mother's day healthy moms=healthy babies campaign launched from el barrio with a haiku contest

7/30/2019 Mother's Day Healthy Moms=Healthy Babies Campaign Launched from El Barrio with a Haiku Contest

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Mother's Day Healthy Moms=Healthy Babies Campaign Launched from El Barrio with aHaiku Contest

Campaign to raise awareness of serious -- but preventable health risks for Momsand babies living in poverty in NYC neighborhoods like East Harlem and the SouthBronx.

East Harlem/El Barrio, NY, May 08, 2013 -- (LSA Family Health Service (LSA / “TheLittle Sisters”) has launched a HEALTHY MOMS = HEALTHY BABIES campaign from theircenter in the heart of El Barrio. The new, annual campaign aims to raise awareness of the serious health issues that affect pregnant women, new mothers and their newborn infants living in poverty, substandard housing conditions, or who lacksuch basic necessities like food or health care.

The HEALTHY MOMS = HEALTHY BABIES campaign features a HAIKU and SHORT POEM CONTEST (Deadline: May 10th, noon) and a VIRTUAL BABY SHOWER on Amazon.com. Both canbe found at www.bit.ly/HaikuMom. First prize is a $100 Macy’s Gift Card.

“LSA wants to honor Moms this Mother’s Day with the HEALTHY MOMS = HEALTHY BABIES HAIKU and SHORT POEM CONTEST,” said Gary Carter, Executive Director of LSA Family Health Service, “to remind us all how special and valuable moms are—and how importantit is that they get the care they need to stay healthy. Because healthy moms aremore likely to have healthy babies, and healthy lives, too.”

“But right now LSA can’t

reach them all in time.” Carter added. “The agency's nurses ned help from our neighbors everywhere.” Little Sisters’ home visiting nurses have been bringing skilled care to families in East Harlem for over 50 years (see videoGabby: The Girl Who Livedat www.littlesistersfamily.org). Little Sisters launched the HEALTHY MOMS = HEALTHY BABIES campaign, contest andvirtual baby shower so that all residents of NYC might know that their neighbors—the most vulnerable mothers and newborns— are suffering. New Yorkers are encouragedto honor a mom with a poem, donate to the Virtual Baby Shower, or donate to help moms get the routine but critical care they need. In addition to the 1st Prize $100 Macy’s Gift Card, prizes include brunch at the Kings’ Carriage House (for 2), and a Spring Bouquet from Kathy Flowers & Gifts.

 “Little Sisters strongly believes that the lives of moms and newborns should not be undermined or lost simply because poverty or crisis prevents them from gettingproper care,” said Sr. Suzanne Deliee, a home visiting nurse who has been at thecore of LSA’s Maternal Outreach and Infant Mortality Program for decades, and alsoruns breastfeeding and mother’s groups at LSA’s center in El Barrio.

More than half of East Harlem children are born into poverty, making it one of the poorest neighborhoods for children in the entire city. Not coincidentally, infants born in El Barrio/East Harlem bear 8x the risk of dying than do infants born in the Upper East Side, just blocks away. Approximately 11% of newborns suffer from low birth weight in Harlem, and 8.2% of women get late or no prenatal care. East Harlem has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in Manhattan, pregnancies

that generally bear a higher risk.

LSA Family Health Service’s home visiting nurses have been bringing skilled pre-natal, post-natal and newborn care to El Barrio families for over 50 years, regardless of their ability to pay. With regular care and monitoring, serious and lifethreatening conditions like pre-eclampsia, thyroid dysfunction, low birth weight, poor nutrition, and gestational diabetes can be caught and treated in time – avoiding needless suffering, delays, chronic health issues, or even loss of life.Last year LSA nurses made 471 post-partum home visits and 247 Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative visits.

7/30/2019 Mother's Day Healthy Moms=Healthy Babies Campaign Launched from El Barrio with a Haiku Contest

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Mothers and newborns in neighborhoods like the South Bronx and the Lower East Side also suffer dramatically in comparison to those residing in wealthier NYC neighborhoods.

About LSA Family Health Service (“The Little Sisters”)Since 1958, Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service, Inc. (LSA),a neighborhood-based, non-profit organization, has been delivering a holistic array of health and human services to East Harlem families with young children tohelp them thrive over time.

LSA's highly skilled home-visiting staff, including nurses, social workers, community health workers and clinicians, bring care right to families at home as well as at our East Harlem center. Our programs focus on preventing and treating the effects that poverty, instability or chronic crises can have on health, resilience and development – including asthma and high infant mortality. INTERVIEWSTo arrange an interview with:Gary S. Carter, LCSW LSA Executive DirectorSr. Suzanne Deliee, LSA Nurse

Please contact Rosemary Siciliano at rsiciliano@lsafhs.org or 207.332.9008 (cell)

For more information about the Healthy Moms = Healthy Babies campaign, Mother’s Day Haiku and Short Poem Contest and prizes or the Little Sisters, please visit: www.bit.ly/HaikuMom Twitter: @LSA_EastHarlemFacebook: LSA Family Health Service

Contact:Rosemary SicilianoLSA Family Health Service333 E. 115th StreetNew York, NY 10029

207-332-9008rsiciliano@lsafhs.orghttp://www.littlesistersfamily.org