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Newborn deaths fell by 50% in Flint following the launch of Rx Kids, new research finds

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Newborn deaths fell by 50% in Flint following the launch of Rx Kids, new research finds

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A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics has found that neonatal mortality—the death of an infant within the first 28 days of life—fell by 50% following the launch of Rx Kids, while early neonatal mortality—the death of an infant within the first seven days of life—fell by 74%.

The findings represent a reduction in a longstanding disparity between Flint and the rest of Michigan and provide new evidence that community-wide financial support during pregnancy and infancy can improve the survival of infants at a population level.

"This is the outcome that matters most: our babies surviving," said Dr. Mona Hanna, director of Rx Kids and associate dean for public health at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. "As a pediatrician, I have cared for families through the unimaginable loss of a newborn. These early findings are deeply encouraging and suggest that supporting families during pregnancy and infancy, with money as medicine, may be one of our most powerful prescriptions for saving babies' lives."

Researchers analyzed statewide birth and death records from 2021 through 2025, comparing Flint with the rest of Michigan. Before Rx Kids launched, Flint's neonatal mortality rate was more than twice that of the rest of the state, at 10.2 versus 4.0 deaths per 1,000 live births.

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