Health departments offer free prenatal vitamins to expectant mothers

Health departments offer free prenatal vitamins to expectant mothers

Published 12:30 pm Thursday, March 19, 2026

Prenatal vitamins use is one of the most proactive steps an expectant mother can take to ensure she delivers a healthy baby, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health.

MSDH distributes these vitamins at no cost to pregnant women at every county health department that provides nursing services.

By distributing the vitamins, the department not only addresses immediate nutritional needs of expectant mothers and their unborn children, but also helps improve access to prenatal care — by creating additional opportunities for patient engagement, education, and referral to maternal and infant services. This approach supports healthier pregnancies and contributes to reducing maternal and infant mortality rates.

A six-month supply of prenatal vitamins is available to any woman who tests positive for pregnancy. The program is sponsored through grant funding.

The agency launched the “Saving the Smallest” campaign in January to spread public awareness of the issues driving pre-term births in Mississippi, and to encourage adoption of safe prenatal and infant-care behaviors. 

More babies are born pre-term in Mississippi than anywhere else in the U.S., and the state’s infant mortality rate is significantly higher than the national average. Mississippi also has high rates of inadequate prenatal care.

For more information on how to have a healthy full-term pregnancy and a baby who is healthy during his or her first year, visit https://everybabyfirst.com. 

To schedule an appointment at a county health department, call 855-767-0170.