title: Perinatal regionalization as measured by antenatal referral.
abstract: To assess the degree of perinatal regionalization, maternal and infant records were reviewed for all very low birth weight (501-1500 g) infants born in calendar years 1985-1986 to residents of the primarily rural North Central Perinatal Region of Illinois. Seventy-one percent of mothers who were expected to deliver in non-center hospitals could have realistically been referred to perinatal centers for delivery. Ninety-four percent of realistic antenatal referrals actually occurred. In Peoria, 79% of mothers expected to deliver very low birth weight infants at non-center hospitals could realistically have been referred to the center for delivery, and all such referrals actually occurred. Because a goal of regionalization is to deliver certain high-risk women in centers, the fact that 94% of rural and 100% of urban realistic antenatal referrals actually occurred suggests that the North Central Perinatal Region is well regionalized. Other centers should study the site of delivery of this or other well-defined regional cohorts of high-risk pregnancies to quantitate how well perinatal care is regionalized in their respective areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria.
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Powers
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Hegwood
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008430:Maternal-Child Health Centers; D010500:Perinatology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012041:Regional Medical Programs