Americans lead the world in medical research and care, yet the U.S. preterm birth rate is among the worst of highly developed nations.
One in 10 babies in this country are born prematurely each year. In addition to the emotional toll that premature birth takes on families, it may also cost your company thousands of dollars each year. Expenses for childbirth and newborn care make up about 11 percent of what employers pay in health insurance costs; there are also the thousands of dollars in indirect costs because of absenteeism and lost productivity.
With 74.6 million women in the U.S. workforce, there is much that employers can do to support employees throughout pregnancy and increase profitability at the same time.
March of Dimes offers Healthy Babies Healthy Business, an educational wellness program originally created in 2007 that supports mother and baby health and promotes a family-friendly work environment. More than 540 companies signed on for the original version of the program, including big names such as Ebay, Walmart and Microsoft. During July, March of Dimes is launching a new, refreshed version of Healthy Babies Healthy Business.
The program is easy to manage, implement and promote, and it provides organizations with a wealth of information to support employees before, during and after their pregnancy, such as six interactive learning modules and a content library of more than 250 March of Dimes articles and videos on topics such as preconception planning, learning the signs of preterm labor and breastfeeding.
Employers can customize Healthy Babies Healthy Business and add company-specific content and resources. And as a partner of March of Dimes, employers demonstrate that they share our belief that all moms and babies deserve the opportunity to be as healthy as possible.
Using Healthy Babies Healthy Business puts this belief into action, protecting the well-being of employees and their families. The cost is a one-time $2,000 onboarding fee and $15 per registered user.
March of Dimes is a champion for families, fighting for the health of all moms and babies in communities like yours and across the country.
Healthy Babies Healthy Business is a way to support employees during their pregnancy journey while ensuring that all moms and babies get the best possible start.
This article was originally published by Chief Learning Officer‘s sister publication, Workforce.
