Today's Citywide Baby Shower offered expectant parents info to reduce infant deaths

YOUNGSTOWN

Stacey Harden of Youngstown, due to have her first child at the end of May, said Saturday’s Citywide Baby Shower and Community Health Fair provided her with a lot of good information.

“I learned about safe sleep and the programs available to make it easier to take care of my baby,” said Harden, one of about 80 people who attended the event at Arlington Heights Recreational Center between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The goal of the Citywide Baby Shower, which also provided various health screenings, is to reduce the overall high infant mortality rate in Youngstown, particularly for minorities, which is about double the white rate in Youngstown and Ohio, said Leigh A. Greene, director of the Youngstown Office of Minority Health.

Saturday’s event was presented by the M/Y (Mahoning/Youngstown) Baby’s 1st Coalition in partnership with UnitedHealthcare and the Mahoning County and Youngstown City health districts.

Of particular importance, said Greene, are safe sleep, which includes babies sleeping alone on their back in a crib; and birth spacing or waiting at least 18 months between delivery and the next pregnancy.

Stacy Givens of Youngstown, who is expecting her fourth child, said she came to the Baby Shower for more information about safety. “Everything always changes,” she said.

Read more about the event in Sunday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.