COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Around 800 expecting Franklin County families gathered at the Linden Community Center for CelebrateOne’s Community Baby Shower on Saturday. 

CelebrateOne is Columbus’ infant mortality initiative. Five hundred diaper bags and other baby supplies were handed out to expectant families.

“What families really need in order to ensure that our babies are making it to age one is a place of support from the community,” CelebrateOne Executive Director Danielle Tong said.

More than 60 organizations participated in the event, providing information on local resources for housing, healthcare, and more.

“There are so many opportunities for that in our community, and we wanted to bring those in all one space, under one roof,” she said.

Tong said the city saw a significant decline in infant mortalities, but the pandemic set them back. There has still been a modest decline, though, and she said the organization will celebrate even the smallest victories.

“We are seeing some declines,” Tong said. “So this year, our rate is seven deaths and 7.4 deaths in every 1,000 live births, whereas last year, it was around that same time, but we’re seeing the racial disparity decrease significantly.”

During the event, expecting parents also learned about car seat safety, infant CPR and safe sleep. CelebrateOne follows the ABCs of safe sleeping. The “A” stands for alone, meaning the baby should always sleep alone. This means no pillows, blankets or stuffed animals. The “B” stands for back because the safest position for babies to sleep is on their back. “C” is for crib — use a firm, flat mattress with a fitted sheet that hugs the mattress snugly. CelebrateOne said parents should avoid crib bumpers, sleep positioners and wedges.

CelebrateOne has more safety tips and resources here.