Prenatal Care

Prenatal care is medical care provided to a pregnant woman to prevent complications and decrease the incidence of maternal and prenatal mortality.  Information on when pregnancy care began is recorded on the birth certificate. Between 1970 and 1980 the reporting area for prenatal care expanded. In 1970, 39 States and the District of Columbia reported prenatal care on the birth certificate. Data were not available from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. In 1975 these data were available from three additional States, Connecticut, Delaware, and Georgia, increasing the number of States reporting prenatal care to 42 and the District of Columbia. Starting in 1980 prenatal care information was available for the entire United States.

SOURCE: Health, United States

This page last reviewed January 11, 2007