B'more for Healthy Babies

About the Initiative

B’more for Healthy Babies (BHB) is an innovative initiative to reduce infant mortality in Baltimore City through programs emphasizing policy change, service improvements, community mobilization, and behavior change. It has helped reduce the infant mortality rate in Baltimore City to its lowest point ever: 9.7 deaths per 1,000 live births (2012). Infant mortality has decreased by 28% since the launch of the initiative, from 13.5 in 2009 to 9.7 in 2012; the disparity between white and black infant deaths decreased by almost 40% during the same time period.

BHB is led by the Baltimore City Health Department with lead partners Family League of Baltimore and HealthCare Access Maryland and implemented with more than 100 partner agencies from the corporate, nonprofit, academic, donor, and government sectors. The Initiative has a strong community outreach and mobilization program that operates in Upton/Druid Heights, Park Heights, Patterson Park, and other neighborhoods.

BHB works to decrease the two-three leading causes of infant death: premature birth, low birth weight birth, and unsafe sleep. Our goal is to improve an often-fragmented health care system to reach all of Baltimore’s families with quality maternal and infant health services and support.

Our Vision and Services

All of Baltimore's babies are born at a healthy weight, full-term, and ready to thrive in healthy families.

BHB Collaboratives and Programs include:

• Mortality Reviews - Action-oriented community process involving systematic reviews of fetal and infant, maternal, and child deaths to improve service systems and community resources for perinatal individuals, infants, and families
• Care Coordination - BHB funds the Administrative Care Coordination Unit, housed within HealthCare Access Maryland, providing care coordination services to almost 4,000 perinatal individuals each year. Clients are outreached through the Maryland Prenatal Risk Assessment, Postpartum and Infant Maternal Referrals, community organization and self-referrals, or identified through hospital emergency departments and Baltimore City Judy Centers
• Recommend to remove B'more Fit for Healthy Babies and replace with B'more for Healthy Babies Communities - Place-based programming and community networks in the Druid, Upton, and Mondawmin, Patterson Park North & East, and Cherry Hill neighborhoods

Key Achievements to Date

B'more for Healthy Babies is a long-term initiative that has been carefully planned to work at the policy, service, community, and individual levels. BHB proves a population approach to reducing infant deaths can succeed.  Over fourteen years, the infant mortality rate (IMR) in Baltimore City declined from 13.5 to 8.8 deaths per 1,000 live births, and the Black-white racial disparity decreased by 37%. The strategy has documented significant reductions in infant mortality rates in the BHB target neighborhoods of Patterson Park North and East (Patterson Park NE) and Upton/Druid Heights, 21% and 56%, respectively.

Over fourteen years, the infant mortality rate (IMR) in Baltimore City declined from 13.5 to 8.8 deaths per 1,000 live births, and the Black-white racial disparity decreased by 37%.

BHB started tracking maternal mortality data as part of its 2019 strategy update. From 2010 to 2020, the maternal mortality rate (MMR) citywide slightly increased from 108.4 to 109.5.  However, upon review of MMR disaggregated by race, there is evidence of a growing Black-white disparity, an increase from 1.2 to 2.5 from 2010 to 2020. In Baltimore City the leading causes of maternal mortality, based upon reported data, are unintentional overdose/substance use, non-cardiovascular medical conditions, and homicide. Trend data for IMR and MMR are presented in Table 1.

Table 1: Trend Data for 2009 to 2023

Policy Support: 

• BHB advocacy and data supported the passage of the Maryland Maternal Health Act of 2024, requiring local health departments, certain health care providers, and hospitals to complete prenatal risk assessment forms and postpartum infant and maternal referral forms, increasing the number of pregnant people and infants connected with care coordination services.

Service Improvements:
BHB equips healthcare providers with evidence-based tools, protocols, and standardized messages/materials to improve services.

• 120 clinics, social service sites, and daycare centers receive door-to-door delivery of BHB materials and in-person updates each year during Rattle & Roll Day.
• 3,500 providers from 220 venues have been trained in safe sleep education.
• 11,200 Baby Basics books and planners have been distributed to pregnant women.

Community Engagement:
BHB implements intensive community outreach and support programs in high-risk neighborhoods.

• Community Collaboratives in Upton/Druid Heights and Patterson Park North and East have reached more than 30,000 community members with messages, materials, and support.
• Neighborhood action teams have been created to provide input on the City’s Fetal and Infant Mortality Review process.
• Nine Becoming a Mom (BAM) Clubs provide prenatal education and support to pregnant women.
• The B'more Fit for Healthy Babies Program, which is a partnership with Weight Watchers, has led to the launch of a third program site and national media coverage.
• Enoch Pratt Free Library Book Buggies stop at every WIC site to provide families with first cards and books to borrow.

Outreach for Families and Individuals:
BHB engages families with key health messages and support.

• SLEEP SAFE media messages have had a potential reach of 14 million views (impressions).
• 250,000 copies of posters, rack cards, and other materials have been disseminated citywide for the campaigns of SLEEP SAFE, Just Hold Off (smoke-free environments), U Choose (teen pregnancy prevention), and other initiatives.
• BHB’s Facebook page has more than 1,500 friends

Partners

BHB works with over 100 local and regional partners.  Key partners include CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and more than a dozen local foundations and local and national government agencies supporting our work. Partner agencies include:

WIC; Baltimore Infants & Toddlers; Baltimore Healthy Start; DRUM Healthy Families; The Family Tree; Mercy Health Services; LifeBridge Health; the city’s federally qualified health centers, birthing hospitals, and a vast network of obstetric, pediatric, and behavioral health providers; Baltimore City Department of Social Services; Baltimore City Public Schools; Behavioral Health System Baltimore; Maryland Family Network; Y of Central Maryland; United Way of Central Maryland; Baltimore City Head Start; Enoch Pratt Free Library; and numerous other supporters including academic institutions, churches, and businesses. 

Implementing agencies include our key community partners of Baltimore Medical System (Patterson Park North and East) and the University of Maryland Medical System Foundation (Upton/Druid Heights); MedStar (Cherry Hill); our communications partner of Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs; and our evaluation partner of Carson Research, Inc.

This project is built on collaboration at the policy level and in the community. And we invite interested parties – foundations, nonprofit organizations, community leaders, and others – to get involved.

Find us on Facebook and Twitter, or call (410) 396-9994.