`BABY YOUR BABY': PREGNANCY CARE PROGRAM UNVEILED

Missouri Gov. John Ashcroft and two state department directors unveiled a new program Monday called "Baby Your Baby," which is designed to increase the use of pregnancy care.

Ashcroft explained that the program, which came from a recommendation of the Governor's Conference on Infant Mortality, will attempt to "encourage women to get early and regular baby care."

He noted: "Last year, 13,000 Missouri mothers either did not have a checkup until after their fourth month of pregnancy or did not have a sufficient number of exams before delivering their babies.

"While some mothers face certain challenges to obtaining pregnancy care, many others simply do not know that pregnancy care is important and available," the governor said.

Ashcroft, speaking at a news conference at the Cape Girardeau County Health Department, was accompanied by Dr. John Bagby, director of the Missouri Department of Health, and Gary Stangler, director of the Department of Social Services.

Both directors agreed the program was needed and stressed that healthy mothers lead to healthy babies. All three said it was important to spread the word about the need for proper baby care.

"Pregnancy care, early and regular, is the best way to prevent babies from being born either too small to be healthy or even too small to live," said Ashcroft.

"The death of a baby robs opportunity from an innocent life, breaks the heart of those near the event, and steals unknown potential from humanity around the world."

The governor pointed out that although low-birth-weight babies can often be saved, the cost of care runs up to $100,000 a month. "This is a much cheaper way to address the problem," said Ashcroft.

The Baby Your Baby program will deliver messages through public service announcements, newspaper supplements, and media coverage. In addition a toll free number, 1-800-TEL-LINK, will be staffed by Department of Health personnel to give information on where women can go for pregnancy care and a variety of other maternal and child health services in their community.

A second phase of the program will start this fall, offering coupons for baby needs and personal care items. The coupons can be redeemed only after making pregnancy care visits.

Last year, Dr. Bagby pointed out that 795 infants died before their first birthday in Missouri, a figure he said that is unacceptable. Solutions to this problem require a combination of public and private resources, he maintained.

"We hope this message will be taken to heart by pregnant mothers, their families and friends," said Bagby.

"The task ahead of us is enormously complex," added Stangler.

He said Cape Girardeau, with its Community Caring Council, is the kind of place the Baby Your Baby program will succeed.

Ashcroft said the program is not designed to end any programs already in place to ensure healthy babies.

"We try to add to what other programs have done," he observed.

Bagby said the state will continue to fund the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Fathers, Healthy Babies program, which provides education and information to pregnant women and their families in the Bootheel. This program provides full-time outreach counselors in five counties to work with families to help improve pregnancy outcomes and reduce infant mortality.

"Having babies die in this state is unacceptable," declared Ashcroft. "Early and regular care during pregnancy is very important to having healthy babies."

Although the program is aimed at pregnant mothers, the governor and department directors said all people in the state will benefit from a successful program.