“Getting” Prenatal Care

Babies born to mothers who received no prenatal care are three times more likely to be born at low birth weight, and five times more likely to die, than babies whose mothers received prenatal care. Then there are other problems such as spina bifida, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes. According the March of Dimes, the organization dedicated to preventing birth defects, all women need prenatal care.


The problem: not everybody gets it. Every year nearly one million American women deliver babies without receiving adequate prenatal care. That means they forgo monthly or weekly checkups. They lack advice about nutrition and exercise. They skip blood work and ultrasounds. They miss out on tips for taking care of their newborns. When they go without prenatal care, so does the child.


Many of the women don’t receive the care they need simply because they are uninsured. According to the CDC’s “Prenatal Care” report, most uninsured women are in the low-income bracket. Ironically the effects of prenatal care are the strongest among socially disadvantaged women.


It seems simple. Find the group that needs support the most, figure out how to give it to them. Watch the statistics change. The problem: not everybody gets it.


Resources: http://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs/womeninfants/prenatal.htm