WSSU grad students launch injury prevention program for new moms

Two Winston-Salem State University graduate students are on a mission to help fellow moms. They've designed an ergonomics program in an effort to help prevent and reduce injuries for mothers caring for children.

Two Winston-Salem State University graduate students are on a mission to help fellow moms. They've designed an ergonomics program in an effort to help prevent and reduce injuries for mothers caring for children.

Two Winston-Salem State University graduate students are on a mission to help fellow moms. They've designed an ergonomics program in an effort to help prevent and reduce injuries for mothers caring for children.

Two Winston-Salem State University graduate students are on a mission to help fellow moms.

They've designed an ergonomics program to help prevent and reduce injuries for mothers caring for children.

The project even won them an award.

"We're hoping, ultimately, to prevent injuries," said WSSU Occupational Therapy Graduate Student Cristina Sorensen.

It's something more common than you might think — moms getting injured while simply caring for their kids.

"I've run into so many moms that have said they wished they had a class like this," said Sorensen. "They have had shoulder pain or wrist pain — so success for us looks like preventing those injuries, so they can do their job and be a mom without interruption."

Whether a mom might be balancing children their hips, bending or twisting to get kids in and out of car seats — physical strains to necks, shoulders and backs can be unavoidable.

"We want moms to pick up their babies," said Sorensen. "And it happens too often — they do the motions over and over and injuries are common. So, we're hoping to be a preventative educational resource so they don't have to worry."

Sorensen is teaming up with Stefanie Ramsey for this program. They're teaching moms how they can care for their kids without getting injured.

"No one taught us how to carry our babies safely," Sorensen said. "And it led to pain and other challenges."

The project even earned them the Future Healthcare Legend Award, which includes a $2,500 prize they can use for their work in providing 3-D printable devices they make for moms.

Those devices include an unbuckling tool to help with wrist pain, a grocery bag carrier, and a stroller hook.

At the end of the class, moms can choose one of the tools to keep.

"I think every mom with a baby wants to be the best mom they can be," said Sorensen. "And injury is going to cause interruption — because you can't do the things you need to do — even giving them a cuddle when they're sad — so we want to make sure none of that is interrupted and they can feed and carry their babies to the best of their ability without interruption.

The fellowship opportunity was presented to them through the Albert Schweitzer Foundation, which targets underserved communities.

There's a class being held at the health department in Winston-Salem on Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m.

For more information, call 336-448-3634.