B’more for Healthy Babies

Overview

Baltimore babies die at a rate that is among the worst in America; Baltimore also has an extremely high rate of babies born pre-term and underweight – key factors in infant mortality. In response to this public health crisis, B'more for Healthy Babies was launched by the Baltimore City Health Department, in partnership with CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and The Family League of Baltimore City, Inc. and community partners, including Baltimore Medical System (Patterson Park North and East) and University of Maryland Medical System Foundation (Upton/Druid Heights). B’more for Healthy Babies is built on the realization that reducing infant deaths will happen only if people throughout the community play a part – leaders of the key city agencies, physicians, nurses and social workers; community groups and teachers; fathers, grandmothers, caregivers and pregnant women themselves.

CCP is implementing a sophisticated communication campaign across the city that will share messages about infant safety and family health to all residents of Baltimore. The initiative will focus on three sets of messages:

CCP is also evaluating the effectiveness of the campaign.

Accomplishments

• Creation of project and campaign strategy
• Research and evaluation design
• Branding and logo development
• Project website development and launch
• SLEEP SAFE campaign—launched in August 2010, the centerpiece of the campaign is an eight-minute video [3] featuring real moms who lost a child in an unsafe sleep environment. A related mass media campaign featuring the same moms included radio and television spots, bus station posters, billboards and an assortment of print materials.
• Phase I Extension Campaign – this campaign launched in July 2011 with a focus on Baltimore’s dads. Central to this campaign is a radio spot [3] in which a real dad from Baltimore stresses the importance of safe sleep environments and introduces the topic of smoke-free homes. In addition to the radio ad, the campaign promoted its message by utilizing bus shelter posters and flyers.
• “JUST HOLD OFF” Campaign – launched in October 2011, the campaign encourages the creation of smoke-free environments for babies and pregnant women. The mass media utilizes simple icons and text and features messages on billboards, metro kiosks, bus sides and a variety of print materials.
• Formative research for Phase I and Phase II
• Providers’ Survey in Baltimore City
• Community Survey in Baltimore City
• Support for events including press conferences, an annual Remembrance Ceremony and Rattle & Roll – an annual mass distribution of the campaign’s print materials to health providers throughout Baltimore City.
• Facebook page development (Join our Facebook page [3])
• Twitter account development (Follow us @bmoreforbabies [3])
• Texting (text BABY to 25827 to sign up to get messages from B’more for Healthy Babies!)