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KWIC
KWIC Indicator Narrative

Prenatal Care (Three-Year Average)

Data Provider: NYS Department of Health


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Related Indicators:

  • Prenatal Care-Early Prenatal Care Mothers All Ages [view data]
  • Prenatal Care-Early Prenatal Care Mothers Ages 10-19 yrs [view data]
  • Prenatal Care-Late Prenatal Care Mothers All Ages [view data]
  • Prenatal Care-Late Prenatal Care Mothers Ages 10-19 yrs [view data]

Life Area:

Physical and Emotional Health

Definition:

Early prenatal care is defined as pregnancy-related health care received by the mother in the first three months (first trimester) of her pregnancy. The percent of early prenatal care births is calculated by dividing the number of births that benefited from early prenatal care by the total number of births where the first month of prenatal care was known. Rates are presented for births to women of all ages and for the age group 10 through 19 years.

Late or no prenatal care is defined as pregnancy-related health care first received by the mother in the last three months (third trimester) of her pregnancy, or not at all during the pregnancy. The percent of late or no prenatal care births is calculated by dividing the number of births that received late or no prenatal care by the total number of births where the first month of prenatal care was known.

Significance:

Early, high-quality prenatal care can help to prevent poor birth outcomes by enabling early identification and, where possible, treatment of health problems. Such care can also provide an opportunity to educate or counsel pregnant women about the adverse effects of behaviors such as alcohol, tobacco, or other drug use that increase their risk of poor outcomes for their baby. Such preventive measures as nutrition counseling and HIV testing can have important long-term effects on the health and well-being of the baby (National Center for Health Statistics, 1996).

Receiving late or no prenatal care during a pregnancy can result in negative health outcomes for both the mother and the child. Women who receive late or no prenatal care are at a much higher risk of bearing a child who is of low birthweight, stillborn, or who dies within the first year of life. Teenagers are especially at risk.

Healthy People 2020 objectives seek to increase the proportion of all pregnant women who receive early and adequate prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy to at least 77.9 percent (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2020, MICH-10.1).

Findings:

  • In New York State, an annual rate of 55.2 percent among mothers aged 10-19 years began prenatal care in their first trimester of pregnancy in 2012-2014. A lower proportion of babies born to women aged 10 to 19 years living in New York City received early prenatal care (51.2 percent), compared to Rest of State (58.4 percent).
  • In New York State, an annual rate of 11.7 percent among mothers aged 10-19 years in New York State received late or no prenatal care. New York City had a higher percentage of mothers that received late or no prenatal care (14.9 percent) compared to the percentage in the Rest of State (8.8 percent).
  • Among mothers of all ages in New York State, an annual rate of 73.7 percent began prenatal care in their first trimester in 2012-2014. In New York City 70.8 percent received first trimester care, which was lower than the 75.7 percent in the Rest of State.
  • Among mothers of all ages in New York State, an annual of 5.6 percent received late prenatal care in 2012-2014. The annual late prenatal care rate among mothers in New York City (7.2 percent) was higher than was the rate in the Rest of State (4.1 percent).

References:

National Center for Health Statistics. (1996). Healthy People 2000 Review 1995-96. Hyattsville, MD: Public Health Service.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2000. Healthy People 2010 (Conference Edition in Two Volumes), Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Osterman MJK, Martin JA, Menacker F. Expanded health data from the new birth certificate, 2006. National vital statistics reports; vol 58 no 5. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2009.

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