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Adequate Prenatal Care in South Carolina
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South Carolina Value:

77.5%

Percentage of live births in which the mother received prenatal care beginning in the first four months of pregnancy with the appropriate number of visits for the infant's gestational age

South Carolina Rank:

26

Adequate Prenatal Care in depth:

Adequate Prenatal Care by State

Percentage of live births in which the mother received prenatal care beginning in the first four months of pregnancy with the appropriate number of visits for the infant's gestational age

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Data from March of Dimes, Perinatal Data Center, 2022

>= 81.2%

78.9% - 81.1%

76.0% - 78.8%

73.3% - 75.9%

<= 73.2%

• Data Unavailable
Top StatesRankValue
187.1%
384.9%
Your StateRankValue
Bottom StatesRankValue
4865.3%
4964.4%
5063.0%

Adequate Prenatal Care

187.1%
384.9%
483.9%
583.2%
882.0%
882.0%
1081.2%
1280.2%
1479.9%
1579.8%
1679.5%
1779.3%
1779.3%
1979.2%
2278.3%
2378.2%
2477.8%
2477.8%
2677.5%
2876.8%
3175.7%
3274.8%
3274.8%
3574.6%
3674.3%
3773.9%
3873.8%
3973.3%
3973.3%
4173.0%
4272.9%
4371.8%
4471.7%
4570.8%
4669.7%
4765.7%
4865.3%
4964.4%
5063.0%
Data Unavailable
Source:
  • March of Dimes, Perinatal Data Center, 2022

Adequate Prenatal Care Trends

Percentage of live births in which the mother received prenatal care beginning in the first four months of pregnancy with the appropriate number of visits for the infant's gestational age

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About Adequate Prenatal Care

US Value: 74.9%

Top State(s): Vermont: 87.1%

Bottom State(s): Hawaii: 63.0%

Definition: Percentage of live births in which the mother received prenatal care beginning in the first four months of pregnancy with the appropriate number of visits for the infant's gestational age

Data Source and Years(s): March of Dimes, Perinatal Data Center, 2022

Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of March of Dimes, Perinatal Data Center, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2024.

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.

Kost, Kathryn, and Laura Lindberg. “Pregnancy Intentions, Maternal Behaviors, and Infant Health: Investigating Relationships With New Measures and Propensity Score Analysis.” Demography 52, no. 1 (February 2015): 83–111. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-014-0359-9.

Nelson, Daniel B., Michelle H. Moniz, and Matthew M. Davis. “Population-Level Factors Associated with Maternal Mortality in the United States, 1997–2012.” BMC Public Health 18, no. 1 (December 2018): 1007. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5935-2.

Novoa, Cristina. “Ensuring Healthy Births Through Prenatal Support: Innovations From Three Models.” Center for American Progress, January 31, 2020. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/early-childhood/reports/2020/01/31/479930/ensuring-healthy-births-prenatal-support/.

Osterman, Michelle J. K., and Joyce A. Martin. “Timing and Adequacy of Prenatal Care in the United States, 2016.” National Vital Statistics Reports 67, no. 3 (May 30, 2018). https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/55174.

Ralph, Lauren J., Diana Greene Foster, Rana Barar, and Corinne H. Rocca. “Home Pregnancy Test Use and Timing of Pregnancy Confirmation among People Seeking Health Care.” Contraception 107 (March 2022): 10–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2021.10.006.

Shah, Jaimin S., F. Lee Revere, and Eugene C. Toy. “Improving Rates of Early Entry Prenatal Care in an Underserved Population.” Maternal and Child Health Journal 22, no. 12 (December 2018): 1738–42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-018-2569-z.

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