The SmartStarts program focuses on decreasing the incidence of premature births and low birth weights. Along with the emotional toll on a family, premature births and low birth weights exact a financial toll as well. Care for one low birth weight infant can easily cost more than $156,000 (based on average stay of 52 days in neonatal intensive care unit at average cost of $3,000 per day). Even if insurance covers 80% of those expenses, parents would still be expected to pay more than $31,000 in out-of-pocket expenses. When a mother-to-be receives education and one-on-one mentoring from a prenatal nurse, she is much more likely to deliver a baby who is normal weight at birth.

Any information a participant discusses with her prenatal nurse coach is confidential, and no personal health information is ever shared with an employer.