Hudson Health Plan Tells Newburgh Moms-to-Be: Be Patient, Let Babies Choose Their Birthdays

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. - Sept. 30, 2013 - PRLog -- One out of three births in New York State – or 33 percent – is by Cesarean section, a risky procedure for both mother and child, according to medical experts. While C-sections are needed when mother or baby is in distress during birth, too many C-sections are pre-scheduled for the convenience of mothers and medical professionals. The World Health Organization estimates that C-sections are medically necessary in only 10 percent to 15 percent of births.

Hudson Health Plan (Hudson) believes in encouraging mothers-to-be to let nature take its course. On Saturday, October 5, Hudson will hold a Community Baby Shower to inform parents on ways to protect their health and the health of their newborns. The event will take place at the Delano-Hitch Recreation Park Activity Center in Newburgh from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 5, 2013. Refreshments and prizes will be available. The program is free and open to pregnant women, their partners, and parents of babies under age one.

“Pregnancy and birth are wonderful experiences, but there’s a lot for parents to know,” explains Janet Sullivan, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Hudson, a community-based not-for-profit health plan offering free and low-cost health insurance. “Our Community Baby Shower is designed to educate parents to make healthy choices for their babies, beginning with allowing the baby to come to full term.”

A baby born before 39 weeks can appear normal yet might not be fully developed. According to the March of Dimes, a baby’s brain, lungs and liver mature late in pregnancy, including the final weeks before birth. Babies also need those last weeks to develop their sucking and swallowing instincts, hearing, and vision.

Health Insurance Available for Prenatal Care

Hudson’s Community Baby Shower also will emphasize the importance of regular prenatal checkups throughout pregnancy. “It’s important for all expectant mothers to seek early and consistent prenatal care for a healthy pregnancy and baby,” notes Dr. Sullivan. “The good news is that if you don’t have health insurance, New York State’s Child Health Plus program will cover you during pregnancy. We’ll be talking about this free or low-cost health insurance program at the Community Baby Shower, too.”

Guests at Hudson’s Community Baby Shower will also enjoy healthy snacks, enter a raffle for free gifts, participate in educational games, and receive free information on resources for new parents and babies. Nurse case managers for Hudson’s Mommy & Me program will be on hand to provide answers to questions about prenatal and infant care.

For more information or to register for the event, please call Rosina Tezgeldi at 845-742-1394 or emailrtezgeldi@hudsonhealthplan.org. For more information about Child Health Plus or other Hudson Health Plan programs, visitwww.hudsonhealthplan.org.

About Hudson Health Plan

Hudson Health Plan is a community-based not-for-profit health care organization that provides state-sponsored Medicaid Managed Care, Child Health Plus, and Family Health Plus insurancecoverage to 120,000 members in New York’s Hudson Valley. Hudson uses every government dollar it receives to fulfill its mission, which is “to promote and provide access to excellent health services for all people.” Hudson improves the health of its members and the communities in which they live through its innovations in integrated care coordination, and by working with more than 5,000 local health providers. Hudson received the national 2012 Medicaid Health Plan Innovation Award for its Westchester Cares Action Program, an innovative integrated care management project. Hudsonhas also received the most stars for the measure “Overall Satisfaction with Plan” based on indicators chosen by the New York State Department of Health and published in its publication A Consumer's Guide to Medicaid Managed Care in the Hudson Valley for each year in which the State conducted a survey since 2003.

Hudson Health Plan is a proud member of the MVP Health Care Family of Companies. MVP and Hudson are committed to strengthening and expanding Medicaid Managed Care in New York State.

Hudson Health Plan is based in Tarrytown, N.Y. Visit Hudson at www.hudsonhealthplan.org, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hudsonhealthplan, and on Twitter at @HudsonHealth (https://twitter.com/#!/HudsonHealth).