As many parents know, Gerber is committed to doing Anything for Baby. We take this commitment seriously: it is what drives us and is at the center of how we approach our work every day. We see ourselves as a partner to parents as they raise their little ones – and we want that partnership to extend to every parent and every baby.
I’m proud of the work Gerber teams are doing across the U.S. to make this mission a reality. Whether it’s raising awareness of maternal health disparities, connecting with mission-driven organizations, or creating spaces where parents can easily access expert advice – we’re supporting parents and babies wherever we’re needed.
Addressing Racial Disparities in Maternal Health
Every year, 50,000 American mothers face life-altering health challenges from unintended consequences of pregnancy1, and among those mothers, Black women are 3x more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women2. At Gerber, we’re committed to raising awareness of the maternal health disparities faced by the Black community and positively impacting the way Black parents experience pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
We’ve partnered with Un-ruly and mater mea to offer support, resources, and community to Black women during their journeys to and through motherhood through engaging video guides on everything from parenting hacks to the value of connecting with a doula. We’ve also partnered with 4Kira4Moms, a healthcare advocacy non-profit.
Our work in this space is just beginning. Ultimately, our goal is to help decrease instances of preventable pregnancy- and childbirth-related deaths and near-miss events among Black women in the U.S.
Taking Community Action with Likeminded Partners
Since 2014, Gerber has been partnering with March of Dimes, a non-profit organization that supports the health and wellness of moms and babies. March of Dimes has a long history supporting NICU care, pre- and post-natal healthcare research, and tackling issues of infant mortality.
Alongside Gerber’s longstanding partnership with March of Dimes, our employees take regular action to help support the non-profit’s work. We take part in marches with the organization, and our teams compete in fundraising campaigns to drive high value donations ahead of these events. We also take part in volunteer activities throughout the year, whether that be participating in galas and fundraisers or knitting baby blankets and Halloween costumes for NICUs in need of support.
Ultimately, we’re proud to share a similar mission with March of Dimes – nurturing a healthier generation one baby at a time.
Improving Accessibility to Expert Parenting Advice
Being a parent has its challenges, especially the first time around. It can feel isolating when you’re not sure how to address unexpected issues, or child-rearing challenges you haven’t encountered before. As a father of two myself, I know this feeling of helplessness quite well!
Our Parents Resource Center is designed to assist parents facing these challenges. Our MyGerber Baby Experts are available live via phone, text, webchat, and Facebook messenger 24/7, and are ready to answer any questions from how to get your baby to fall asleep, to what to do if your child is a picky eater. Parenting has never come with a guidebook, but as a partner to parents we’re trying our best to provide the closest possible alternative.
As a parent myself, it’s important to me that everyone here at Gerber is working hard to support parents and babies regardless of their background, race, or circumstances. When we say Anything for Baby, we want to ensure that means doing everything we can for every baby. Our work isn’t done, and I’m excited to see how we can expand our partnership with parents in the future.
1Working Together to Reduce Black Maternal Mortality, April 6, 2022, CDC
2Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Pregnancy-Related Deaths - United States, 2007-2016, Sept 6, 2019 CDC
