We have a real need to get information to the public on how essential it is to be healthy before and during pregnancy. Research has shown that to be the strongest determining factor to a good birth outcome. Since half of pregnancies are unplanned, it is a must that everyone know how critical that time is and how the gestational period largely determines one's health throughout their lives. Poor health in all forms then costs us as a society, both financially and socially.

As and example, after spending millions on the Folic Acid campaign, the MOD statistics show less than half of women in their childbearing years, take folic acid daily, even though you can get enough in any multivitamin, and taking folic acid daily has been shown to reduce birth defects by more than 40%.

The babies born too soon and too small are the ones with much higher risk of developmental delays, learning disabilities, behavior problems, ADHD, all of which contribute to poor performance in school, juvenile justice involvement, etc. which are much more costly than prevention such as early entry into prenatal care.

These dots need to be connected for the general public to understand the importance of prenatal care. It is at that point of entry into prenatal care that they must be sure their provider has given them the Healthy Start risk assessment screen to see if they are eligible for a range of free services designed to help them have a healthy baby.
Many women do not know about the screen or inaccurately assume it is just for low income women.

The Healthy Start screen is for every pregnant woman. It is not based on income and can make available a host of services designed to help her have a healthy baby and be prepared to take care of herself and her child. "Every Baby Deserves a Healthy Start".