Text4Baby is a free text messaging service that provides pregnant women and mothers of babies under 1 with health and safety tips. Example messages provide information on prenatal vitamins, flu shots, and health insurance. Healthcare providers can sign up to read the messages. The WIC program also offers free text reminders for appointments by texting "WIC" or "miWIC" to 511-411 and following prompts. Providers are encouraged to help clients sign up and support the use of text reminders to increase appointment adherence and reduce administrative costs.

1. TEXT4BABY &
WIC APPOINTMENT REMINDERS
by Roanna Martin, WVU Graduate Dietetic Intern

2. TEXT4BABY
 Through free text messages, pregnant women and
moms with babies under age one receive
customized health and safety information and
public health alerts to support them in achieving key
developmental milestones, giving their babies the
best possible start in life.

4. EXAMPLE MESSAGES
 “Get your baby off to a great start! Take a prenatal
vitamin each day. It should have 600 mcg
(micrograms) of folic acid.”
 “During flu season, pregnant women need a flu
shot. Pregnant moms & babies can get very sick
from flu. Talk to your Dr. or call CDC at 800-232-
4636.”
 “Reply HEALTH to receive info on free or low-cost
health insurance for you and your children.”
 Note: I encourage healthcare providers to sign up for Text4Baby
so you can read what your clients are receiving. I set my
graduation date as my false “due date”!

5. RESEARCH

6. WIC APPOINTMENT REMINDERS
1) Sign up for Text4Baby
2) Text “WIC” or “miWIC” (for Spanish) to 511-411
3) Text REMIND or CITA (for Spanish)
4) Follow system prompts
5) Reminders are sent at 8 AM local time 3 days prior
to and the day of the appointment .

7. WHAT YOU CAN DO
1. Support and talk moms through the sign-up
process.
2. Encourage them to set up a text4baby appt.
reminder
3. Post and hand out free text4baby materials to
clients.
4. Enroll in the text4baby newsletter
bit.ly/O8Zzg6

8. Information taken from National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies
Coalition Webinar on Thursday February 14, 2013:
“Learn How to Use Text Messages to Send FREE Appointment
Reminders to Increase Appointment Adherence and Reduce
Administrative Costs”