CMS Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns Strategy II Initiative Second Annual Evaluation Report

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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released their second annual evaluation report for the Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns Strategy II Initiative. Strong Start is an initiative testing innovative prenatal care enhancements to improve maternal and infant health outcomes in low-income families, particularly to to reduce incidence of preterm birth and low birth weight.

Among findings regarding lower rates of cesarean sections are higher rates of breastfeeding than national averages among similar populations.

This is likely due to prenatal care enhancements that addressed psychosocial needs, such as care coordination, referrals to local resources, prenatal health education, and peer support for CHIP and Medicaid eligible women. For example, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program has found that access to resources, prenatal health education, and breastfeeding peer counseling are associated with increased breastfeeding rates among WIC participants.

“Researchers found that a group approach to prenatal care would be a “more culturally appropriate model” for Hispanic women because they were accustomed to a more intensive session with their doctors rather than just a “brief five to 10-minute encounter,” said Darius Tandon, lead investigator in Johns Hopkins University study on pregnant Latinas, according to one source.

The innovative approaches to prenatal care in the Strong Start II initiative include:

• Group Care – Group prenatal care that incorporates peer-to-peer support in a facilitated setting for three components: health assessment, education, and support.
• Birth Centers – Comprehensive prenatal care facilitated by midwives and teams of health professionals, including peer counselors and doulas.
• Maternity Care Homes – Enhanced prenatal care at traditional prenatal sites with enhanced continuity of care and expanded access to care coordination, education, and other services

Breastfeeding is associated with numerous health benefits; however, Latinas face social and environmental barriers which prevent them from reaching their breastfeeding goals, thus contributing to health disparities. In order to increase breastfeeding rates and improve Latino health outcomes, it is important to ensure all pregnant Latinas have access to resources, prenatal health education, and peer support.

Learn more about the second annual evaluation report here.

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