An SMS campaign was recenly launched to help improve the general health of mothers and babies. It cleverly uses text messaging technology as the most convenient way of communication and the easiest way to reach a large and varied class of recipients.

Keystone Mercy Health Plan, the largest Medicaid managed care organization in Pennsylvania, has partnered with The Maternity Care Coalition and the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies (HMHB) Coalition, to launch the Philadelphia text4baby campaign.

Women sign up for the free service by texting “BABY” (or “BEBE,” in Spanish) to 511411. Each woman receives three, SMS text messages every week, timed to their due date or baby’s age, up to the child’s first birthday.