NYC Health + Hospitals today announced that Baby2Baby, a national nonprofit that has distributed over 450 million essential items to children living in poverty across the country, will provide Maternal Health & Newborn Supply Kits filled with critical supplies to several of their hospitals. The kits will be provided to new mothers and their babies and contain items that are vital for their health and well-being, including diapers, hygiene products, breastfeeding supplies, postpartum care items, and educational resources.
Baby2Baby Co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Baby2Baby Board Member and Ambassador Kelly Rowland visited NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County in Brooklyn to deliver Maternal Health & Newborn Supply Kits directly to new mothers alongside Dr. Wendy Wilcox, Chief Women’s Health Officer, NYC Health + Hospitals. The kits, which are part of Baby2Baby’s new initiative to combat the maternal health crisis in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will also be delivered directly to mothers giving birth at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, Woodhull, and North Central Bronx.
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Baby2Baby has partnered with NYC Health + Hospitals to support mothers and babies since 2021, providing hundreds of thousands of essential items including diapers, wipes, hygiene products, portable cribs and car seats.
“Baby2Baby has donated hundreds of thousands of items to mothers and babies in need at NYC Health + Hospitals,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Chief Women’s Health Officer Wendy Wilcox, MD, MPH, MBA, FACOG. “These items have helped to address real, concrete needs for our patients. Our partnership with Baby2Baby has been an integral part of our solution to provide safe and equitable peripartum care to ALL. We are deeply grateful for our partnership with Baby2Baby and look forward to further collaboration with them.”
“Since 2021, Baby2Baby has been an invaluable partner to us, with unwavering support and dedication to our mission,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Chief External Affairs Officer Deborah Brown, JD, MSW. “The visit to Kings County Hospital to deliver newborn supply kits to new mothers was a profound moment of connection and joy. These kits contain essential items for every family to have the support they need to thrive. We deeply appreciate Baby2Baby and their leadership in supporting high-quality care for all New Yorkers.”
“We couldn’t be more proud to bring Baby2Baby’s Maternal Health & Newborn Supply Kits to
New York, our second largest footprint where we serve 200,000 children every year,” said Baby2Baby Co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof. “The goal of the program is to address the mental health struggles of new mothers who cannot afford the critical items their newborns desperately need. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with NYC Health + Hospitals and distribute the kits to moms and babies who deserve our support.”
U.S. maternal mortality rates have more than doubled in the last 20 years, disproportionately impacting Black mothers. Mental health is cited as a leading cause of this crisis. Recognizing the urgent need for action, Baby2Baby was selected by The White House last year to pilot this program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The initiative began in three pilot states with highest maternal mortality and child poverty rates—Louisiana, Arkansas, and New Mexico. After a successful pilot and a generous multi-million dollar grant from Huggies including funds and in-kind product donations, Baby2Baby has expanded the initiative to ten states including New York, marking a significant step in the organization’s ongoing mission to provide critical supplies to mothers and babies in need.
NYC Health + Hospitals’ obstetric and gynecologic services include primary care, family planning, abortion care, prenatal through delivery care, midwifery and referrals for doula services, postpartum care, breastfeeding and lactation services, breast exams, nutrition, behavioral health referrals, preventive care, and vaccinations. Nearly 16,000 children are born at NYC Health + Hospitals each year. Gynecology services include menopause and fibroid treatments, as well as specialty practices for gynecologic cancers, pelvic pain, and endometriosis. Patients wishing to make an appointment can call 844-NYC-4NYC.
