More than 60 percent of city high school students say they've had sex and nearly
a third have had four or more partners. Shelby County's teen pregnancy rate is
down but still among the country's highest. Prematurity is the No. 1 baby killer in
Memphis and nationwide, accounting for at least 60 percent of the deaths. In half
of those cases doctors don't know why the babies came early. Poor women are
more likely to deliver too early - between 20 and 37 weeks - and lose their babies.
The odds are against them. Their lives too often reflect the long list of risk factors.
Poor mothers are less likely to get prenatal care, less likely to eat right and
get vitamins they need. They're more likely to smoke, drink, use drugs, and suffer
mental and physical abuse. They're more likely to have unplanned or back-to-back
pregnancies. Poor mothers are more often high school dropouts and teenagers,
more likely to live near toxic streams and dumping grounds.
The county's 11 public health clinics nestled in the poorest neighborhoods see
thousands of patients - many of them teens with their moms - seeking birth control
and other ob-gyn services each year. Thousands more are on Medicaid using
private providers. But last year 604 mothers got no prenatal care. Hundreds more
saw the doctor too little or too late. At least one-third of the pregnant teens got
inadequate care.
The message is clear that there is a need for an event of this nature. We would
be pleased to have you join us in this year’s Community Baby Shower. You will
find that there is no other event in the city that delivers a unique mix of support,
awareness, education, and opportunity - in a celebration of motherhood, health,
and life.
Here’s a link to pictures and video from last year’s Fresh Starts Communit Baby
Shower:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=AfGxnnCc7Us
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNtRszYzqGc
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.584663031606135.1073741827.158
520904220352&type=1&l=52300af583
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