Community Health Connect is the Calgary West Central Primary Care Network's newsletter dedicated to providing members of our community with the latest healthcare information.
April 2026
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Hi , in this issue you can get information about:
Resources for expectant and new parents
What you need to know about measles
Pregnancy and infant loss: support is available
Resources for expectant and new parents
Becoming a parent is an exciting milestone that can come with a steep learning curve. As you prepare to welcome your child and navigate their first months of life, you may have questions about what to expect.
Healthy Parents, Healthy Children is Alberta’s trusted website to help you address any questions you may have with reliable, current information from health experts. The site offers information on a wide variety of topics from pregnancy, parenting, and beyond.
Popular topics include:
Common child health concerns:learn how to identify and respond to various infant and child health challenges.
Caring for yourself after birth:learn about what to expect after birth and what you can do to heal and recover.
Developmental timeline: easily access information about your child’s developmental milestones.
Mental health during pregnancy:learn more about coping with stress and other mental health concerns during pregnancy.
The site also offers links to other resources and tools to help support you throughout your parenting journey.
Measles cases are on the rise in Alberta, with more than 240 cases reported in 2026, so far.
What is measles?
Measles, sometimes called rubeola or red measles, is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
It causes symptoms like fever, cough, runny nose, and rash. Those at highest risk of severe complications from measles include:
Children under the age of five
People with weakened immune systems
People who are pregnant
Protecting yourself and loved ones from measles
Measles is very contagious, but there are several effective ways to protect yourself and your loved ones:
Make sure your measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine is up to date: The MMR vaccine provides excellent protection against measles and other conditions.
You can check your vaccine records by mail, online, or through a health centre.
To book an adult immunization or routine child immunization appointment, call Health Link at 811 or your nearest public health or community health centre.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick: Limit exposure to people who are sick to reduce the spread of illnesses.
Stay home when you feel sick: Try to limit outings and exposure to others when you feel unwell.
If you think you or your child may have been exposed to measles, call Health Link at 811before visiting any healthcare provider, clinic, or hospital.
You can also view current public health advisories online to remain up to date on measles exposures in the province.
Every day of the year, somewhere, a family is going through a pregnancy or infant loss journey.
The Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support Centre (PILSC) provides specialized peer and professional support for individuals and families going through pregnancy loss, infant loss, infertility, and reproductive grief.
The journey toward healing can be personal and complex, and the centre has many different pathways to help without cost:
Professional counselling and coaching with staff trained in reproductive grief, pregnancy and infant loss, and infertility.
Peer support groups for pregnancy loss, infant loss, and infertility experiences.
Peer mentorship that can connect you with trained volunteers who have experienced similar journeys.
Social connection groups offering not a support group, but gentle opportunities for community and connection.
Comfort boxes, including Indigenous memorial and ceremony boxes, sent to families shortly after a loss.
Who is it for:
Services are available to adults — parents, partners, and family members — across Alberta who are impacted by reproductive grief.
Reproductive grief includes early pregnancy loss (such as miscarriage, chemical pregnancy, and ectopic pregnancy), stillbirth and neonatal loss, sudden infant loss, termination for medical reasons, infertility, and other complex reproductive journeys.
Access:
If you or someone you know could benefit from these services, you don’t need to be referred by your doctor.
Sign up directly for support groups or book with counselors, coaches, and other professionals:
On their website (each program page has a sign-up or booking link)
