Texting Targets Moms for Better Health

From ocregister.com:

Can a text message improve your health?

The federal government wants to find out, based on the success of a free text messaging system targeting low-income, pregnant women. By texting “baby” (or “bebe” for Spanish) to 511411, women receive customized information based on where they live and when they are due. No charge applies for the texts, even for users without a texting plan.

Pamela Pimentel, a nurse and CEO of the nonprofit MOMS Orange County, said the Text4Baby program is ideal for women whose cell phones are their main source of communication. They receive about three messages a week while pregnant and during the baby’s first year of life.

“Let’s say (the text says) it’s good for you to stop drinking alcohol, then there’s a phone number to call for help,” Pimentel said. “We have looked at all the messages that have come out. They’ve been good information. It’s probably not for everyone, but for a certain segment of our population, they’re getting a lot out of it.”

The messages are written in conversational style and cover topics such as development of the fetus, breastfeeding and car seat safety. More than 135,000 women have signed up so far in the program’s first year. The goal is to reach 1 million mothers by 2012.

The Text4Baby program is a collaboration of government agencies, nonprofit, wireless carriers and businesses. Now the federal government is exploring if similar texting programs could be beneficial in reducing obesity and smoking. The Department of Health and Human Services has developed a task force to evaluate the maternity program and look at developing more mobile health campaigns.