Key Takeaways
- Majority of new parents feel uncomfortable asking for support.
- The new partnership expects to enhance and improve support systems for new parents.
- New Mothers lack the time for self-care leading to mental and emotional health issues.
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Philips and March of Dimes Form Partnership to Improve Support for Mothers
Author(s):
Study presents overwhelming public support for providing aid to mothers in need.
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Global leader in mother and childcare, Philips Avent, announced a partnership with March of Dimes to establish the modern-day village to provide mother’s additional support. The partnership continues to build on a nearing 20-year collaboration effort, with new data highlighting the burden of early parenthood and the positive effects that community support has on mothers and adolescents.
Kelly Ernst, Chief Impact Officer at March of Dimes touched on the struggles that parenthood can bring saying, "The transition to parenthood is one of the most important and most challenging times in a person's life, yet many new moms face it without the support they need. Together with Philips Avent, we're calling on communities to turn their willingness to help into meaningful action. When we equip families, friends, and neighbors with the tools to show up, we can begin to build a village that truly supports every mom." 1
It takes a village
Philips Advent provides its campaign Share the Care, which offers educational resources to help villagers understand the needs of new parents and provides various methods to support those in need. The campaign encourages families, friends, and community members to offer support in a variety of medias ranging from simply listening all the way to helping cook meals.
March for Dimes elected to form the partnership to help expand these vital resources for struggling parents and measured feedback of supports and those in need through a survey distributed to 2,400 U.S. adults aged 18 and older.
The survey, conducted in April 2025 weighed necessary data according to factors such as:
- Age
- Race
- Gender
- Geographical location
- Education
- Martial status
- Household size and income
The survey results revealed alarming trends, as despite 90% of participants claiming an eagerness to support new parents, 62% of mothers expressed difficulty in reaching out for support. This number raised to 76% for Hispanic mothers in need of emotional and physical support. Those aren’t the only eye-opening results from the survey, as additional findings were discovered alongside the shocking disconnect of support.
A gap in outside support exists with two-out-of-three parents needing the most help within the first three months postpartum, yet only 17% of mothers received assistance outside their spouse, with 42% receiving support claiming it wasn’t enough. New mothers specifically requested mental & emotional support accompanied with self-care aid, with 93% of mothers of infants and toddlers labeling self-care as essential. Yet 80% reported having less than an hour-per-day of personal time to care for themselves.
Additional information from the survey unveiled that just 31% of the public is aware of postpartum health issues in mothers but notes that those who are aware are nearly three times more likely to offer support. The support commonly was reported from immediate family members accounting for 63%, while 49% reported support coming from a close friend. Gender did not have a large variation in terms of providing support, as 72% of fathers with children aged 18-or-younger were reported as providing support.
With a large disconnect between new parents asking for assistance, and those offering resources and support, Dr. Ali Rodriguez, obstetrician and gynecologist, spoke on the topic saying, "We need to normalize asking for help and create a culture where support is proactive, not reactive, so that moms and villagers have the confidence to Share the Care." 1
Sources
- Study finds 90% of people are willing to help new parents--yet 62% of moms, including 76% of Hispanic moms, have difficulty voicing their needs: it's time for the village to step in with support Philips Advent July 22, 2025 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/study-finds-90-of-people-are-willing-to-help-new-parentsyet-62-of-moms-including-76-of-hispanic-moms-have-difficulty-voicing-their-needs-its-time-for-the-village-to-step-in-with-support-302510531.html
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