Flint newborn deaths fall 50% after launch of cash support program
· News-MedicalThe findings represent a remarkable 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.
Dr. Mona Hanna, director of Rx Kids and associate dean for public health, Michigan State University College of Human MedicineThis is the outcome that matters most, our babies surviving. 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.
In 2025, one year after the launch of Rx Kids in Flint, the neonatal mortality rate fell by 50%, to 5.1 deaths per 1,000 live births, while the rest of Michigan remained virtually unchanged at 3.9.
The decline was even greater during the first week of life, with early neonatal mortality falling by 74%, from 7.9 to 2.0 deaths per 1,000 live births.
These improvements dramatically narrowed a longstanding disparity in newborn survival. For the first time during the study period, differences in neonatal and early neonatal mortality between Flint and the rest of Michigan were no longer statistically significant.
Preterm birth and low birth weight are leading contributors to newborn mortality, making the new survival findings consistent with previously documented improvements in birth outcomes.
Rx Kids is the nation's first community-wide maternal and infant cash prescription program, providing $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 per month during infancy to families in participating communities. The program addresses the economic insecurity that often accompanies pregnancy and childbirth, a critical window for lifelong health and development.
"Many partners have been diligently working to lower Michigan's infant mortality rates and allow babies to survive and thrive in our state", said Amy Zaagman, Executive Director, Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health. "The data shows adding Rx Kids has had a profound impact on reducing the rates of early infant loss in Flint. As we advocate to maintain the systems and supports families need, we know Rx Kids and its direct support to families is an essential part of improving maternal and infant health outcomes in other communities and statewide."
Researchers will continue examining infant and maternal mortality as additional years of data become available and in more Rx Kids communities. Future studies will investigate whether these improvements are sustained and replicated across different populations and settings, and explore the mechanisms connecting financial support to maternal and infant survival.
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