Free Mobile Health Service Text4baby provides Health Tips to PregnantWomen, New Moms via SMS

The Federal Chief Technology Officer and an Associate Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Aneesh Chopra announced today the launch of text4baby – an unprecedented mobile health public-private partnership – designed to promote maternal and child health among underserved women. Text4baby – the first-ever free mobile health service in the United States – provides timely and expert health information through SMS text messages to pregnant women and new moms through their babies' first year.

By texting BABY to 511411 (or BEBE for Spanish), women receive three free SMS text messages each week timed to their due date or baby's date of birth. These messages focus on a variety of topics critical to maternal and child health, including birth defects prevention, immunization, nutrition, seasonal flu, mental health, oral health and safe sleep. Text4baby messages also connect women to prenatal and infant care services and other resources.

Text4baby founding partners include National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB), Voxiva, CTIA - The Wireless Foundation, grey healthcare group (a WPP company) and founding corporate sponsor Johnson & Johnson. Premier sponsors include WellPoint, Pfizer and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and wireless carriers are distributing free text messages. U.S. government partners include the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Defense Military Health System. Implementation partners include BabyCenter, LLC, Danya International, Syniverse Technologies, Keynote Systems and The George Washington University. MTV Networks is a media sponsor.

The text4baby wireless carriers are voluntarily providing the critical communications link of the initiative, distributing text messages to recipients at no charge. Participating carriers include: Alltel, Assurance Wireless, AT&T, Boost Mobile, Cellular South, Cellcom, Centennial Cellular, Cincinnati Bell, Metro PCS, N-Telos, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Verizon Wireless and Virgin Mobile USA.

Text4baby is proud to be working with many organizational partners, including the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, Virginia Department of Health, American Academy of Pediatrics, March of Dimes, Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, American Public Health Association, National Association of County and City Health Officials, National Healthy Start Association, National WIC Association and Postpartum Support International.

For more information, please visit text4baby.org.