Federal health officials are getting serious about reducing the rising number of preterm births and early elective deliveries by promising more than $40 million in grants to help reduce those trends. 

The Department of Health and Human Services launched the Strong Start initiative  on Wednesday, which will provide funding to health care providers and other organizations that offer prenatal care to women covered by Medicaid. It will also kick off a national campaign to educate hospitals, doctors and mothers that early elective deliveries– where babies are born before 39 weeks of gestation – can lead to a number of health related problems for both the mother and child.

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