Healthy Start Screening

Every prenatal care provider and hospital/birthing facility in the state of Florida is required to offer a Healthy Start Risk Screen to all pregnant women as well as infants. The Healthy Start Risk Screen is a simple one-page questionnaire that is completed by pregnant mothers with the help their doctor, midwife, or a staff member at a prenatal care provider.

MOMS

The program is voluntary and available to all Florida residents. In order to determine if a mother qualifies to receive services she must sign her initials next to each “YES” section on the risk screen’s consent questions. Without consent Healthy Start cannot provide mothers with at-risk screening results and cannot provide the mother and child with free Healthy Start services.

BABIES

After you’ve had the baby, and before you go home from the hospital or birth center, ask your nurse if your baby has received a Healthy Start Postnatal Infant Screening. This questionnaire can uncover factors that could affect your health or the baby’s growth and development during the very important first year of life.

What if I don’t need any help?

Even if you don’t have problems or the desire to use the Healthy Start services, completing the Healthy Start screen at your doctor or midwife’s office will be helpful in gathering the data and funding necessary to improve the system of care for ALL moms and babies in North Central Florida.