It is rare for a child to die of tetanus in the United States, but around the world one child dies every three minutes from the completely preventable illness.
It is rare for a child to die of tetanus in the United States, but around the world one child dies every three minutes from the completely preventable illness. The painful death can be prevented with a vaccine that costs between just five and seven cents. Caryl M. Stern, the president and CEO of US Fund for UNICEF and mother of three has made it her mission to make the number of fatalities zero. As a mom, I also believe in zero. Do you? Check out this slideshow to learn five reasons why you should.
Alpha Mom interviews Salma Hayek on her work with UNICEF (Part 1) — Alpha Mom
Alpha Mom talks to Salma about raising Valentina (Part 2) — Alpha Mom
Hugh Jackman's got a biker baby!
One child around the world dies every three minutes from a completely preventable illness — tetanus. A recent ABC news report followed actress and producer Salma Hayek to Africa on a UNICEF mission to raise awareness for tetanus in partnership with Pampers. Salma stood bedside with a young mother as her seven-day-old daughter, Fatima, took her last breath. Had the woman be given a vaccine that costs just seven cents while pregnant, the newborn's life would have been spared.
At another clinic, Salma was so moved by a sick one-week-old born on the same date as her own daughter, Valentina, 1, that she picked up the hungry child and nursed him.
As mothers, it is our instinct to help those we see in harm's way — the fallen child on the playground, the lost lil one in the supermarket or the tot running toward traffic, but it's hard to assist those that we do not see, people who struggle just to survive.
As mothers, it is our instinct to help those we see in harm's way — the fallen child on the playground, the lost lil one in the supermarket or the tot running toward traffic, but it's hard to assist those that we do not see, people who struggle just to survive. At the Pampers Mommy Blogger Event earlier this month, I had the great pleasure of meeting Caryl Stern, the President and CEO of the US Fund for UNICEF. She is both an inspiring woman and a mother of three who is committed to wiping out tetanus, which killed 140,000 babies and 30,000 mothers last year. These deaths are preventable with a vaccine that costs five cents.
Pampers has partnered with UNICEF on this cause and allowed us to screen an internal video they made for their employees. After watching this footage of Bryan McCleary (director of external relations for P&G baby care) in Angola, there was not a dry eye in the room or a blogger who wasn't committed to making a difference. We asked that Pampers release this video so we could share it with our readers and inspire them to join the movement to help fellow mothers and babies around the world. Please be warned that there is an image of a baby who contracted tetanus in the tape.
To find out how you can contribute to wiping out tetanus, read more
There's no longer a need to put a cotton ball in your newborn's diaper. Many mothers have worried themselves sick about whether their infants were getting enough breast milk, and whether they were actually wetting their diapers. While we love that technology has allowed nappies to become more and more absorbent, it makes it very difficult to tell if they've been dampened.
Last week while attending the mommy blogger event at Pampers, 14 of us had the opportunity to test out the brand's indicator diapers ($47 for 136 diapers). A yellow indicator which stretches from the front to the back of the diaper turns green once the undergarment has been soiled. So skip the new-parent practice of tucking the square of toilet paper under your baby's bum.
Aside from incredibly cute commercials of sleeping babies or offering my kids amazing leak protection, I've never given much thought to Pampers. When Proctor & Gamble invited me to be their guest at a mommy bloggers event in Cincinnati, I kept an open mind, but knew the two days could end up being a corporate panel of suits trying to push us to peddle their wares on our websites. Curious to see why they were summoning women of the web and which, if any, environmental practices the company had adopted, I boarded the plane. In Ohio, I met fourteen amazing mothers that blog from across the country — New York, Hawaii, Georgia, even Appalachia. We were warmly welcomed by fellow parents, the Pampers executives, who shared the reasons why they are committed to children. To hear their stories, read more
When I was laid up on the couch for the first few weeks of my baby's life, I watched more television than I could imagine. Much of it was background noise, but somehow the barrage of detergent and diaper commercials had me questioning the brands I bought.
I still buy a variety of brands (sometimes what's on sale) and I'm not sure which one I like best, but I do have a few favorites.
Salma Hayek knows the importance of being vaccinated especially now that she's a new mom to lil Valentina. She signed on to be the spokeswoman for the "One PackOne Vaccine" program that provides tetanus shots for African and Asian mothers and babies in need. According to UNICEF, tetanus kills 140,000 infants and 30,000 women each year.
To help support Salma's cause, pick up some Pampers. For each pack of diapers sold between April 1 and June 30, a tetanus vaccine will be given. Salma said:
"In our own small way, this is an opportunity for moms like me here in North America to help other mothers on a global level," Hayek, 41, said in a statement Wednesday."
This Pampers commercial seems to think that child rearing techniques can make or break the distinction between a whiny toddler and a grown man. I don't know about you, but I'm a little doubtful.
