HJAR Mar/Apr 2023

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  MAR / APR 2023 37 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com “Patient education and engagement is consid- ered a key component of transitional care efforts, leading to the development of standardized dis- charge instructions and patient-centered dis- charge tools,” said Blair P. Golden, MD, MS, and Karen Okrainec, MD, MSc, FRCPC, in an accom- panying editorial. “Health systems must proac- tively address disparities that exist with regard to patient and caregiver engagement surrounding care transitions, in addition to broader structural determinants of health that have been shown to contribute to health outcomes.” ADH, UAMS Partner to Launch Stillbirth Prevention Campaign The Arkansas Department of Health and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) are partnering with Count the Kicks, an evidence-based stillbirth prevention campaign, to educate expectant parents in Arkansas about the importance of tracking a baby’s movements daily in the third trimester of pregnancy. Stillbirth is a national public health crisis that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. For Arkansas families, one in every 138 pregnan- cies end in stillbirth, and families in the state are 10 times more likely to lose a baby to stillbirth than to SIDS. Recent data shows the devastating impact of COVID-19 on placentas and babies. Doctors have discovered what they are calling SARS-CoV-2 placentitis, a condition in which the virus attacks the placenta and cuts off oxygen to the baby. In the U.S., the annual number of stillbirths (defined as the loss of a baby at 20 weeks or greater during pregnancy) far exceeds the num- ber of deaths among children aged 0-14 years from preterm birth, SIDS, accidents, drownings, guns, fire, and flu combined. Research shows that nearly 30% of stillbirths can be prevented when expectant parents are educated on the impor- tance of tracking their baby’s movements daily starting at 28 weeks. Research shows a change in a baby’s move- ments in the third trimester is an early red flag. By using Count the Kicks, expectant parents can increase the chances of their baby arriving safely. Count the Kicks has a free app available in the iOS and Google Play app stores that provides expectant parents a simple, noninvasive way to monitor their babies’ well-being every day. After a few days using the app, expectant parents begin to see a pattern, a normal amount of time it takes their baby to get to 10 movements. If their baby’s “normal” changes during the third trimester, this could be a sign of potential problems and is an indication that the expectant parent should call their healthcare provider. Thanks to the partnership with ADH and UAMS, maternal health providers, birthing hospitals, home visitors, social service agencies, childbirth educators, and other providers in Arkansas can order free Count the Kicks educational materi- als (available at www.CountTheKicks.org) to help them have the kick counting conversation with expectant parents. These materials include post- ers, brochures, and app download cards in Eng- lish and Spanish. USDA Proposes Reducing Sugar, Salt in School Meals New nutrition standards announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture propose school lunches with less sugar and salt, starting in the 2025-2026 school year. Limits would impact sugary foods, including sweetened cereals, flavored milks, and yogurt. The ultimate goal is to restrict added sugars to less than 10% of total calories a week for school meals. “Many children aren’t getting the nutrition they need, and diet-related diseases are on the rise. Research shows school meals are the healthiest meals in a day for most kids, proving that they are an important tool for giving kids access to the nutrition they need for a bright future,” said Agri- culture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a release. “By proposing to limit the amount of added sugars in school meals for the first time ever, the USDA is taking a major step toward helping chil- dren achieve a more nutritious diet and better health,” the American Heart Association said in a statement. “Added sugars are a significant source of excess calories, provide no nutritional value, and may cause weight gain and increased risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other chronic health conditions.” Also in the proposed rules, sodium would be restricted to stay within current recommenda- tions that kids 14 and older consume less than 2,300 milligrams per day. Eventually, sodium con- tent would be reduced in school meals by 30% by fall 2029. n