Why it matters:

Pregnant women who access first trimester care (initial 13 weeks of pregnancy) have lower risk of complications. Early and regular prenatal care is an evidence-based strategy to improve health outcomes of pregnancy for mothers and infants. Healthy diet, counseling, vitamin supplements, identification of maternal risk factors and health promotion must occur early in pregnancy to have the best effect on outcomes. Early prenatal care is also an essential part of helping a pregnant woman prepare to become a mother. Ideally, a pregnant woman will have her first prenatal visit during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Current trend:

Vermont has a stable percentage of women who receive early prenatal care. For the 2011-2013 period, 83.53% of pregnant women received early prenatal care.

Lamoille County has an increasing percentage of women who receive early prenatal care.For the 2011-2013 time period, 80.89% of pregnant women received early prenatal care.

Factors contributing to pregnant women enrolling in prenatal care include:

• health insurance coverage
• availability of providers
• transportation to health care provider
• lack of education and understanding about the importance of early care
• family stressors that lead to women prioritizing other family needs over early prenatal care

Lamoille County Home Health and Hospice

The Women’s Center at Copley Hospital

Children’s Integrated Services

The Vermont Department of Health, Morrisville Office

Lamoille County Mental Health Services

Area health care providers

Ongoing education of pregnant women, their partners and health care providers about the importance of early prenatal care to a successful pregnancy and healthy delivery can have a powerful impact. Ensuring that health care insurance covers prenatal care can relieve the financial worry of paying for early prenatal care.

Create a media/community campaign using local providers.

Ensure supports are available to get people to care - transportation, reminders, child care.

Work with providers to extend hours that appointments are available.

Analyze data to determine if a specific population (teen moms) is more likely to not access care and create strategies to target this population.