Mekaiah’s First Tooth
If you follow any new mom on social media, you know that milestones come frequently for healthy new babies. We have already celebrated many “firsts” with Haven baby Mekaiah and her mom Jameka in her first five months of life, and today is no exception as we celebrate Mekaiah’s first tooth!
In the parade of first smiles, first giggle, first time rolling over, first weight gain, etc., it is easy to take these milestones for granted. But every early developmental milestone reached by a Haven baby is an important marker for later success.
Haven babies are born while living in the 63106 zip code, where 40% of moms receive inadequate prenatal care (measured as less than 5 doctor’s visits). In this same zip code, 81% of children under 5 are living in poverty, 13% of babies are born at low birth weight and 20 out of 1,000 newborns do not make it to their first birthday. (Vision for Children at Risk, 2018)
The Haven of Grace’s programs make a significant impact on these statistics. In the last year, 97% of Haven moms received adequate prenatal care. The Haven partners with Parents as Teachers and Nurses for Newborns to empower moms to provide the best care possible. Because of these interventions, we are proud to say that all 820+ Haven babies have reached their first birthday and all the other “firsts” that come for healthy, thriving babies.
As we celebrate Mekaiah’s first tooth, we celebrate the bright future that is available to her as a Haven baby. We can’t wait to celebrate all her firsts that are still to come!