Posted: 9/18/2017
Dallas Healthy Start hosts Baby Buggy Walk in the Park
Babies, buggies and a bevy of advocates for healthy families will stroll to promote healthier birth outcomes at the fourth annual Baby Buggy Walk in the Park hosted by Dallas Healthy Start, a program of Parkland Health & Hospital System on Saturday, Sept. 23 at the Kidd Spring Recreational Center at 711 W. Canty St., Dallas, 75208. The event is free. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. and the walk begins at 9:30 a.m.
The festival and walk seeks to promote healthier birth outcomes by educating the community during National Infant Morality Awareness Month each September and empower communities to take charge of their health through education. Although infant mortality and low birthweight rates are declining across the nation, they remain major public health issues in our communities. According to the 2016 Dallas County Community Health Needs Assessment, infants in Dallas County had a mortality rate of 7.4 deaths per 1,000 live births, a rate that is higher than the state and national averages.
Dallas Healthy Start is a Parkland program that seeks to reduce infant deaths, pre-term and low-weight births. The program offers services in seven ZIP codes that have the highest rates of infant deaths in Dallas County and provides prenatal and parenting education, well baby care, and food and housing assistance, among other services.
According to the National Healthy Start Association, the gap in infant mortality between whites and minorities has not been closed. Infant mortality and low birthweight among African American women is more than twice that of Caucasian women. For Hispanics and Native Americans, infant mortality and low birthweight rates are significantly higher than that of the Caucasian population.
“Infant mortality rates are commonly used as indicators of a healthy community. That’s why we believe it’s important to bring awareness about the factors that often lead to infant mortality,” said Karla McCoy, RN, BSN, MS, Community Programs Administrator, Women & Infants Specialty Health at Parkland. “Education is one of the best ways to fight these community health issues.”
Families will learn about safe sleep, child car safety, women’s reproductive health and family planning at the event. Other Parkland departments and community partners will also provide education and resources.
“We encourage everyone to come to the event to learn about healthy eating habits, exercise and health-related resources in their communities,” McCoy said.
For more information about the Baby Buggy Walk in the Park in Dallas, contact Dallas Healthy Start at 214-590-1670. For more information about Dallas Healthy Start or Parkland, please visit www.parklandhospital.com.