Skip Navigation

Strengthen the Evidence for Maternal and Child Health Programs

Sign up for MCHalert eNewsletter

Evidence Tools
Early Prenatal Care

Introduction

This toolkit summarizes content from the Early Prenatal Care Evidence Accelerator and the MCHbest database. The peer-reviewed literature supporting this work can be found in the Established Evidence database. Use the resources below as you develop effective evidence-based/informed programs and measures.

From the MCH Block Grant Guidance. Early prenatal care is essential for identification of maternal disease and risks for complications of pregnancy or birth. This can help ensure that women with complex problems, chronic illness, or other risks are seen by specialists. Early prenatal care can also provide important education and counseling on modifiable risks in pregnancy, including smoking, drinking, and inadequate or excessive weight gain.1 Although early high-quality prenatal care is essential, particularly for women with chronic conditions or other risk factors, it may not be sufficient to assure optimal pregnancy outcomes. Efforts to improve pregnancy outcomes and the health of mothers and infants should begin prior to conception, whether before a first or subsequent pregnancy2. As many women are not aware of being pregnant at first, it is important to establish healthy behaviors and achieve optimal health well before pregnancy.2 The timeliness of prenatal care measure for health plans is part of the Core Set of Maternal and Perinatal Health Measures for Medicaid and CHIP and the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS).

Goal. To ensure early entrance into prenatal care to enhance pregnancy outcomes.

Note. Access other related measures in this Population Domain through the Toolkits page.

Detail Sheet: Start with the MCH Block Grant Guidance

DEFINITION

Numerator: Number of live births with reported first prenatal visit during the first trimester (before 13 weeks’ gestation)

Denominator: Number of live births

Units: 100

Text: Percent

HEALTHY PEOPLE 2030 OBJECTIVE

Related to Maternal, Infant, and Child Health (MICH) 08 Objective: Increase the proportion of pregnant women who receive early and adequate prenatal care. (Baseline: 76.4% of pregnant females received early and adequate prenatal care in 2018, Target: 80.5%)

DATA SOURCES

National Vital Statistics System (NVSS)

MCH POPULATION DOMAIN

Women/Maternal Health or Perinatal/Infant Health

MEASURE DOMAIN

Clinical Health Systems

1. Accelerate with Evidence—Start with the Science

The first step to accelerate effective, evidence-based/informed programs is ensuring that the strategies we implement are meaningful and have high potential to affect desired change. Read more about using evidence-based/informed programs and then use this section to find strategies that you can adopt or adapt for your needs.

Evidence-based/Informed Strategies: MCHbest Database

The following strategies have emerged from studies in the scientific literature as being effective in advancing the measure. Use the links below to read more about each strategy or access the MCHbest database to find additional strategies.

Chart of Evidence-Linked Strategies and Tools

Evidence-Informed

Evidence-Based

Mixed Evidence

Emerging Evidence

Expert Opinion

Moderate Evidence

Scientifically Rigorous

 

 

Field-Based Strategies: Find promising programs from AMCHP’s Innovation Hub

Cutting Edge:

Emerging:

Promising:

2. Think Upstream with Planning Tools—Lead with the Need

The second step in developing effective, evidence-based/informed programs challenges us to plan upstream to ensure that our work addresses issues early and is measurable in “turning the curve” on big issues that face MCH populations. Read more about moving from root causes to responsive programs and then use this section to align your work with the data and needs of your populations.

Move from Need to Strategy

Use Root-Cause Analysis (RCA) and Results-Based Accountability (RBA) tools to build upon the science to determine how to address needs.

Planning Tools: Use these tools to move from data to action

3. Work Together with Implementation Tools—Move from Planning to Practice

The third step in developing effective, evidence-based/informed programs calls us to work together to ensure that programs are implementable and moveable within the realities of Title V programs and lead to improved health outcomes for all people. Read more about implementation tools designed for MCH population change and then use this section to develop responsive strategies to bring about change that is responsive to the needs of your populations.

Additional MCH Evidence Center Resources: Access supplemental materials from the literature

Implementation Resources: Use these field-generated resources to affect change

Practice. The following tools can be used to translate evidence to action to advance this SM:

Partnership. The following organizations focus efforts on advancing early prenatal care:

References

Introductory References: From the MCH Block Grant Guidance

1 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. What is prenatal care and why is it important? 2017 January 31. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/pregnancy/conditioninfo/prenatal-care
2 Johnson K, Posner SF, Biermann J, et al. Recommendations to improve preconception health and health care--United States. A report of the CDC/ATSDR Preconception Care Work Group and the Select Panel on Preconception Care. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2006;55(RR-6):1-23. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5506a1.htm

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U02MC31613, MCH Advanced Education Policy, $3.5 M. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.