Making Pregnancy Safe and Healthy in Philadelphia: The March Strong Issue

Pregnancy can be one of life’s great wonders and challenges–but it can be more challenging in some places than others. Each year, the March of Dimes releases a report card with grades for U.S. states and top cities. This past year, Pennsylvania earned a C+, and Philadelphia a grade of D-, reflecting a local health equity gap in terms of maternal and fetal health. Fortunately, in our city, there are dedicated researchers and activists committed to erasing that gap–and heroic mothers who, despite being faced with health struggles, never stop hoping.

Our March Strong issue tells their stories, while also providing you with all the practical tips you need to get started on preparing for your own healthy pregnancy. In this issue, you’ll read about the effort to prevent pre-term births that can affect children for their entire lives, how one mother overcame implicit bias to finally have her first child, and how the latest research tells us that the pre- and post-pregnancy periods are just as important for the health of the mother as those critical nine months.

By the time you’ve finished reading, you’ll be at least a little better equipped to help make Philly a better place to have a child–whether for your own pregnancy, or those of your fellow Philadelphians.

Read our March Strong content online or look for our March Strong section in the November issue of Philadelphia magazine.