PRAMS –Moms Helping Moms Have Healthy Babies

By Carol Muse Evans

TheUnited State currently has the highest infant mortality rates among developed countries, and the current infant mortality rate in 2022 was 5.5 deaths per 1000 live births (7.2 deaths per 100 live births in Alabama), according to Kathy Ereshena, Program Coordinator II of the Pregnancy Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), Survey Research Unit, School of Public Health in Birmingham.

PRAMS is part of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiative to reduce infant mortality and low birth weight and promote safe motherhood. It began in 1987 and is available right in the Birmingham area. Alabama is one of 47 states currently participating in PRAMS, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH).

PRAMS is important because it provides data for state health officials to use to improve the health of mothers and infants, according to Ereshena. PRAMS allows the CDC and the state to monitor changes in maternal and child health indicators (i.e., unintended pregnancy, prenatal care, breastfeeding, smoking, drinking and infant health), Ereshena says.

What exactly can the state and the CDC do with these survey responses? According to Ereshena, here’s how this information helps:

• Modify existing public health programs

• Develop and implement programs or interventions to improve maternal and infant death

• Identify groups of woman at high risk for infant health problems

• Measure progress in reducing negative pregnancy outcomes on a statewide and nationwide basis

• Obtain data for the Title V Block Grant needs assessment

• Support legislative proposals

• Inform communities about the prevalence of regional prenatal behaviors.

In Alabama, PRAMS mails a survey to randomly-selected new moms which asks about their lives before, during and shortly after their pregnancies, Ereshena says. “By sharing, they can help us understand why some babies are born healthy and others are not. The information collected is used in developing health care programs and policies, and it helps doctors and nurses improve health care while making better use of health resources.

You can learn more at the ADPH website, www.alabamapublichealth. gov/prams/ including access fact sheets, resources, and watch informative videos. According to the ADPH, PRAMS offers materials for the use of residents in Alabama. Brochures are available in Spanish and English, and to request materials, call 334-206-2923, email tara.harriel@adph.state.al.us or visit www.alabamapublichealth.gov/prams/assets/prams_brochure.pdf to download a PDF of the “Health Alabama Shine” flyer. PLEASE NOTE, according Ereshena, you cannot request to participate in the survey. It is a randomly selected group.