March of Dimes awards grant to the Independent Health Foundation to help improve the health of mothers and babies in WNY

Baby & Me: Tobacco Free program now available to expectant mothers

BUFFALO, N.Y. (May 1, 2014) – The March of Dimes New York State Chapter has awarded a $43,174 grant to the Independent Health Foundation to support its new Baby & Me: Tobacco Free program, which has been created to help alleviate the burden of tobacco use for the pregnant and post-partum population in Western New York.

This grant is one of many the March of Dimes awards in pursuit of its mission to prevent birth defects and infant mortality.

“Since women who quit smoking are less likely to have premature and low-birth weight babies, we are using the March of Dimes grant to provide smoking cessation to expectant mothers and reduce the damaging effect of secondhand smoke on their children,” said Carrie Meyer, executive director, Independent Health Foundation. “We are grateful to those volunteers who support the March of Dimes by participation in events like March for Babies and who donate in other ways, helping women and babies who need it most.”

As part of the Baby & Me: Tobacco Free program, all eligible participants receive at least four in-home prenatal cessation counseling sessions provided by community health outreach workers from Independent Health and the Buffalo Prenatal-Perinatal Network. After the birth of the baby, if the mother is smoke-free, she will receive a monthly voucher for diapers for up to six months. The mother may use her voucher for any brand or size of diapers at local stores.

Women who would like to learn more about the eligibility guidelines for Baby & Me: Tobacco Free and apply for the program can call the Foundation at (716) 635-4959.

Established in 1992, the Independent Health Foundation works to improve the health and well-being of Western New York residents through awareness, prevention, and educational programs focused on community health priorities. For more information on the Foundation’s activities, visit www.independenthealth.com/foundation.

The Buffalo Prenatal-Perinatal Network is one of 16 comprehensive Prenatal-Perinatal Service Networks in New York State. Established in 1987, the not-for-profit organization is committed to helping improve the health of women and babies in the Buffalo regional area. Additional information is available at www.buffaloprenatal.org.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. For more than 75 years, moms and babies have benefited from the March of Dimes research, education, vaccines, and breakthroughs. To learn more, visit www.marchofdimes.com. You can also find March of Dimes on Facebook and Twitter.