NASHVILLE (AP) — A new partnership being launched in Tennessee is seeking to curb complications during birth.

Healthy Tennessee Babies are Worth the Wait is an effort by the Tennessee Department of Health, March of Dimes, Tennessee Center for Patient Safety, Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care and Tennessee Hospital Association.

It seeks to improve the health and development of babies born across the state by emphasizing the importance of full-term delivery.

State Health Department Commissioner Dr. John Dreyzehner says early elective deliveries are associated with increased complications for both mothers and newborns when compared to deliveries occurring beyond 39 weeks and women who go into labor on their own.