Standardizing Care for Healthy Beginnings: A Healthcare Professional's Guide to Conversations with Expectant Parents on Counting Kicks and Fetal Monitoring to Save Babies

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The cost for this online activity is $80. Completing this on-demand course is estimated to take four hours. 

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Target Audience

Healthcare professionals. 

Purpose

Healthy Birth Day, Inc.'s mission is to improve birth outcomes through programming, advocacy, and support. Health equity is central to our work, which aims to reduce racial disparities. We help save babies using the evidence-based Count the Kicks stillbirth prevention campaign, which educates expectant parents on the importance of tracking their babies’ movements in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and speaking up if they notice a change.

Providers can help prevent stillbirths by using evidence-based and noninvasive tools. This activity aims to train healthcare professionals to discuss fetal monitoring with their patients and use best practices to track it.

Educational Need

Our vision is to expand the success that Count the Kicks has seen in Iowa to all 50 states, which would save 7,500 babies every year. With the help of dedicated healthcare professionals like you, we can turn our vision into a reality.

Did you know? Each year in the U.S., more than 21,000 babies are stillborn, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Statistically, that means 1 out of every 175 pregnancies ends in stillbirth. For African American, Native Hawaiian, or other Pacific Islander pregnancies, that number is even more alarming – 1 in 101!

There is also a strong connection between stillbirth and maternal mortality. We can help bridge the gap between patients and maternal care providers and save thousands of lives. The disparities that exist and persist around stillbirth are unacceptable. We want to get to a point where race is no longer a predictor of stillbirth, and to do that, we need to address this head-on. African American women are two times more likely to experience a stillbirth than white women. We will build an equity and inclusion module for providers with this training.

Another key component is the latest research and evidence on preventing preventable stillbirths - we now have that. We will provide recent data and research on our program's evidence. Today’s healthcare workers face many demands, but teaching patients how to use Count the Kicks only takes a few minutes. This conversation could save a baby’s life!

Our CE Training helps maternal healthcare providers gain a deeper understanding of our evidence-based stillbirth prevention program and learn how to talk to expectant parents about fetal movement.

Learning Objectives

  • Discuss how to have the kick-counting conversation with expectant parents.
  • Use the features of the Count the Kicks app.
  • Use the free tools and resources available for providers.
  • Review ways to respond if an expectant parent says they are experiencing reduced fetal movement.
  • Formulate answers to the most frequently asked questions related to fetal movement.
  • Reflect on implicit biases and how biases and racism have shaped maternal healthcare.

Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Date of original release: March 25, 2024
Most recent review/update: March 25, 2024
Termination date: March 24, 2027

Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 4.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits
  • 4.00 AOA Category 2­B
  • 4.00 CE Contact Hour(s)
  • 4.00 IBON
Course opens: 
03/19/2024
Course expires: 
03/24/2027
Cost:
$80.00

Megan Aucutt
Program Director, Healthy Birth Day, Inc. 

Megan Aucutt is the Program Director with Healthy Birth Day, Inc., the non-profit that created the evidence-based Count the Kicks stillbirth prevention program. Megan is a University of Northern Iowa graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in History and an emphasis in Global Health. She has over 15 years of experience with nonprofits and governmental work, focusing on grant writing and reviewing, coalition building, and educational program development.

Her true passion is maternal and child health. As Program Director, Megan oversees the organization’s research and programmatic outreach. She also manages the free Count the Kicks app and works closely with the medical community on system and policy changes.

Megan believes that knowledge truly is power. She used the Count the Kicks App during her pregnancies and has three healthy and rambunctious children. She is proud to be part of such an important organization with a powerful mission of saving babies.

Email Megan.

Christine Tucker, CHW, CPST
Health Equity Manager, Healthy Birth Day, Inc. 

Christine Tucker is a University of Northern Iowa graduate with a bachelor’s degree in English for Secondary Education. Having worked in multiple childcare settings, she developed a passion early on for supporting families and educating them about child safety. After teaching middle school English Literature and Language Arts, she used her background in education to fuel her work at local nonprofits serving the community by facilitating groups on career readiness, financial literacy, healthy relationships, parenting, and postpartum support. She has received additional education and certification in Child Passenger Safety, Community Health Work, Safe Infant Sleep, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

In Christine’s work with expectant parents, she has seen the empowering impact that Count the Kicks can have and is honored to work with the Healthy Birth Day, Inc. team as a Health Equity Manager. Her role involves analyzing data to address inequities in health outcomes. Christine works with the Healthy Birth Day, Inc. team on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. She also connects with community-based organizations and workers across the United States to support work to improve maternal child health outcomes and facilitates Count the Kicks education sessions.

Accreditation Statements

  • MD: This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Iowa Medical Society (IMS) through the joint providership of Des Moines University (DMU) and Healthy Birth Day, Inc. Des Moines University (DMU) is accredited by the IMS to provide continuing medical education for physicians. DMU designates this enduring materials activity for a maximum of 4.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • DO: Des Moines University (DMU) is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) to provide osteopathic continuing medical education for physicians. DMU designates this activity for a maximum of 4.0 AOA Category 2-B credits and will report CME and specialty credits commensurate with the extent of the physician’s participation in this activity.
  • Nurse: Des Moines University continuing education is Iowa Board of Nursing approved provider #112. This enduring materials activity has been reviewed and approved for 4.0 continuing education contact hour(s). No partial credit awarded.
  • Other Healthcare Professionals: This activity is designated for a maximum of 4.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™.

Approved continuing education credit may vary depending on individual licensing requirements. Des Moines University or Healthy Birth Day, Inc. does not guarantee acceptance of the continuing education credit. The attendee is responsible for verifying the continuing education requirements of their licensing or regulatory agency and contacting them with any questions.

Educational Grants

No ineligible company provided financial support for this continuing education activity. 

Disclosures

The planning committee member(s) and speaker(s) will disclose if any pharmaceuticals or medical procedures and devices discussed are investigational or unapproved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The activity director is responsible for determining educational content and selecting speakers.

Relevant to the content of this educational activity, the following individual(s) have no conflict(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

  • Megan Aucutt, Associate Director of Programs, Healthy Birth Day, Inc. - Activity director, planning committee member, and speaker
  • Christine Tucker, CHW, CPST, Health Equity Manager, Healthy Birth Day, Inc. - Planning committee member and speaker

Disclaimer

The information provided in this activity is for continuing education purposes only. It is not a substitute for a healthcare provider's independent medical judgment regarding diagnostic and treatment options for a specific patient's medical condition.

Available Credit

  • 4.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits
  • 4.00 AOA Category 2­B
  • 4.00 CE Contact Hour(s)
  • 4.00 IBON

Price

Cost:
$80.00
Please login or Create an Account to take this course.