Indicator 56: Prenatal Care

 

Why This Is Important

Early prenatal care allows women and their health care providers to identify and, when
possible, treat or correct health problems and health-compromising behaviors that can be
particularly damaging during the initial stages of the baby’s development. Increasing the
percentage of women that receive prenatal care can improve birth outcomes and lower health
care costs by reducing the likelihood of complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

 

 

Where We Stand

In 1990, 84.2% of all women in Maine received prenatal care in their first trimester of
pregnancy. For 2003, this indicator was at 87.2%, somewhat better than the national
percentage but slightly lower than previous years. The percentage of Maine teens receiving
such care was typically about 10% lower than the overall rate from 1995 to 2004.

 

Data Sources and Context

The Maine data source for this indicator is the Office of Data, Research and Vital Statistics,
Bureau of Health, Maine Department of Health and Human Services. National statistics
come from the final births data reports put out annually by the National Center for Health
Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (online at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/prenatal.htm). 
* 2004 National data will be available by March 2006