Helping Mothers Have Healthy Babies

Baltimore City Healthy Start is a recognized programmatic success within the array of 96 federally funded Healthy Start programs nationally. It is the only federally funded program of its kind in the entire State of Maryland. Over 8,052 women and infants, representing approximately 75% of the current Project Area's live births from 1993- mid 2006, have received Healthy Start services, of which 6,260 women were enrolled during pregnancy, with an additional 1,792 enrolled postpartum. The organization also serves as the Lead Agency for the United Way of Central Maryland Success By 6® Program, a citywide initiative to have babies born healthy, raised in safe and nurturing environments and entering school ready to learn. Our success speaks for itself:

• Healthy Start has over 24,000 client encounters annually, in the home and in its two existing service centers in East and West Baltimore.
• In 2003 (most recent data available for City), Healthy Start clients experienced low birth weight births at a rate of 8.9% of live births while Baltimore City's rate was 13.8%.
• Overall, 3.8% of Baltimore City African-American babies are very low birth weight (VLBW) babies while the VLBW rate for white babies is 1.5%. Healthy Start has not just closed the racial disparity in this key outcome measure; it has reversed it -- Healthy Start participants have a VLBW rate of .9%
• Preterm births (births at less than 37 weeks gestation) for Baltimore City in 2003 (most recent data available for City), were at a rate of 16.6% of live births, while Healthy Start had a rate of 15.3% that year and 11.5 % in 2005.
• In Baltimore City, 75% of all births occurred to mothers who had first trimester prenatal care in 2003. But for births in the Healthy Start Project Area, only 61.4% of all births received prenatal care in the first trimester, while 70.2% of Healthy Start enrolled clients (98% African American) in the same area, received first trimester prenatal care.

Data Sources: Healthy Start Client Tracking System, Baltimore City Health Department, and DHMH Vital Statistics

Not only are these results yielding healthier lives for the communities' children, they are also impacting the Maryland State and federal budgets which are estimated to have saved over $5.5 million since Baltimore City Healthy Start's inception, and continue to save over $700,000 per year in reduced Medicaid infant hospitalization costs.

Success Stories

Healthy Start client Ms. N is a young mother who has participated in the teen parenting program and bright beginnings playgroup with her daughter who is now 18 months. Ms. N has been fortunate to have family and Healthy Start support balancing motherhood and completing High School. Ms. N was able to attend her prom and she graduated from Carver High School. She is now employed and plans to attend a community college in the fall.

Healthy Start client Ms. C is a 20 year old who has suffered two miscarriages in the past but recently gave birth to her 2nd healthy child. When Ms. C enrolled, she was in an abusive relationship, was unemployed and had no driver's licenses or means of transportation. Since enrolling in Healthy Start, and receiving targeted support services, Ms. C has ended the abusive relationship, began working at the Department of Social Services as a cashier, got her driver's license, and bought a car. Ms. C has overcome numerous obstacles and is a true success story.