title: Randomized trial of comprehensive prenatal care for low-income women: effect on infant birth weight.
abstract: The effect of comprehensive prenatal care on birth weight was examined using a prospective randomized design. A total of 428 pregnant women were randomly assigned to comprehensive prenatal care (n = 217) or standard prenatal care (n = 211). Comprehensive care was provided by a multidisciplinary team of nurse-midwives, social workers, a nutritionist, paraprofessional home visitors, and a psychologist. Standard prenatal care consisted of medical care provided by obstetric residents. Multiple regression analysis using behavioral, demographic, and medical variables showed a strong relationship between the set of predictors and birth weight. Comprehensive care was related to higher birth weights for primiparous but not multiparous mothers. Separate analyses of variance for primiparas and multiparas similarly showed a favorable effect of comprehensive care on birth weight for primiparous but not multiparous mothers.
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Altemeier
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Sherrod
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Dietrich
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Stern
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D003191:Comprehensive Health Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010298:Parity; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors