By: Amanda Nelson, Owlet
We were honored to walk alongside March of Dimes and NICU parents at this month’s March for Babies in Cleveland. More than a series of walks, March for Babies is an annual tradition that raises funds dedicated to closing health equity gaps and putting an end to preventable maternal health risks. To help boost awareness and empower participants, Owlet sponsored this year’s Honor Tent, handing out Nursery of Hope seedlings to be planted in honor of little lives lost.
We were joined by representatives from three of our Owlet Cares partner organizations and our DME partner at 1 Natural Way - a truly community effort to support families who have been impacted by the March of Dimes mission.
“Having the opportunity to meet NICU parents in person, hear their stories, and help in honoring their little ones alongside our partners was so meaningful,” says Dean Demitropoulos, Owlet’s Senior Director of Business Development. “We look forward to continuing to partner with March of Dimes to provide peace of mind for NICU families as they make the transition home from the hospital.”
In addition, Owlet donated 250 FDA-cleared Dream Sock® smart baby monitors to March of Dimes’ NICU Care Package Kit program.
This marks the first year of partnership between Owlet and March of Dimes and comes at a pivotal time, as new data from the National Vital Statistics System reveals a 13% increase in U.S. NICU admissions in less than a decade. With a growing number of NICU parents in clear need of support, Dream Socks will be included in care kits alongside educational resources to help monitor their babies’ vitals during their transition home.
Following Owlet’s donation, March of Dimes Massachusetts will distribute nearly one-fifth of the total number of Dream Sock monitors to its NICU Family Support (NFS) site at Boston Medical Center, the largest safety net hospital in New England. Its NFS program supports its Level III 15-bed NICU with a full-time March of Dimes coordinator. The remainder of the monitors will go to other NICUs in the area including Tufts Medical Center, Mass General Hospital NICU, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital and Mount Auburn.
“At March of Dimes, we are deeply grateful to partner with Owlet in support of families
during some of their most vulnerable moments,” said Cindy Rahman, President and CEO of March of Dimes. “Through their support of March for Babies and generous donation of Dream Sock monitors for families in the NICU, Owlet is helping bring comfort, connection, and peace of mind to parents when they need it most. Together, we’re reaching families with resources and support that reflect the heart of both our missions—and we’re honored to work alongside them on behalf of moms and babies everywhere.”
“Bringing Grayson home went so much more smoothly as we were able to monitor his pulse rate and oxygen from the comfort of our home right on our phones,” said NICU parent and Owlet user Marisa Capellan. “It is the best device we purchased for our son when he was a baby. We are grateful to our Dream Sock for making a very stressful time easier and allowing us to sleep easier after bringing our warrior son home.”
Dream Sock® is intended to track baby's pulse rate and oxygen level and keep parents informed. BabySat® is a prescription-only device. Dream Sock and BabySat are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or other condition, including but not limited to, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and/or Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Medical decisions should never be made solely using Dream Duo and Dream Sock data. BabySat (prescription-only), Dream Duo and Dream Sock should not substitute for the care and oversight of an adult or consultation with medical professionals.
