Free Count the Kicks app aims to improve maternal health and birth outcomes for Kentucky families

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

A free Count the Kicks app will allow expectant parents to track their baby’s movements in the third trimester of pregnancy, a measure that is used to determine the baby’s well-being.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky is partnering with the Count the Kicks stillbirth prevention program to improve birth outcomes for Kentucky families. 

“One of the most critical pregnancy warning signs is a change in a baby’s movements during the third trimester. That’s why we are proud to partner with Count the Kicks to share this free and easy-to-use pregnancy tool with all expectant parents in Kentucky,” Dr. Lori Caloia, Anthem  Medical Director, said in a news release.

Count the Kicks allows expectant parents to get to know what movement patterns are normal for their baby. It is available in more than 20 languages. The webpage also provides instructions in multiple languages for how to use paper charts to count a baby’s movements.  

By doing a daily kick counting session during the third trimester, the release says expectant parents will become familiar with their baby’s movement patterns, be more alert to potential red flags, and feel empowered to contact their provider if their baby’s movements ever change. 

The app also includes a contraction timer and Ask Ana, an AI-generated assistant, which allows users to receive curated, evidence-based responses to questions about their baby’s movement.

Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Count the Kicks found that in Kentucky, 311 babies on average are lost to stillbirth each year.  Stillbirth is defined as the loss of a baby after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

The program has been successful elsewhere. Research published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology shows a more than 30% reduction in Iowa’s stillbirth rate in the first 10 years of the Count the Kicks stillbirth prevention program. 

“Anthem is hoping to bring the same success that Iowa has seen to Kentucky, which would save approximately 100 babies in the state each year,” according to the release. 

Toward this goal, Anthem encourages all maternal health providers to order the free educational materials available at CountTheKicks.org to share with the families they care for.