Daily Herald opinion: ‘We just can’t ignore what is happening’: County program offers comfort, practical help to mothers needing support

It is probably a common reflection for first-time parents — and maybe veterans as well — as they leave the hospital cradling their newborn: “Are they really sending this infant home with ME?!”

The unfamiliar responsibility for enabling a helpless baby to thrive is daunting in ways for which few of us feel fully prepared. It can be overwhelming for new mothers who need special support.

So it is not surprising that Joy Helga Nassuuna, of Palatine, says the key benefit she has received from a new “Healthy Beginnings” initiative in Cook County is confidence.

Nassuuna, the mother of a fourth-grader and a newborn infant, receives regular visits from public health nurse Rose Veliz through the program, which seeks to promote healthy pregnancies and to counter maternal and infant deaths across the suburbs.

“It makes me feel confident in what I’m doing and taking care of my baby,” she told our Marni Pyke in a story published Sunday.

Veliz reinforced the intangible benefits of the practical work she and other nurses do.

“We make sure everything is safe for the baby, for when the baby does come — that can be a very overwhelming time,” she said.

Among those practical benefits are prenatal care, advice on sleep, nutrition and vaccinations, and referrals for food assistance, baby products and other needs. Clients receive breast-feeding support, mental health assessments and updates on their babies’ growth.

The program is operated by the Cook County Department of Public Health.

Michele Spikes-Cain, associate director of nursing for the health department, noted that more than 200 infants in Cook County “died suddenly and unexpectedly during sleep” between 2019 and 2023. And she noted that Black women are “three to four times more likely” than white women to die from pregnancy-related complications — 90% of which are preventable.

“We just can’t ignore what’s happening … with Black and brown morbidity and mortality. It’s not new. It’s chronic and we have to continue the work,” Spikes-Cain said.

Health officials emphasize that the free program, which continues until babies reach a year old, is open to all pregnant and postpartum women in suburban Cook County who need support.

Becoming a parent is a heady, exciting experience. But it can also be staggering. It’s natural for any parents to wonder if they’re truly up for the job. Those who need extra support — Nassuuna had a high-risk pregnancy and cesarean section — are fortunate to have the possibility of a resource like Healthy Beginnings as an option.

To learn more and enroll, visit CookCountyHealthyBeginnings.org online.