First 5 starting radio campaign on pregnancy health

IT’S A SIGN! : Faculty and students at Orcutt Academy in Orcutt are now enjoying a new marquee to announce the fledgling charter high school’s events and activities thanks to a $1,000 donation from Rabobank and the craftsmanship of Smith Electric Service employees. On Sept. 11, the Spartans expressed their gratitude to (above center, from left) Smith Electric president Mike Brannon, Smith Electric shop supervisor Jim Scheidt, and Rabobank representatives Janna Douma and Pamela Santana. “Rabobank donates to all the local schools, and we wanted to make sure Orcutt Academy was included,” Santana said. Credit: PHOTO BY AMY ASMAN

Starting this month, expectant and new mothers can get some important information about pre- and postnatal health on local radio waves.

First 5 Santa Barbara County, in partnership with Emerald Wave Media and local OBGYN Dr. Robert McGhie, is producing a series of radio spots educating mothers on subjects such as breastfeeding and postpartum depression, and the dangers of casual drug use during pregnancy.

“I started hearing too many of my young pregnant patients admitting to smoking marijuana or drinking a few beers,” McGhie said in a release to the media. “I was amazed that this entire generation could be so uninformed about the dangers of drugs and alcohol on their unborn babies.”

The radio campaign will air on Mega, La Mexican, and Radio Ranchitos and feature testimonials from recently sober young mothers talking about their drug and alcohol use. According to the release, those interviews were done at Good Samaritan Shelter, which also agreed to partner with First 5 Santa Barbara County on the campaign.

Several other organizations and businesses are partnering with First 5 to develop outreach campaigns, including United Way of Santa Barbara County, Marian Medical Center, Santa Barbara Family Dentistry, and the Santa Maria Public Library.

For more information, visit first5santabarbaracounty.org.

This article appears in Sep 17-24, 2009.