Sacramento, California - The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), in partnership with Text4Baby, a free national mobile health service, have launched a customized health and safety text messaging service in California. Text4Baby, is now widely available in English and Spanish to California parents. The service provides critical health information via text message to pregnant moms and new parents with infants younger than age one. 

“Text4Baby offers a medium to communicate directly to our moms, providing them with direct access to perinatal and postpartum resources and education,” said CDPH Director and State Health Officer Dr. Ron Chapman. “The flu shot partnership is one example of how we can break down barriers to ensure that our moms can obtain access to this critical vaccine.”

“This is an affordable, accessible innovation that should be particularly valuable for pregnant women and mothers on Medi-Cal, many of whom may benefit from more information on properly caring for themselves and their infants,” said DHCS Director Toby Douglas.

Text4Baby collects only the participant’s phone number, ZIP code and due date (or baby’s birthdate). Three free text messages are sent per week, personalized to mom’s due date or baby’s age. The content includes messages about immunization, nutrition, birth defect prevention, safe sleep, health resources and more. Mothers can also opt-in to receive doctor appointment reminders. All message content is reviewed and approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other health experts.

Additional information can be found at the Text4Baby Web page.