BabyCare – The Prevention Program for a Healthy Pregnancy

Each year, more than 8% of babies in Germany are born prematurely. Preterm birth can cause distress for families, long-term health challenges for the child, and significant costs for health insurance providers and society at large.

BabyCare is a prevention program aimed at reducing preterm births by addressing all known modifiable risk factors.

Developed in 2000 by leading obstetricians, midwives, and experts in prevention and health promotion, BabyCare empowers pregnant women to reduce uncertainty and positively influence their pregnancy.

What makes BabyCare effective? It identifies individual health and lifestyle risks, provides evidence-based information on pregnancy-related topics, and offers personalized advice tailored to the mother’s specific situation. Evaluations show BabyCare reduces the rate of preterm births by up to 20%.

The program includes a pregnancy handbook with a diary for tracking appointments and tips for optimal micronutrient intake.

Its key element is the BabyCare Questionnaire, which collects scientifically validated risk and protective factors. Participants receive a personalized report and actionable advice to support a healthy pregnancy.

To bridge the digital gap and expand its reach, BabyCare developed an app for pregnant women. The German version, “BabyCare – Gesund & Schwanger”, is available worldwide on iOS and Android. An English version is in development. To download the app, search “BabyCare gesund schwanger” in app stores.

The Bundesverband Bunter Kreis e.V. is an umbrella organization comprising approximately 80 aftercare facilities across Germany. These centers support families with seriously or chronically ill children following hospitalization.

Preterm and high-risk births or the diagnosis of a serious or chronic illness can overwhelm families with emotions such as fear, guilt, and helplessness. Families also face the complexity of navigating the healthcare system, ongoing therapies, and reorganizing their daily lives.

The aftercare centers provide hands-on support from nurses specialized in follow-up care, helping families reintegrate into everyday life. These services are free for families and are primarily funded by health insurance under national aftercare service legislation. Remaining costs are covered by grants, donations, sponsorships, and subsidies.

Many families with a preterm baby spend the first weeks or even months of their baby’s life in the hospital. When they are finally allowed to go home, the time after discharge is often a mix of happiness, anxiety, and exhaustion.

That’s where Harl.e.kin comes in! Harl.e.kin is a very low-threshold program that supports families during the transition from hospital to home. Its main goal is to strengthen parents’ confidence and skills in caring for their child at home. Two specialists – a familiar pediatric nurse from the hospital and a trained early support assistant (an expert in early infant development) – visit the family at home.

Since 2003, Harl.e.kin has been successfully working to prevent developmental risks for preterm infants, and today it is active in 18 facilities.

Our mission is to ensure your well-being.

The health and well-being of mothers, fathers, and their children is at the heart of our nonprofit work at Mutter-Kind: Hilfswerk – and has been for over 20 years.

We understand how exhausting it can be to manage a family’s daily needs. Parents often juggle careers, children, housework, and their relationship all at once. This can lead to stress, conflict, and a sense of being overwhelmed. If illness strikes, financial trouble arises, or relationship issues occur, the strain can quickly lead to health problems for any family member – including children.

Unresolved problems can grow until they feel insurmountable. But there is help – this is where we come in. A mother/father & child health retreat can make a significant difference. Our experience has shown that a short break, combined with professional support, can bring lasting improvement to the family dynamic.

That’s why we maintain a nationwide network of counseling centers that help families apply for these health retreats and find the right spa facility to meet their specific needs.

While technical innovations often receive widespread attention, social innovations are just as vital. At Uplift – Aufwind, we’ve learned that investing in social innovation enables sustainable change.

Founded 10 years ago, Uplift – Aufwind is an NGO that launched innovative initiatives to support mothers and children in need in underdeveloped countries. Its primary work takes place in Kyrgyzstan, a small, mountainous country in Central Asia that was formerly part of the Soviet Union. The country’s size and structure have made it ideal for testing new approaches in partnership with civil society and government bodies.

With a dedicated, interdisciplinary team of local and international experts, volunteers, and staff, Uplift developed a comprehensive early intervention program. One of the biggest challenges was the outdated state system, a legacy of Soviet rule, which offered little to no support to vulnerable families—often sending children to orphanages instead.

To counter this, Uplift works to strengthen families, prevent unnecessary institutionalization, and improve care for children in state orphanages. Through our prevention programs, which support mothers during pregnancy and after birth, we’ve prevented 50% of children from entering orphanages.

Our Uplift Mothers Program offers therapeutic care for infants in orphanages and helps prevent neglect, paving the way for faster, local adoptions. Thanks to this innovative approach, we’ve seen a 70% reduction in children entering institutional care.

wellcome is a Germany-based nonprofit organization that supports families after the birth of a child. With a nationwide network of volunteers, wellcome offers practical, hands-on help to parents during the early weeks and months at home. By easing everyday challenges, wellcome empowers families, strengthens parenting confidence, and promotes the healthy development of newborns and young children.