The El Paso County Department of Health and Environment concluded its campaign promoting healthy babies Dec. 31.The ìHealthy Baby is Worth the Weightî campaign, launched last October, included a mass media blitz, ranging from print and broadcast news features to bus signs to public service announcements. Nineteen percent of the women who responded to the campaign heard about it through newspapers and magazines. The largest percent ñ 39 ñ heard about the campaign at their doctorís office.ìWe are very pleased with the positive responses weíve received from clients and health care providers Ö related to the Ö campaign,î said Linda Short, perinatal case manager for the EPCDHE. ìA post-campaign survey of expecting moms and women of child bearing years indicated that nearly 40 percent of them received our message through one or more communication channels.îThe Colorado Health Departmentís healthy baby Web site received a 45 percent increase in hits to the site during the months of October through December. From December 2005 through December 2006, Internet traffic increased 178 percent, from 10,420 to 28,991 hits.The campaignís primary goal is to reverse the number of low-birth-weight babies ñinfants less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces ñ through messages about appropriate maternal weight gain and healthy eating and lifestyle choices. In Colorado, nearly 1-in-4 women do not gain enough weight during pregnancy. El Paso County has one of the highest low-birth-weight rates in the state and nation, representing about 10 percent of all deliveries. Underweight newborns are at increased risk for severe illness and long-term disabilities.A total of 289 post-campaign surveys were completed.According to the EPCDHE, ìResults of the Ö survey are limited by a small and isolated sampling and must be interpreted with caution. Within these limitations, the results suggest further exploration of physiciansí offices as a cost-effective method for distributing materials and reinforcing campaign messages. This setting may also facilitate direct communication between patients and providers on this important health issue, as well as foster continued partnership between county health departments and their community providers.
