each week the mother is in the program and attends meetings. One-on-one counseling is available, as is the Indiana Quit Line.