Count the Kicks Announces Partnership with DC Health And DC Perinatal Quality Collaborative
The Count the Kicks program is launching in Washington, D.C. in partnership with DC Health and the DC PQC.
Count the Kicks is an evidence-based stillbirth prevention program that teaches expectant parents the importance of monitoring their baby's movements in the third trimester of pregnancy.
The FREE Count the Kicks app helps expectant parents get to know their baby's normal movement patterns in the third trimester of pregnancy. The app is available in more than 20 languages.
Goal of partnership is to improve birth outcomes for D.C. families through program's free, evidence-based stillbirth prevention tools and resources.
By helping families recognize changes in their baby’s movements, we’re taking meaningful action to reduce preventable stillbirths and improve maternal and infant health outcomes across the District.”
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, July 17, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- DC Health and the District of Columbia Perinatal Quality Collaborative (DC PQC) are partnering with Count the Kicks, an evidence-based stillbirth prevention program, to educate expectant parents about the importance of paying attention to their baby’s movements in the third trimester of pregnancy. Nearly 30% of stillbirths can be prevented when expectant parents are educated on how to monitor their baby’s movements once a day starting at 28 weeks.— Ayanna Bennett, Director of DC Health.
The health of a mom and the health of her baby are intrinsically connected. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) lists a change in a baby's movements as one of its 15 urgent maternal warning signs, and research shows a change in a baby’s normal movement pattern is sometimes the first or only indication there may be an issue developing during the pregnancy.
After a few days using the FREE Count the Kicks mobile app (available in 20+ languages), web-based counting platform or counting on a paper chart, expectant parents will begin to see a pattern, a normal amount of time it takes their baby to get to 10 movements. If their baby’s "normal" changes during the third trimester, this could be a sign of potential problems and is an indication that the expectant parent should call their health care provider right away.
Thanks to the partnership with DC PQC, maternal health providers, birthing hospitals, social service agencies, childbirth educators and other providers in Washington, D.C. can order FREE Count the Kicks educational materials (available at CountTheKicks.org) to help them have a conversation about baby’s movement patterns with expectant parents. These materials are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, French, and German.
“Partnering with Count the Kicks allows us to put powerful, life-saving knowledge directly into the hands of expectant parents. By helping families recognize changes in their baby’s movements, we’re taking meaningful action to reduce preventable stillbirths and improve maternal and infant health outcomes across the District,” said Ayanna Bennett, Director of DC Health.
Stillbirth is commonly defined as the loss of a baby at 20 weeks or greater gestation during pregnancy. It is a national public health crisis that impacts more than 21,000 families in the U.S. every year, according to the CDC. Approximately 70 Washington, D.C. families experience the tragedy of stillbirth each year. For expectant parents in D.C., one in every 123 pregnancies ends in stillbirth. Differences in stillbirth outcomes persist, and data shows that a disproportionate number of babies are born still to Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native families. Expectant parents in some age groups, geographic locations, and those expecting multiples also face an increased risk of stillbirth.
“We know that unfortunately 109 stillbirths were reported in 2024 alone, and that each incident was a tragedy for a family," said Councilmember Christina Henderson. "Stillbirth prevention programs are critical for maternal health, and Count the Kicks is an evidence-based intervention providing educational materials to families and trainings to providers. That’s why as the Chair of the Committee on Health I have prioritized investments in the Count the Kicks program within the DC Perinatal Quality Collaborative."
Research published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology shows a more than 30% reduction in Iowa’s stillbirth rate in the first 10 years of the Count the Kicks program at a time when America’s stillbirth rate remained stagnant. The results have led researchers to call for urgent action to address the stillbirth crisis in the U.S. and to study Count the Kicks on a national level. Through this collaboration, DC PQC is hoping to bring the same success to the District of Columbia, which would save approximately 23 babies in the district each year.
About Count the Kicks
Count the Kicks is a program of Healthy Birth Day, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention of stillbirth. The free Count the Kicks has been downloaded more than 700,000 times and counting in all 50 U.S. states, and more than 140 other countries. Count the Kicks has appeared on Good Morning America, The Washington Post, Sunday Night Football, and in O Magazine, and produced a national PSA that has generated more than 300 million viewer impressions. Learn more about our vision to save at least 5,000 babies every year at CountTheKicks.org.
Kimberly Isburg
Healthy Birth Day, Inc.
+1 515-494-5115
isburg.kimberly@healthybirthday.org
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