Darcy Dreyer | Director, Maternal Infant Health | March of Dimes
March of Dimes leads the fight for the health of all moms and babies. We are thrilled to join the Alliance to End Hunger and to have the opportunity to work collaboratively with partners to disrupt economic insecurity and end hunger and food scarcity. Particularly among vulnerable populations experiencing health disparities. We advocate for policies to protect moms, babies and their families. We work to radically improve the health care they receive. We pioneer research to find solutions. We empower families with program knowledge and tools to have healthier pregnancies. Together, we can improve health outcomes for moms and babies.
Prenatal education is an important part of what we do to support healthy pregnancies. Prenatal education promotes a healthy lifestyles during pregnancy, helping expectant mothers manage stress, support a healthy diet, avoid harmful chemicals and situations, recognize warning signs and symptoms that mean something may be wrong with their pregnancy, and prepare for labor and delivery.
To educate women with the latest prenatal information, March of Dimes uses a wide variety of award-winning educational materials, web content, videos and social media outreach strategies. Our local community outreach includes the use of culturally and linguistically appropriate March of Dimes materials in WIC sites, Healthy Start programs, places of worship, and in beauty salons.
Through our Mom and Baby Action Network, we’re building cross-sector partnerships that invest in, influence and leverage collective action to lead broad changes in policy, research, funding and systems to address the root causes of inequities in maternal and infant health. Our common agenda includes five overarching strategies, with several solutions contained within each strategy. Conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, including education, housing and neighborhood environment, economic stability, and access to quality health care can have a profound impact on health outcomes throughout one’s life course. Poverty often limits access to stable safe housing, healthy foods, and good jobs which have a direct impact on health outcomes. 
Research has shown a direct link between economic insecurity and poor outcomes, including low-birthweight, psychosocial issues, malnutrition, and low educational attainment. Poverty is also closely linked to infectious disease spread, as demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
March of Dimes and our partners will advocate for funding, policies, and programs that increase access to quality education, safe & affordable housing, childcare, food security, paid medical and family leave. We look forward to working with the Alliance to End Hunger to strengthen and amplify our mutual objectives.
