Adequate Prenatal Care in United States

United States

Early and regular prenatal care aims to help people have healthy pregnancies and births. To reduce pregnancy complications, prenatal care checkups are recommended at least once a month, starting at week four and increasing in frequency throughout the pregnancy. Prenatal checkups can help expectant people avoid or treat complications such as infections, gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. It also gives expecting parents opportunities to talk with health professionals about their questions and concerns. Babies who do not receive prenatal care are three times more likely to have a low birth weight and five times more likely to die in infancy than those born to mothers who get care.

Besides the potential harm to infants, pregnant people who attend fewer prenatal visits are more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than those who attend 10 or more prenatal visits. Most women in the United States who give live birth receive early prenatal care during their pregnancy (77%). However, 1 in 15 infants are born to a parent who received late prenatal care (beginning in the third trimester), or no prenatal care at all.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, women more likely to receive adequate prenatal care include:

• Those ages 30-39 compared with those younger than 20.
• Non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic Asian women compared with non-Hispanic Hawaiian/Pacific Islander women.
• Those with a bachelor’s degree or higher compared with those with less than a high school education.
• Those with private insurance compared with those who pay out of pocket for care.

Early initiation of prenatal care can be encouraged by improving access — e.g., increasing insurance coverage and extending hours of operation at care facilities — and expanding patient education and outreach, especially to underserved populations. People benefit from understanding the signs of pregnancy and where to access affordable diagnostic testing to confirm pregnancy early in gestation. Use of a home pregnancy test is associated with earlier pregnancy confirmation. Use may be increased by expanding access to home pregnancy tests and increasing knowledge about their accuracy, particularly among adolescents. When a person first learns that they are pregnant, they should make an appointment with their doctor to discuss questions, identify preexisting conditions and make a care plan.

Family planning services reduce the likelihood of unplanned pregnancies. Those with unplanned pregnancies are less likely to receive early prenatal care because they may not recognize the pregnancy early. Quality Family Planning Services is a report focused on helping individuals reach their desired number and spacing of children and increase the likelihood of delivering a healthy baby. Family planning services often include contraceptive services, pregnancy testing, fertility services, preconception health care and sexually transmitted infection services.

Healthy People 2030 has an objective to increase the proportion of pregnant women who receive early and adequate prenatal care.

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