Fathers in the Nassau County Jail will now have access to fatherhood classes as part of the Coalition’s expansion of a program designed specifically for incarcerated men, InsideOut Dad. Classes began May 21 and will be continuous.
InsideOut Dad is a unique set of fatherhood modules that include 12 core sessions along with 26 optional sessions to allow the curriculum to be tailored to fit the unique needs of fathers in specific correctional facility or setting. Ultimately, the goal of the curriculum is to increase the proportion of children growing up and the mother of their children with involved, responsible and committed fathers. The evidence-based program was developed by the National Fatherhood Initiative.
The Coalition began InsideOut Dad classes in the Baker County Jail in July 2012. Eleven fathers participated in the first series of classes, and at least 17 have taken part in the latest series at the facility that concludes in July.
Pregnant women should not drink alcohol anytime during pregnancy. There is no safe type of alcohol, amount of alcohol or time to drink during pregnancy. Women who drink during pregnancy put their baby at risk for stillbirth, miscarriage and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs).
FASDs affect an estimated 800 to 8,000 babies born in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. FASDs are 100 percent preventable.
Because a woman may not know she has become pregnant for a number of weeks, it is important for health care professionals to screen and address patients who may have risky alcohol use.
How to screen and intervene:
1. Identify women with risky levels.
- At-risk alcohol use is defined as more than seven drinks per week or more than three drinks per occasion for non-pregnant women and any alcohol use for pregnant women.
- All women who plan to become pregnant or are pregnant should be screened for alcohol use. Most women who have risky alcohol levels do not show signs during a physical examination. It is important to ask detailed questions and for a medical history.
2. Encourage healthy behaviors through intervention.
- Educating women about their drinking levels and ways to reduce their use, such as choosing to surround themselves with others who do not drink, can be beneficial.
- Request a follow-up appointment.
3. Refer alcohol-dependent patients for professional treatment.
The CDC recommends this guideline for referral and diagnosis of patients who have a high risk of developing a FASD. Information provided by the CDC and Medscape.
Forty-nine percent of pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned, therefore it is important for all women to improve their health now, before they maybe become pregnant to ensure a healthier pregnancy and birth outcome.
Show Your Love, the national campaign launched by the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention aims to improve the health of women and babies by promoting preconception health and healthcare. The campaign’s goal is to increase the number of women who plan their pregnancies and encourage them to take steps to a healthier lifestyle before becoming pregnant.
Good preconception health is important for all women. Talk to your patients about steps they can take to improve their physical and mental health, such as exercising, reducing stress and quitting smoking. Encourage your patients to use these checklists (Planning to become pregnant, not planning to become pregnant) provided by the CDC as a tool to record and monitor their goals.
Orlando’s Florida Hospital opened a human-milk bank May 14, the first of its kind to the area and the second in the state (Miami is home to the first). The bank accepts surplus breast milk from nursing mothers and sends the donated milk to another bank in Denver that processes and redistributes the milk to the country’s at-risk premature babies.
For premature babies, breast milk can be life saving. Breast milk is easier to digest and contains essential nutrients infants need that cannot be replaced by formula. The antibodies and hormones in breast milk are a baby’s first defense against illness and disease — a defense which premature babies are often denied, almost half of mothers to preterm babies are unable to produce an ample supply of breast milk.
Prematurity is one of the leading causes of infant mortality in the United States. In 2012 13.3 percent of babies born in Northeast Florida were born prematurely.
Wolfson Children’s Hospital became the first health care facility in Northeast Florida to provide donated milk to premature babies in its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The hospital receives milk from two different milk banks that operate under the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. The HMBANA currently serves 39 states in the United States and three provinces in Canada.
In celebration of National Women’s Health Week, the Magnolia Project hosted an informational discussion about the Affordable Care Act today. The guest speaker was Board member Reverend Tommy Rodgers who gave an overview of the ACA, key points of the Act and the importance of sharing this information with their friends and loved ones.
Fathers in the Nassau County Jail will now have access to fatherhood classes as part of the Coalition’s expansion of a program designed specifically for incarcerated men, InsideOut Dad. Classes began May 21 and will be continuous.
