Prevent Child Abuse Vermont has partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with Text4Baby, the largest mobile health initiative in the nation, to provide critical information to pregnant women and mothers with infants under age one, along with their partners and loved ones.

Text4Baby uses the power of cell phone technology to help new mothers and expectant women keep themselves and their babies healthy. Around 89 percent of young women carry their smart phones at all times, so Text4Baby delivers the information moms and expecting women need most through free text messages and an app.

Prevent Child Abuse Vermont’s website now offers an easy portal to join this service. Flyers to explain how to sign up for this free service are being distributed to obgyn, pediatrician’s and family practice offices.

To enroll in the Text4Baby service, women sign up by texting BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411 and receive at least three free text messages a week containing expert health tips and safety information, times to their due date or baby’s birth date. Text4baby sends personalized messages directly to the subscriber, and the texts have information they can trust, since they are developed by leading national medical health organizations and federal partners from all over the country. There is also an app, available for download in the Google Play and iTunes stores, which provides additional information about baby’s development, pregnancy, childcare tips and more.

For more information about Text4Baby and how to receive flyers or to sign up contact Ann Shangraw at PCAVT, by calling 802-229-5724 or ashangraw@pcavt.org.