Recent evidence on the effectiveness of prenatal care.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the evidence of effectiveness of prenatal care.


METHODS
A 2-day conference with commissioned papers with summary at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.


METHODS
Effectiveness of prenatal care in preventing prematurity, intrauterine growth restriction, and birth defects and in improving women's health.


CONCLUSIONS
Current technology provides limited ability to prevent adverse fetal outcomes but may do much to ameliorate morbidity. However, the latter is not well assessed in data systems. In contrast, the opportunity to improve women's health appears much greater, but doing so is hampered by a number of structural and attitudinal barriers.
McCormick
M C
MC
Department of Maternal and Child Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA. mmccormi@hsph.harvard.edu
Siegel
J E
JE
D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011295:Prenatal Care; D016387:Women's Health