Grant to help MIHOW in infant mortality fight
The Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker (MIHOW) program, a part of the Vanderbilt Center for Health Services, was recently awarded a grant of $21,560 from the Baptist Healing Trust.
Grant funds will be used to combat infant mortality, said Barbara Clinton, director of the Center for Health Services.
MIHOW is a home visiting program for low-income pregnant women and families in underserved communities in West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi.
The program trains experienced mothers in these low-income communities to educate, mentor and model positive health behaviors.
Parents participate in monthly home visits and networking groups beginning in pregnancy until their children reach age 3.
The Center for Health Services is currently partnering with United Neighborhood Health Services to provide MIHOW services in the Southside neighborhood of Davidson County.
Funds from this grant will be used to educate and mentor pregnant women and young mothers at risk for poor health outcomes, provide educational and social group activities to disadvantaged families, collect data to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and adapt curriculum for optimal use with the target population.