A new study published in The Lancet Public Health found that Rx Kids, the nation’s first community-wide prenatal and infant cash prescription program, led to significant improvements in birth outcomes for infants born in Flint, Michigan. The program reduced low birthweight and preterm birth rates and prevented admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU.
The findings show that providing direct support during pregnancy and infancy can improve maternal and infant health. This is among the first population-level studies in the United States showing that direct economic support during pregnancy improves birth outcomes.
Researchers from Michigan State University and the University of Michigan analyzed approximately 4,500 births in Flint between January 2021 and June 2025, comparing outcomes before and after the launch of Rx Kids to those in similar cities in the state without the program.