Prenatal Care

This book evaluates the effectiveness of prenatal care interventions and provides a framework for prenatal care that looks beyond the limited perspective of immediate neonatal outcomes. Ultimately, this book seeks to improve the content and the implementation of prenatal care by shifting the focus away from short-term technocentric medical advances to concentrate on the broader public health issues. A unique aspect of this book is its focus on the effectiveness of prenatal care interventions on longer-term benefits for women and children’s health. Traditional medical interventions, as well as social support and behavioral interventions during prenatal care are reviewed. Effectiveness is considered within the context of its implications for public policy and service delivery. This book is an important resource for maternal and child health professionals, policy makers and health care managers because it provides evidence of the prenatal care services that improve the long-term health of women and children.

Spis treści:
Introduction
Part I. Prenatal Care and Complications of Pregnancy
1. Effect of prenatal care upon medical conditions in pregnancy Phillip Stubblefield
2. Health behaviors during pregnancy, risks and interventions Lisa L. Paine and Lisa M. Garceau
Part II. Preventing Prematurity
3. Causes of prematurity David A. Savitz and Lisa M. Pastore
4. Interventions to prevent prematurity Robert L. Goldenberg and Dwight J. Rouse
5. Long-term outcomes of prematurity Marie C. McCormick
Part III. New Findings and Long-Term Evidence on Intrauterine Growth Restriction
6. Causes of intrauterine growth restriction Kathleen Maher Rasmussen
7. Impact of prenatal care on intrauterine growth restriction Linda J. Heffner
8. Short- and long-term outcomes of intrauterine growth restriction Kathleen G. Nelson
Part IV. Preventing and Treathing Birth Defects
9. Prevalence and etiology of birth defects Joan M. Stoler
10. Developing fetal diagnostic technologies Richard B. Parad
11. Options following the diagnosis of a fetal anomaly Mark I. Evans, Yuval Yaron, Ralph L. Kramer and Mark P. Johnson
Part V. Prentatal Care as an Integral Component of Womens Health Care
12. Opportunities for improving maternal and infant health through prenatal oral health care James J. Crall
13. Family planning, need and opportunities Lorraine V. Klerman
14. Maternal-fetal conflict is not a useful construct Wendy Chavkin and Peter Bernstein
15. Linking prenatal care with womens health care Paul H. Wise and Marisa Brett
16. A European perspective on prenatal care, an integrated system Jacques Milliez
Epilogue, a commentary on the cost-effectiveness of prenatal care Joanna E. Siegel and Marie C. McCormick
Index.