Protect•Prevent•Nurture is a collaborative campaign with a focus on protecting and preventing pregnant individuals and their babies from harmful environmental exposures. From toxic metals like lead and mercury to chemicals such as PFAS and pesticides, these substances can affect your health even before birth. This campaign brings together healthcare providers, community organizations and public health experts to raise awareness, share resources and take action to protect growing families. Together, we’re working to prevent exposure and nurture healthier beginnings for every baby.

Led by Family Health Initiatives’ Prematurity Prevention Initiative and The Cooperative’s Lead & Healthy Homes program, this campaign was supported by funding from the New Jersey Department of Health. This campaign was developed under the direction of the Protect•Prevent•Nurture Committee, including but not limited to the New Jersey Regional Lead and Healthy Homes Coalitions, the Prematurity Prevention Initiative Clinical Leadership Team, New Jersey Department of Health and Isles, Inc. Click here for a complete list of our partners.

Lead may be a contributing factor of adverse health outcomes before, during and after pregnancy in New Jersey, including preterm birth. In 2023, 9.3% of babies born in New Jersey (roughly 1 in 11 babies) were preterm (born before 37 weeks of gestation).

There is no safe level of lead exposure in the body. High levels of lead can lead to a range of complications for pregnant people including high blood pressure disorders (preeclampsia and eclampsia), miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and low birth weight. Studies indicate the risks of preeclampsia and eclampsia increase as blood lead levels increase. Testing for lead exposure is an effective intervention to reduce the risk of harmful health effects of lead in a pregnant person’s body and their developing baby.

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