title: Prenatal hospitalization and compliance with guidelines for prenatal care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the relationship between compliance with the US Public Health Service guidelines for prenatal care and the rate of prenatal hospitalization.
  
  
  METHODS
  For all women admitted to a Boston referral center during January and February 1993 with a pregnancy of at least 18 weeks gestation (n = 1400), a proportional hazards model was used to examine factors associated with prenatal hospitalization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prenatal hospitalization occurred during 248 (17.7%) pregnancies. The median length of stay for all prenatal admissions was 4 days; the medial total charge was $5667. Prior medical and obstetrical problems were strongly associated with prenatal hospitalization. After adjustment for age, race, and medical and obstetrical complications, women who received less than 70% of the prenatal care recommended were significantly more likely to be hospitalized (relative risk [RR] = 2.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.50, 3.06).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prenatal hospitalization is a common, costly complication of pregnancy. Because of its association with compliance with the Public Health Service guidelines for the content of prenatal care, prenatal hospitalization may be a sentinel indicator of inadequate prenatal care amenable to intervention.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Cook
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001900:Boston; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D017722:Hospital Charges; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States; D014492:United States Public Health Service