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BISMARCK, N.D. (NDDoH) – The North Dakota Department of Health announced today that it has partnered with Count the Kicks, a stillbirth prevention public health campaign.

North Dakota vital statistics show an average of 62 stillborn babies each year in our state; if North Dakota experiences the same reduction in it’s still birth rate as Iowa, where Count the Kicks began, 18 babies could potentially be saved in one year.

Count the Kicks teaches the method for and importance of tracking fetal movement in the third trimester of pregnancy. Scientific studies show that expectant moms should track their baby’s movements once a day in the third trimester and learn how long it normally takes their baby to get to 10 movements. Moms will start to notice a pattern and the “normal” amount of time it takes their baby to get to 10. If the “normal” interval changes during the third trimester, this could be a sign of potential problems and an indication to call their health care provider.

“Stillbirth affects every 1 in 167 pregnancies nationwide. I encourage all North Dakota health providers to order Count the Kicks educational materials today and let them spark the kick counting conversation with patients,” said Sarah Massey, North Dakota Department of Health, Infant & Child Death Services Director.

Thanks to the North Dakota Department of Health, maternal health providers, birthing hospitals, clinics, local public health, social service agencies and others throughout North Dakota can order FREE Count the Kicks educational materials and start using them in their practices right away. Material can be ordered atwww.countthekicks.org.

Moms everywhere can download the FREE Count the Kicks app which is available in the Google Play and iTunes online stores. The app, which is available in 10 languages, allows expectant moms to monitor their baby’s movement, record the history, set a daily reminder, and count for single babies and twins.

For questions, please contact the Division of Injury and Violence Prevention at 701-328-4536.