Adequacy of prenatal-care utilization--California, 1989-1994.

A national health objective for the year 2000 is to increase to at least 90% of the proportion of pregnant women who receive prenatal care during the first trimester of pregnancy (objective 14.11). Adequate prenatal care is believed to result in better pregnancy outcomes, including reduced maternal and infant morbidity and mortality and reduced risk for preterm delivery and for low birthweight (<2500 g [<5 lb 8 oz]). However, measures of prenatal-care utilization based on first-trimester initiation of prenatal care address only the timing of prenatal-care initiation and do not include the frequency of visits thereafter, which can provide a more comprehensive measure of prenatal-care utilization. To calculate rates of prenatal-care utilization for California during 1989-1994, the California Department of health Services (CDHS) analyzed data from birth certificates using a more comprehensive measure of prenatal-care utilization. This report presents annual rates of adequate prenatal-care utilization (APNCU) for California during 1989-1994 (the most recent year for which complete data were available), compares these data with the year 2000 objective for prenatal-care utilization, and examines rates of APNCU in California by payment source (for prenatal care) for 1989, 1992, and 1994.