Research Demonstrates the Positive Impact of Nurture NJ on Maternal Health Outcomes
The Rutgers School of Public Health has released a series of research briefs describing the positive impact of Nurture NJ, New Jersey’s flagship effort to improve maternal health outcomes. Nurture NJ’s mission is to ensure that all women in the state have access to, and receive, the best possible care before, during, and after pregnancy. The goal: Reduce overall maternal and infant morbidity and mortality – a significant problem in New Jersey.
Nurture NJ was launched in 2019 as an initiative spearheaded by the Office of First Lady Tammy Murphy. The Nicholson Foundation joined the partnership later that year and was instrumental in supporting the development of the Strategic Plan that guided the initiative’s efforts. When the Foundation closed in 2021, Nurture NJ continued through a partnership among the state, the New Jersey Birth Equity Funders Alliance (a collaborative of four funders), and other groups. The Rutgers briefs demonstrate the critical importance and success of Nurture NJ’s collaborative work:
- Following the Science: New Jersey’s Policy Approaches to Improving Maternal and Infant Health.
Between Nurture NJ’s launch and January 2025, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed 71 pieces of maternal and infant health legislation into law. The Rutgers evaluation team reviewed these policies and two state assembly resolutions and determined that the majority were supported by strong or emerging scientific evidence. Leveraging the best science and evidence to pursue policies and care can drive improvements in maternal and infant outcomes. - Progress in Reducing the Low-Risk Cesarean Birth Rate in New Jersey: An Examination of Data from 2016–2023.
Reducing the rate of cesarean births has been a longstanding priority. This examination of data from 2016 to 2023 shows that, as a result of Nurture NJ, New Jersey had the largest reduction in cesarean birth rates of any state, with the greatest improvements among Medicaid patients. However, despite the overall improvement, racial disparities in cesarean rates persist. - Progress in Increasing Access to Paid Family Leave in New Jersey, An Evidence-Based Strategy for Improving Maternal and Infant Health.
One of Nurture NJ’s key strategies is expanding paid family leave. In 2019, Governor Murphy signed into law an expansion of paid leave benefits in the state. This brief shows the resulting policy changes led to increased use of family leave benefits by both men and women and that the average duration of leave increased. In addition, access to the benefits was associated with increased breastfeeding initiation and duration, lower risk of postpartum depression, increased attendance at postpartum visits, and lower odds of hospital admissions by mothers and babies.
LEARN MORE
Click here to download or receive a free copy of the book Changing Systems, Changing Lives: Reflecting on 20 Years.
Visit The Nicholson Foundation’s blog series to learn more about how the Foundation’s work.
Led by Dr. Leslie M. Kantor, Professor and Chair of the Department of Urban-Global Public Health,
the Rutgers School of Public Health has partnered with the state to conduct an evaluation of the scope of
Nurture NJ and its progress to meeting its goals.For more on the evaluation, visit Rutgers’ Nurture NJ
evaluation website.
Read the two Then and Now blogs about how The Nicholson Foundation’s supported the early development of Nurture NJ and how that funding planted the seeds for the initiative’s growth since the Foundation’s closing.
Visit the Nurture NJ website and read the Nurture NJ 2021 Strategic Plan.
Visit the New Jersey Birth Equity Funders Alliance website.
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