Research Report Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns Evaluation
Ian Hill, Sarah Benatar, Brigette Courtot, Fredric Blavin, Embry M. Howell, Lisa Dubay, Bowen Garrett, Ashley Palmer, Margaret Wilkinson, Morgan Cheeks, Sarah M. Gadsden, Kathryn Paez, Brandy Farrar, Manshu Yang, Ushma Patel, Jennifer Lucado, Jennifer Edwards, Sharon Silow-Carroll, Diana Rodin, Benita Sinnarajah, Mark Rouse
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The Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns initiative aims to improve maternal and infant outcomes for Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries through three models of enhanced prenatal care: maternity care homes, group prenatal care, and birth centers. Findings from the first year of the Urban Institute’s evaluation are promising and indicate that, across all three models: participants have rates of C-section that are lower than the national average and breastfeeding rates at least as high as the national average; while women in group prenatal care and birth centers report lower preterm birth rates than the national average. Moreover, participants are overwhelmingly satisfied with the prenatal care they receive under Strong Start.

Read more about the Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns Initiative here (leaving the UI web site)
Research Areas Health and health care Families Social safety net
Tags Families with low incomes Poverty Health equity Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program  Family planning Children's health and development Maternal, child, and reproductive health Public health Parenting Assistance for women and children Women and girls Sexual and reproductive health Kids in context
Policy Centers Health Policy Center