Success in Health

Prenatal Care in Allen County, Indiana

Source: Indiana State Department of Health

 

PERCENTAGE OF MOTHERS RECEIVING PRENATAL CARE IN THE FIRST TRIMESTER IN ALLEN COUNTY, INDIANA
Allen County
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
White
80.7%
79.4%
82.3%
86.4%
87.1%
86.8%
86.3%
Black
64.3%
66.7%
61.0%
66.2%
64.6%
69.5%
62.6%
All Races
78.2%
77.3%
78.9%
83.5%
83.9%
84.2%
82.8%

 

PERCENTAGE OF MOTHERS IN INDIANA RECEIVING PRENATAL CARE IN THE FIRST TRIMESTER, BY RACE:
Indiana
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
White
81.3%
81.0%
81.4%
82.1%
82.1%
80.8%
80.8%
Black
65.5%
67.1%
67.6%
68.6%
68.2%
67.1%
64.8%
All Races
79.5%
79.4%
79.8%
80.5%
80.5%
79.3%
78.9%

The babies of mothers who receive prenatal care in the first trimester have significantly lower infant mortality rates. Prenatal care would include routine medical tests which test for conditions that could harm the baby, for example, whether the mother has hepatitis B, syphilis , anemia, bacterial infection, diabetes, and high blood pressure to name a few. Additionally, tests are done to show whether the mother is immune to rubella and chickenpox, and other tests such as the RH factor.

Statistics from the Indiana Department of Health (ISDH) indicate that the young mothers in Indiana and black mothers have significantly lower rates of early prenatal care than older mothers.

Counties with large Amish populations had lower percentages of mothers receiving early prenatal care. While the Amish population in Allen County is certainly not as large as in other nearby counties such as Lagrange, there is certainly a contingent within Allen County. ISDH is still studying the issue, but believes that the major factors are transportation, and to a lesser extent, trust issues when dealing with health care professionals.

Allen County had a higher percentage of their mothers with prenatal care in recent years-"significantly higher than the state"1. This is an improvement from the ISDH study which ranked Allen County 43 out of 92 counties (with number 1 as having the worst rate) during the period 1992-2001 2.. Although the percentages have been better in Allen County, there are still approximately 13-15 percent of all pregnant women not receiving prenatal care in Allen County.

Research has shown that mothers not receiving prenatal care have increased risk of bearing infants who are low birth weight, who are stillborn, or who die within the first year of life 3.

Definitions, Sources and Caveats:
1.Indiana State Department of Health, 2002, 2003, 2004 , and 2005 Annual Reports, Table 32.

2.Indiana State Department of Health Epidemiology Resource Center. Indiana Maternal and Child Health Outcomes and Performance Measures Data Book: 1992-2001. Published Oct 2003.

3.Maternal and Child Health Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services