Preterm-birth prevention. A physician's perspective.

Prematurity and low birthweight are the leading causes of infant morbidity and mortality. Minnesota has developed public and private programs to deal with preterm-birth and low-birthweight prevention. With the new programs have come multiple forms, care delivery systems, and reimbursement schedules. The diversity and multiplicity of programs can be frustrating and confusing for primary care physicians. A better understanding of the goals and components of low-birthweight prevention programs such as the Prenatal Care Initiative and the preterm-birth prevention programs used by many practitioners may facilitate the use of such programs. This article compares and contrasts low-birthweight prevention and preterm-birth prevention.