Prenatal Care

Early Prenatal Care. Women living in cities with a population of over 100,000 are less likely to begin prenatal care in the first 3 months of pregnancy than women nationwide. The gap in early entry into prenatal care between urban women and the Nation as a whole has narrowed since 1991. In 2004, 83.2 percent of pregnant women living in cities in 41 States, Washington DC, and New York City began prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy, compared to 83.9 percent of the overall population in the reporting jurisdictions. The percentage of women receiving prenatal care has increased steadily in the past decade at both the city and nationwide levels. The Healthy People 2010 objective is for 90 percent of pregnant women to begin prenatal care in the first trimester.

Late or No Prenatal Care. In 2004, 3.8 percent of pregnant women living in U.S. cities with a population over 100,000 in 41 States, Washington DC, and New York City either began prenatal care in the third trimester or received no prenatal care. The percentage of women receiving late or no prenatal care is 6 percent higher among women living in cities than among the overall population in the 41 reporting jurisdictions.

> Line chart: Pregnant Women Receiving First Trimester Prenatal Care in U.S. Cities with Populations Over 100,000: 1990-2004

> Line Chart: Pregnant Women Receiving Late or No Prenatal Care in U.S. Cities with Populations Over 100,000: 1990-2004