North Carolina Newsletter Focuses on Latina Mothers

By Stephanie Brannick

The North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health of women and young children in North Carolina, has developed an online newsletter aimed at Latina mothers and the healthcare professionals who work with them. Maternidad Latina launched in 2007 in part to address North Carolina’s high infant mortality rate, particularly in the state’s minority populations. Maternidad Latina brings cultural materials to healthcare providers in the state and the Healthy Start Foundation provides the public with health information in English and Spanish.

While North Carolina's infant death rate continues to exceed the national average, the Healthy Start Foundation has contributed to the state's 35 percent reduction in infant mortality rates over the past 15 years, according to the Foundation’s Web site. In 2006, 1,033 babies in North Carolina died before their first birthday --a rate of 8.1 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. The provisional infant mortality rate for the United States is 6.6 deaths per 1,000 live births.

In response to the growing Latino population in North Carolina, the Foundation turned to an interactive, in-depth approach, giving the professional community a more efficient and personal way to relay information. Tania Connaughton-Espino, the Latina Communications Coordinator for Maternidad Latina, sees the web site as a vital teaching tool. “The newsletter highlights issues of particular relevance in the Latino community, such as domestic violence and mental health,” she said.

The Healthy Start Foundation also offers tips and resources on pre-conception, pregnancy and parenting topics, and produces and distributes pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and post-pregnancy educational materials. This information teaches women and families how to increase their chances of having a healthy pregnancy and how to reduce the risks of infant death and illness.

Connaughton-Espino believes that making these culturally significant materials available benefits the community on the personal, as well as the professional level. Better communication between patients and providers means, “addressing cultural beliefs that may create barriers for appropriate services.”

Since its inception, Maternidad Latina has produced six newsletters, each dealing with topics vital to family and health. These subjects range from communication skills and teen pregnancy to bereavement and domestic violence.

With a background in social work, Connaughton-Espino sees her involvement with Healthy Start as a positive step in bringing compassion and help to those who need it most. “The Foundation develops materials focused on improving the health of women and children in North Carolina and through our Latino Campaign we develop culturally and linguistically appropriate materials for the community, free of charge,” she said. “We want to act as a bridge to the Latina community.”

The Healthy Start Foundation’s resources, including Maternidad Latina, can be found at http://www.nchealthystart.org/aboutus/maternidad.htm

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