PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy and UK Partner Kicks Count Launch Internet Scrub to Eliminate Fetal Movement Misinformation

New Initiative Aims to Ensure Expectant Parents Around the World Have Access to Accurate, Life-Saving Information

NY, UNITED STATES, April 2, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy, a leading U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to reducing preventable stillbirths, is launching an international Initiative to identify and correct outdated or simply inaccurate online information about fetal movements—one of the most critical indicators of a baby’s well-being in the womb. The aptly named “Internet Scrub” is being diligently executed in partnership with UK-based organization Kicks Count on International Fact Checking Day.

Every year in the United States, nearly 21,000 babies are stillborn (the death of a baby in utero after 20 weeks of pregnancy), a number that has remained largely unchanged for decades. Research shows that decreased fetal movement is one of the most common warning signs preceding stillbirth, yet misinformation online continues to downplay its significance, falsely reassuring expectant parents that reduced movement is normal late in pregnancy. The Internet Scrub aims to eliminate this dangerous misinformation and ensure that all online sources reflect medically accurate guidance: any change in fetal movement—whether reduced, increased, or different—should prompt an immediate call to a healthcare provider.

“Accurate medical information can mean the difference between life and death for babies in distress—even in seemingly healthy, ‘low-risk’ pregnancies. My own family knows about this devastating reality firsthand, and we are far from alone. Too many parents leave the hospital with empty arms because they didn’t receive the timely, lifesaving intervention their baby needed,” says PUSH’s Director of Communications, Ana Lepe Vick. “Our partnership with Kicks Count to eliminate misinformation online is a crucial step toward ensuring all families have clear, evidence-based guidance—empowering them to recognize changes in movement as the urgent warning signs they are—because every baby deserves a chance to have a #safearrival.”

As part of the initiative, PUSH and Kicks Count are systematically identifying online content related to fetal movement, evaluating it against the latest clinical guidelines and evidence-backed recommendations. Through direct advocacy and collaboration with tech platforms, together the groups aim to ensure that expectant parents receive clear, standardized and potentially life-saving guidance.

Kicks Count CEO Elizabeth Hutton OBE says, “We are thrilled to collaborate with PUSH to ensure that parents have the facts they need for a healthy pregnancy. Our mission has always been to raise awareness of baby’s movements to reduce stillbirth and neonatal death but the internet is a minefield of misinformation. This partnership will not only ensure UK parents are getting access to correct information but will also help countries around the world to reduce their stillbirth rate.”

Stillbirth remains a devastating public health crisis in the U.S., disproportionately affecting Black families, who experience stillbirth at twice the rate of white families. Experts estimate that at least 5,000 stillbirths and possibly more than 15,000 each year could be prevented with improved education, better medical care, and increased awareness of risk factors—including changes in fetal movement. While the CDC’s ‘Hear Her’ campaign now includes fetal movement as an urgent maternal warning sign, there is still no universal guidance for patients or providers on how to respond to fetal movement changes.
PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy urges healthcare providers, pregnancy educators, and online platforms to join the movement in ensuring that every family has access to the accurate, evidence-based information they need to protect their baby’s life. Individuals and organizations can flag outdated or misleading advice on fetal movement at this link: tinyurl.com/reporttopush

At 12 PM ET on April 2nd, PUSH and Count the Kicks UK will host a LIVE virtual event on YouTube and Instagram (@pushpregnancy) to unveil this global initiative aimed at eliminating misinformation in prenatal care. This collaborative effort seeks to ensure that expectant parents receive fact-based, evidence-backed guidance, free from myths and outdated advice.

For more information on the Internet Scrub Initiative or to get involved, visit www.pushpregnancy.org or www.kickscount.org.uk.

About PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy
PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy is on a mission to end preventable stillbirth, and is not taking no for an answer. 65 babies die in the second half of pregnancy every single day in the U.S. - that’s 21,000 each year, most of them otherwise healthy, and all of them deeply loved. Many of these babies could have been saved. Working closely with medical researchers and doctors, PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy exists to eradicate preventable stillbirth in the U.S by 2035.

About Kicks Count UK:
Kicks Count is a UK charity dedicated to reducing stillbirth rates and ensuring that parents have the knowledge and tools they need to monitor their baby’s movements throughout pregnancy. The charity offers free resources, including the Kicks Count app and educational materials for maternity professionals.

Daniela Sicuranza
Laura Evans Media
daniela@lauraevansmedia.com
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