Prenatal care in the United States

Prenatal care in the United States is a health care provided to women also being a type of preventive care with the goal of providing regular check-ups that allow obstetricians-gynecologists or midwives to detect, treat and prevent potential health problems throughout the course of the pregnancy while promoting healthy lifestyles that benefit both mother and child. Patients attend regular check-ups once every month during the first two trimesters and the number of appointments increase to once a week as the due date nears. Check-ups consist of various tests to ensure that mother and child are healthy. If not, appropriate treatment will then be provided to hinder any further complications.

Prenatal care in the United States started as a preventative measure against preeclampsia, which included program visits during which medical professionals conducted physical, history, and risk evaluations. Over the last century, prenatal care has shifted focus to low birth weight and other preventative conditions in order to decrease the rate of infant mortality. Increased use of prenatal care was found to decrease the rates of birth-weight-related mortality and other preventable medical ailments such as post-partum depression and infant injuries.

The United States has socioeconomic disparities that prevent the equal adoption of prenatal care throughout the country. Various levels of prenatal care accessibility can be observed in both developing and developed countries such as the U.S. Although women can benefit from taking advantage of prenatal care, there exists varying degrees of health care accessibility between different demographics, by ethnicity, race, and income-level, throughout the United States. Education level can also influence the utilization and accessibility of prenatal care. Nearly one-fifth of women in the United States do not access prenatal care during the first trimester of pregnancy. The prenatal health care system, along with personal attitudes all contribute to the utilization and accessibility of prenatal care. Suggested steps to improve prenatal care in the United States include the implementation of community-based health care programs, and the increase in number of those insured.

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