Ohio State Wexner Medical Center-led support program suggests a reduction in preterm birth and infant mortality
New research suggests a unique program called Moms2B at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center shows a reduction in adverse pregnancy outcomes in communities disproportionately affected by public health issues such as preterm birth and infant mortality.
The study, led by The Ohio State University College of Medicine researchers Courtney Lynch, PhD, MPH, associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Erinn Hade, PhD, associate professor of Biomedical Informatics, and published in the Journal of Maternal and Child Health, indicates that women who attended at least two Moms2B sessions may have lower rates of preterm birth, low birth weight and infant mortality compared to women who only received individual care.
“When we started the program 10 years ago, the infant mortality rate was as high as 19 per 1,000 births in some of these neighborhoods. Now it’s down to 10 per 1,000,” said Patricia Gabbe, MD, founder and director of the Moms2B program and pediatrician at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. “This kind of success has never happened before and wouldn’t be possible without our community collaborations.”