Better Management and More Resources Needed To Strengthen Federal Efforts To Improve Pregnancy Outcome

Abstract: A 1981 expert report to the US Congress and the Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services of a major study to develop strategies for improved child health is presented in 4 volumes. Volume 1 summarizes the major findings and recommendations; Volume 2 outlines the analysis and recommendations for selected federal programs (Title V of the Social Security Act; Medicare and EPSDT; WIC program; the Handicapped Children Education Act; community health pr ograms; and major federal maternal and child health programs); Volume 3 presents a statistical profile of the most compr ehensive compilation of data on child health in the US to date; Volume 4, Part 1 comprises a set of commissioned papers prepared for working groups of the Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health concerning health care and health poli cy toward childrenand pregnant women; and Volume 4, Part 2 presents a detailed comprehensive description regarding the f inancing and organization of federal health care services. The recommendations of the overall report reflect a realistic analysis of serious unmet needs in child and maternal health, a recognition of past sucesses and future challenges for meeting these needs, a detailed consideration of the weaknesses and strengths of current federal programs and policies, and a pragmatic assessment of the capacity of the US to provide parents and health care professionals the scientific, fi nancial, and organizational support required to improve child health. The total report covers 1839 pages.

Prenatal care programs have proven effective in improving birth outcomes and preventing low birthweight. Yet over one-fourth of all pregnant women in the United States do not begin prenatal care in the first 3 months of pregnancy, and for some groupsâ€"such as black teenagersâ€"participation in prenatal care is declining. To find out why, the authors studied 30 prenatal care programs and analyzed surveys of mothers who did not seek prenatal care. This new book reports their findings and offers specific recommendations for improving the nation's maternity system and increasing the use of prenatal care programs.