The content of prenatal care. Update 2005.
BACKGROUND
The Content of Prenatal Care report of the US Preventative Health Service (USPHS) Expert Panel established an important benchmark when published in 1989, but has not been significantly updated since that time.


METHODS
The literature since 1989 is reviewed to assess which recommendations have been validated and/or implemented. Additionally, new findings that support the recommendations put forth or expand the scope of prenatal care outlined in the 1989 report are examined and discussed.


RESULTS
The USPHS recommendation of a reduced prenatal visit schedule has support, and new content for the preconception visit has been identified, although this preconception visit has not been validated or widely implemented.


CONCLUSIONS
We identified new opportunities and initiatives for the content of prenatal care, particularly improvement in the electronic medical record, attention to multidisciplinary approaches to patient education and improved patient literacy, and an extended maternal life span approach, including postgestation visits.
Gregory
Kimberly D
KD
Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Johnson
Clark T
CT
Johnson
Timothy R B
TR
Entman
Stephen S
SS
D019985:Benchmarking / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006287:Health Planning Guidelines; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States; D016387:Women's Health