Milwaukee Strong Baby Sabbath: 'We want them to thrive'

MILWAUKEE - Sunday, Oct. 16 was Milwaukee's annual Strong Baby Sabbath – a day when 36 churches in the Milwaukee area promoted health and education for mothers and their babies.

The mayor's office said around 100 babies that are born in Milwaukee each year do not see their first birthday.

Ebeneezer Church of God in Christ was one of the 36 Milwaukee congregations celebrating the Strong Baby Sabbath. 

"We want it to go out in our community so that aunts, grandmothers, mothers and community members will support that pregnant mom so we can have healthy babies," the pastor said.

The churches teamed up with city leaders and the medical community to prevent infant deaths.

"It provides nutritional information, and it lets young mothers know and understand what's happening to their bodies and how to care for their children," the pastor said.

The Strong Baby Sabbath is a day to engage the community about infant mortality statistics. It's a complex problem medical professionals say is related to poverty, race and health disparities. 

Julia Means is a nurse who is committed to giving babies a healthy start to life.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

"We work together to work with our pregnant moms so each child reaches their first birthday, that they're born full-term and they're normal birth weight," Means said.

They're dedicated to making a greater impact on Milwaukee's future by saving lives.

"We want them to thrive. We want our children to be who God wants them to be," Means said.