New Prenatal Program Planned

The Bush Administration is initiating a new program to get pregnant women into prenatal care in an effort to reduce the high rate of infant mortality in the nation, Health Secretary Louis W. Sullivan said Monday.

Sullivan, speaking on the Fox Morning News show, said the Administration is asking Congress for $171 million for the program.

“This is a new initiative for which we have requested $171 million from the Congress for us to concentrate tremendous services in 10 areas, both urban and rural, to have stronger outreach and a number of other strategies to get mothers into prenatal care during the first trimester,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said the program, called Healthy Start, will be set up in the 10 areas “that have an infant mortality rate that is 50% higher than the national average, so we will be looking for ways to attack this problem where we are not doing very well, and then to use that information around the nation to help generally.”