First-ever center dedicated to safety of pregnant women, babies forming in Houston

HOUSTON – The first-ever center in the United States dedicated entirely to improving safety for pregnant women and babies is forming in the Texas Medical Center.

The official title will be the March of Dimes Prenatal Safety Center. It will be a collaboration of March of Dimes, UT Health and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. They said they are developing the best practices for hospitals and health care organizations to make sure babies across the country have what they need to live the healthiest lives.

Some babies in need of their expertise are Josh Clark’s twins. He’s been with them for 85 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and said all he hopes for is more good days, more good news, because the bad days can weigh heavily on him and his wife.

“You get so excited about it and you think everything’s going great and then the next day something happens,” Clark said.

His baby boy Grant and baby girl Addison are working the hardest they can, but dad is still unsure of their future.

“You take two steps forward and then four steps back,” he explained.

Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Medical Center has 118 beds for NICU babies like them. Making sure they have a good outcome was the focus of the press conference Tuesday morning announcing the Perinatal Safety Center.

The center is possible because of $3 million in grants from The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Joe Kiani/Masimo Corporation to the March of Dimes.

“They are working in partnership with UT Health and Children’s Memorial Hermann to have a focus lab, if you will, around creating the safest practices around pregnant women, their newborns and the general community,” said Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital CEO, Susie Distefano.

She said Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital was chosen for this project based on current success rates and if they can perfect it here, March of Dimes can take those practices anywhere.

“What are the standards, the practices that have to be in place not only here but at every hospital around the country, maybe around the world,” March of Dimes president, Stacey Stewart, said.

The specific areas they're looking to improve include: maximizing maternal immunizations, reducing medically unnecessary deliveries before 39 weeks and making sure parents are ready for life after the hospital.

The Clarks are about a month away from taking one of their twins home.

“We were hoping to get them both home at the same time, it doesn't look like that's going to happen because this little girl is taking off. She's a little ahead of brother but we think a couple months for her and then a couple more for brother,” Clark said.

UT Health has already assigned the lead researcher for this project who will take expertise in safety for neonatal safety and translate that into goals for the center. The project will last three years.

Download the Click2Houston news app in your app store to stay up-to-date with the latest news while you're on the go.

Sign up for KPRC 2 newsletters to get breaking news, sports, entertainment, contests and more delivered straight to your email inbox.