NHSA's mission is to be our nation's voice in providing leadership and advocacy for health equity services and interventions that improve birth outcomes and family wellbeing.

First Candle and the National Healthy Start Association are partnering in an effort to improve birth outcomes. Kicks Count!, a health education campaign launched by First Candle, is designed to educate expectant parents and providers about the value of monitoring fetal movement to reduce the risk of stillbirth. The campaign was implemented in response to the more than 25,000 stillbirths that occur in the US each year.  Healthy Start home visiting programs around the country are taking the lead in sharing crucial Kicks Count brochures to their clients. The brochures are comprehensive, including information on how to perform a kick count, what parent’s should do if they have concerns about their baby’s movement, and general messages about good prenatal care and identifying premature labor. First Candle and the NHSA are excited to be working with the Healthy Start projects to help babies reach their first birthday. Learn more about Kicks Count! by visiting First Candle’s website, http://www.firstcandle.org/ or call Dana Kaplin at 1-800-221-7437 ext. 236.

First Candle is a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating Stillbirth, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID) with programs of research, education and advocacy. The Kicks Count campaign is supported by All Baby and Child (ABC).