Dr. Nguyen and kickTrak in Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine

Dr. Diep Nguyen and kickTrak are featured in the June issue of Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine! An entire page is devoted to kick counting, its importance and the best way to do it. Of course, using a kickTrak always makes it a little easier!

Stillbirth and kicktrak to be Featured Tonight on Univision

If you have access to the Univision Television Network, be sure to watch Aqui y Ahora tonight at 10 p.m. EST/PST. The issue of stillbirth will be addressed and kicktrak will also be featured in the two-part series. Aqui y Ahora is a national evening news program for Univision (think Dateline or 20/20 in the U.S.) and we are so pleased that stillbirth and kicktrak will be receiving national attention!

Stillbirth Legislation Introduced in D.C.

The long awaited bill is FINALLY here.

Representative Peter King from New York has introduced House of Representative Bill 5979, the Stillbirth Awareness and Research Act of 2008, to raise awareness about stillbirth that seeks to standardize the definition of stillbirth, and the method in which stillbirth data is collected, so there can be a national repository for stillbirth data with which to conduct comprehensive research efforts. The bill also authorizes a campaign to increase public awareness of good prenatal care practices that may decrease the risk of stillbirth, including monitoring movements during the last trimester.

Please pass this on to anyone you think would be interested in supporting this effort, including family, friends, your favorite support organizations, groups, websites, etc.This email, when acted upon, actually has the potential to impact thousands of families every year. You can do something to help families who suffer the tragedy of stillbirth. It just takes one click (I just did it and it took just moments).

1. https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml. This links let you easily write a note to your representative.

2. The Board and Staff of First Candle Sample Letter

Dear Representative ________________:

I am writing to ask you to co-sponsor legislation that would help the CDC and researchers better determine the risk factors associated with stillbirth and convey those risk factors to expectant parents.

House of Representative Bill 5979, the Stillbirth Awareness and Research Act of 2008, was introduced by Representative Peter King of New York in an effort to address the lack of standardized data collection nationally with regard to stillbirth.

Each year more than 25,000 babies in the United States are stillborn. More than 50 percent of these deaths occur in the last trimester of pregnancy and 15 percent occur during labor and delivery. Due to a lack of autopsy/investigation and inconsistencies in diagnosing these, more than 50 percent of all stillbirths remain unexplained.

With standardized investigation and reporting of these deaths, researchers would be better able to determine the risk factors. H.R. 5979 would both standardize the definition of stillbirth and the method in which data is collected, in order to create a national repository of stillbirth data to assist researchers in conducting comprehensive studies in to the causes of, and possible preventive strategies for, stillbirth. The bill also authorizes a public awareness campaign promoting good prenatal practices, including monitoring movements during the last trimester of pregnancy, to reduce the risk of stillbirth.

This legislation is important to me because (insert your personal story here)

Thank you so much for your consideration of my request.

(insert name and contact information here)

3. First Candle would very much appreciate knowing who you have sent a letter to. Simply send an email to jennifer.johnson@firstcandle.org with your name and the name of the representative or staffer you sent the letter to so follow up can be conducted. Hard or email copies of your letters are also welcome!

4. Feel free to contact Marianne Adezio at 703-741-7053 or madezio@golinharris.org for more information

The more co-sponsors the bill has, the more likely it is to pass. Please note, this is for the House of Representatives only. Do not contact your Senators at this time. If you could do this within the next couple days to one week, we will be able to maximize the momentum Representative King has initiated!

Even one stillbirth is one too many!

-Dr. Diep Nguyen, MD, FACOG

President, babykick

Baby Time Show Talks to Dr. Nguyen

Kerry and Dan, expecting parents and hosts of Baby Time Show, recently spoke with Dr. Diep Nguyen. Listen to it now to learn more about kick counting and how it can help encourage pregnancy health.

Dr. Diep Nguyen on MommyFest

babykick's Dr. Diep Nguyen discussed kick counting with Marie on MommyFest. We're really excited to spread the word about fetal movement's role in pregnancy health. Check out what some of the listeners wrote after listening to Dr. Nguyen on MommyFest:

"How shocked I am to see this topic come up right away. I applaud Dr. Diep Nguyen’s efforts and wish I had had KickTrak 2.5 years ago. We lost our 2nd son Jaxon to a stillbirth when I was 37 weeks. Sadly, I knew there was decreased movement, told our doc that something was not right, and was sent home because I was only 36.5 weeks. I had a condition known as polyhydramnios with each pregnancy and b/c of excess fluid, thought that was why I could not feel the movement. However, most likely what happened is the extra fluid put pressure on his cord to cause a prolapse. It was a devestating experience that could have been prevented. If you are expecting, PLEASE invest in a KickTrak so you have something to prompt you to count kicks consistently and then share with your doctor. The statistic we were given is that 1/100 babies is stillborn…that is TOO HIGH given all of the technology we have in our world today." -Mommy Mentor

"Thank you for choosing the subject of stillbirth and the importance of kickcounting as one of your Mommyfest topics. My first born daughter was stillborn in 2003.

I, along with some NY parents, am working to pass the Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth bill. More information on the New York State bill can be found on http://www.CBRSbill.blogspot.com. All other states can visit http://www.missingangelsbill.org.

Thank you for bringing this subject to many readers." - Paige

Thanks for listening and supporting our efforts, Mommy Mentor and Paige!

Moms Everywhere: Count Kicks for Pregnancy Health

Listen to babykick's Founder, Dr. Diep Nguyen, discuss kick counting. Tune into Moms Everywhere! Or read more from Moms Everywhere below.

Fetal Movement Counts. When your baby moves while you are pregnant is a very important indicator of the overall well-being of your baby, did you know that? This week is specially dedicated for all the pregnant moms and pregnant moms-to-be. We have with us this week Dr. Diep Nguyen, OB/GYN in Los Angeles, California (who is also a mom of three and works full-time in her private practice) who has created a fantastic and practical tool to help pregnant moms keep track of their babies movements after 28 weeks of pregnancy. It’s called the kickTrak! Very simple name, very simple to do.

Dr. Nguyen wanted to increase the awareness in one of least talked about complications during pregnancy- stillbirth. The definition of a stillbirth is having a fetal death in utero (while you are pregnant) after 20 weeks gestation (pregnant). Medical journals from Harvard University, the World Health Organization (WHO) and many others have indicated that when there is decrease in fetal movement, there is a fourfold increase risk in having a stillbirth. Many of your OB/Gyn’s encourage you to keep track of your babies movements. There must be at least 10 counts of movement in less than 15 minutes is recommended, however, if you do not count 10 movements in 2 hours, you must call your physician immediately.

Dr. Nguyen has created the kickTrak, a very small device to help moms keep track of the baby’s movements and has an internal memory, in case Mommy brain has set in. She has also created another website, babykickalliance.org where moms receive a fetal kick chart online and can find out as much information as they need to learn how important their baby’s movements are.

A few of the risk factors for moms who may be at risk for stillbirths are:

• Smoking
• Infertility
• Hypertension
• Being of African American descent
• Obese
• Never had a baby before
• Low socioeconomic status

This is not to say that if you have the above risk factors, you will have a stillbirth. You should discuss this with your OB/Gyn and find out what you need to do to make sure your baby is healthy. What tests do you need, how frequent should you be doing the fetal kick charts, etc. Talk with your provider!!! If anything, this should encourage you to seek regular prenatal care.

Check out the following websites for more information:

• www.babykick.com
• www.babykickalliance.org

You will find out more information about your pregnancy and keeping your baby healthy during the next 40 weeks than you had ever imagined. Dr. Diep Nguyen certainly is passionate about the care of women and their unborn babies and has devoted a great deal of her expertise to help us moms! Tell everyone you know about Kick Track and BabyKick.com!

Maternal Obesity and Stillbirth

Did you know that pregnant women who are obese are at greater risk for stillbirth and other serious health complications? A new study, published by the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, shows that women who have unhealthy body mass indexes (BMIs) are more likely than women with normal BMIs to give birth after their due dates.

Dr. Fiona C. Denison, of the University of Edinburgh, UK, and colleagues analyzed data from the Swedish Medical Birth Register on women who gave birth between 1998 and 2002.

"Maternal obesity poses a significant risk to maternal and fetal health during pregnancy, and our study confirms the findings of others that obesity is associated with significant complications including stillbirth, gestational diabetes, pregnancy-induced hypertension and cesarean section," Denison's team concludes.

"If a healthy lifestyle including physical activity and healthy eating, which are more common in underweight women, were advocated more strongly for the obese obstetric population," they suggest, "then obstetric outcomes might be improved."

Learn more about pregnancy wellness, including nutrition and exercise by visiting the American Pregnancy Association.

Calgary Sun: kickTrak for Mother's Day

The Calgary Sun recommended kickTrak as a great gift for Mother's Day.