State Senator Hicks-Hudson, Toledo-Lucas County Health Department Host Count the Kicks Event

Today, state Senator Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) and the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department hosted a Count the Kicks event at the Nexus Healthcare Community Room of the Neighborhood Health Association (NHA).

Count the Kicks is a stillbirth prevention program that helps expecting mothers learn their baby’s normal movement patterns and encourages them to speak up if they notice changes. The program emphasizes monitoring fetal movement as an important indicator of infant health and has been associated with significant reductions in stillbirth rates. In places such as Iowa and Norway, stillbirth rates have declined by as much as 30 percent over the course of a decade following its implementation.

Across Ohio, maternal and infant health outcomes continue to reflect persistent disparities. The state faces higher-than-average rates of preterm birth, pregnancy-related complications, and preventable infant deaths. Black mothers and babies, in particular, experience disproportionately worse outcomes.

Senator Hicks-Hudson has been a leading advocate for improving maternal and infant health in Ohio. As co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus in the General Assembly, she works with colleagues and stakeholders to advance policies that support healthy pregnancies and safe births for all families.

The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department is committed to improving maternal and infant health outcomes through a comprehensive set of community-based initiatives designed to support families before, during, and after pregnancy. These efforts focus on reducing disparities, expanding access to early and consistent prenatal care, and connecting residents to vital resources such as home visiting programs, safe sleep education, and breastfeeding support.

In Lucas County, the challenges with Black infant and maternal health are especially pressing. The Toledo-Lucas County health department indicated in 2023 that the infant mortality rate was up to 11.9 deaths per 1,000 live births. Not 100,000, but 1,000. Furthermore, the stillbirth rate in Lucas County remains among the highest in the state. Lucas County received an F grade from March of Dimes for the 2025 preterm birth rate which was 12.4%. Community organizations have been working tirelessly to address the drivers of these outcomes — from access to prenatal care, to housing stability, to chronic stress and other systemic barriers, but these challenges have persisted.

This event brought together community partners, advocates, and residents from across Lucas County to raise awareness and promote solutions aimed at improving birth outcomes. Senator Hicks-Hudson and the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department were joined by speakers from local organizations such as Rise Above, Queen’s Village Toledo, and Pathways HUB Toledo. Additionally, they were joined by guests from many other local stakeholders, such as ProMedica, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Toledo, Mom’s House, Pathways Inc. Lutheran Social Services, the Lucas County Family and Children First Council.