The content of prenatal care: Update 2005

Gregory, Kimberly D.; Johnson, Clark T.; Johnson, Timothy R.B.; Entman, Stephen S.

doi:10.1016/j.whi.2006.05.001

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Volume 16, Issue 4 , Pages 198-215, July 2006

The content of prenatal care:

Update 2005

Kimberly D. Gregory, MD, MPH
- Director, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine and Division of Women’s Health Services Research. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
- Associate Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Adjunct Professor, School of Public Health, University of California in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Clark T. Johnson, BS, BFA
- Graduate Student, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Timothy R.B. Johnson, MD
- Bates Professor of Diseases of Women and Children and Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Professor of Women’s Studies and Research Professor for the Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Correspondence to Timothy R.B. Johnson, University of Michigan, Department of OB/Gyn, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, L4000 Women’s, Box 0276, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Stephen S. Entman, MD
- Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee

Received 10 June 2005; accepted 22 May 2006.

Introduction

The Content of Prenatal Care report of the US Preventative Health Service (USPHS) Expert Panel established an important benchmark when published in 1989, but has not been significantly updated since that time.

Methods

The literature since 1989 is reviewed to assess which recommendations have been validated and/or implemented. Additionally, new findings that support the recommendations put forth or expand the scope of prenatal care outlined in the 1989 report are examined and discussed.

Results

The USPHS recommendation of a reduced prenatal visit schedule has support, and new content for the preconception visit has been identified, although this preconception visit has not been validated or widely implemented.

Conclusions

We identified new opportunities and initiatives for the content of prenatal care, particularly improvement in the electronic medical record, attention to multidisciplinary approaches to patient education and improved patient literacy, and an extended maternal life span approach, including postgestation visits.