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| Ranking |
Evidence-Based Practice |
| Description |
The Healthy Start Initiative was established in 1991 by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Public Health Service.
Originally, 15 demonstration programs were funded for a five-year period; they included 13 urban and 2 rural programs located around the country. Congress subsequently continued the funding for those programs and other additional programs. As of fiscal year 2002, 96 Healthy Start programs were being funded. The programs are currently administered through the Division of Perinatal Systems and Women's Health, which is part of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau within HRSA.
Each grantee (i.e., participating service area) has a great deal of flexibility in designing its specific program, although several common models have emerged. Certain elements were required of the programs, including a focus on reducing infant mortality, inclusion of the local community in program planning, assessment of local needs, efforts to increase public awareness, implementation of an infant mortality review, development of a package of innovative health and social services for pregnant women and for infants, and evaluation of the initiative. |
| Goal / Mission |
The initiative's primary purpose was to reduce infant mortality by 50 percent and generally improve maternal and infant health in at-risk communities. |
| Results / Accomplishments |
Three Healthy Start program sites had significantly lower rates of low-birth-weight babies than their comparison sites. Similarly, three Healthy Start program sites had significantly lower rates of very-low-birth-weight babies.
The Healthy Start program was associated with a significantly lower pre-term birth rate in four program sites (with decreases ranging from 1.3 percent to 2.9 percent); the differences in the pre-term birth rate in the other (11) sites were not statistically significant. |
| Categories |
Health / Maternal, Fetal & Infant Health
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| Organization(s) |
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Public Health Service |
| Source |
Promising Practices Network |
| Date of Publication |
Nov 2002 |
| Location |
Country: USA |
| Primary Contact |
Maribeth Badura
Health Resources and Services Administration
(301) 443-0543
Mbadura@hrsa.gov
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| For more details |
http://www.promisingpractices.net/program.asp?p...
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