Florida Healthy Start and Sunshine Health launch maternal warning signs campaign

The Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions and Sunshine Health have launched a campaign in Florida to raise awareness of maternal health warning signs and help improve birth outcomes. The effort comes as the state faces a D+ March of Dimes report card, a 10.7% preterm birth rate, and a maternal mortality rate that ranks 28th nationally.

Why it matters: - Florida is trying to cut maternal and infant deaths by helping expectant mothers spot warning signs earlier. - The campaign targets complications linked to high blood pressure, heart conditions and postpartum depression. - Maternal health outcomes remain a concern statewide, with Florida receiving a D+ in the 2025 March of Dimes report card.

What happened: - The Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions and Sunshine Health partnered on a maternal health warning signs campaign. - The campaign launched June 8, 2026, in Florida. - The effort uses informative advertisements and an educational webpage to reach expectant mothers.

The details: - The campaign focuses on common warning signs for serious maternal health complications during pregnancy and after delivery. - Spotting warning signs early is presented as one key to improving maternal and infant health outcomes. - Florida’s 2025 March of Dimes report card lists a preterm birth rate of 10.7%. - The same report lists Florida’s infant mortality rate at 6.1%. - The report lists Florida’s maternal mortality rate at 24.5% and ranks the state 28th in the nation. - The educational resource is available here: More information.

Between the lines: - FAHSC is leaning on more than 30 years as a Florida nonprofit focused on services for pregnant and post-partum women, fathers, infants and children up to age three. - Sunshine Health, a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, serves more than 2.4 million members statewide. - The partnership pairs a maternal health nonprofit with a large Florida health plan, which could help broaden reach across the state.

What’s next: - The campaign will continue through its ads and webpage as FAHSC and Sunshine Health work to increase awareness among Florida families. - The broader goal is to improve birth outcomes for Florida moms and babies and reduce mortality rates.

The bottom line: - The campaign is a direct response to Florida’s poor maternal health rankings and aims to give families practical information that can lead to earlier intervention.