There is a new initiative that aims to reduce the newborn mortality rate in Little Rock

Little Rock, Arkansas – It has been determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that the state of Arkansas has the third-highest infant mortality rate in the entire country.

An organization located in Little Rock is currently embarking on a new initiative with the goal of contributing to the modification of those figures.

This program is known as “MyBaby4Me,” and it is supported financially by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There are already variants of this program in operation in Memphis and Nashville.

The event that marked the beginning of the Little Rock version, which will be held in the Bullock Temple C.M.E. Church, which is located directly across from Central High School, took place on Saturday.

Dr. Kay Chandler, the Surgeon General of Arkansas, Michael Beheshti, a member of the LDS church, and Odessa Darrough, the Senior Pastor of the Bullock Temple Church, were among the individuals who spoke at the event.

“We are pleased to begin the work of love and ministry to assist mothers and save the lives of babies,” Darrough added. “Today, we are pleased to begin this work.”

According to Dr. Chandler, the program will specifically target the issue of infant mortality, which is a problem that both she and Governor Sarah Sanders are deeply committed to addressing.

The statement was made by Chandler. “When Governor Sanders learned about this program, she requested that it be brought to Little Rock,” Chandler stated. “And this is due to the fact that we are aware of the significance of community and connection. The program’s objective is to reach pregnant mothers and their developing babies in order to provide them with assistance and support by demonstrating love and caring in a manner that is both very physical and very intimate.

In order to expand the program in Memphis, Latoyia Dennis, who is the founder of the nonprofit organization known as “A Chance to Learn,” has been instrumental in securing grant money. She went on to say that the concept of lowering the death rate of infants and providing assistance to mothers who are expecting is something that is very close to her heart.

“During the birth of my kid, I came dangerously close to passing away twice. She told how she had five miscarriages and how she was almost an example of the phenomenon.

In addition to that, she discussed how she was diagnosed with a disease that, in her opinion, could have been discovered earlier if she had received a higher level of education.

The initiative known as “MyBaby4Me” has as one of its key objectives the education of females who are either new mothers or expecting mothers.

Women are invited to attend the church twice a week in order to meet with other women who are new mothers or who are about to become mothers and to receive helpful information regarding pregnancy and motherhood. Other requirements, however, are satisfied as well.

According to Dennis, “We are providing meals each and every time they come, not just while they are here, but also when they leave.” “We make sure that they are able to come and learn how to be healthy, whole, and happy mothers by providing transportation for them, if that is something that they require.”

On the other hand, the group takes into account the fact that individuals will not make use of these resources if they are not aware of their existence. Therefore, following the incident that took place on Saturday, they went to work and knocked on doors and left leaflets in communities that were classified as being at danger.

Chandler stated, “Not every single person that we canvass is going to have family members or friends who are pregnant.” “On the other hand, if they are aware that it is present, then they could have somebody who they are familiar with, to whom they can ask, ‘Hey, did you know about this program?’ Therefore, the sole purpose of our presence is to ensure that people are aware of this.
At the moment, the program is aimed at women who live in the 72202 zip code, which is a region that has been disproportionately affected by the rate of infant mortality.

Even though they are concentrating their efforts primarily on a single zip code at the moment, Beheshti stated that they would not exclude anyone from participating in the initiative.
“We have eased out of zip codes occasionally to accommodate moms that are interested in participating,” stated Dennis in response.

For the first time, commencing on December 16, 2024, gatherings will take place at the Bullock Temple Church.

After then, they will be held every Monday evening from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and on Thursday afternoons from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., respectively.

Phone number (501) 413-4976 is the number to call for additional information.