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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Deborah L. Burch, RN, BS, CPCE, Infant, Maternal, and Reproductive Health, Florida Department of Health, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin A-13, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1723, 850-245-4465, ext. 2969, deborah_burch@doh.state.fl.us and Lori Reeves, MPH, State Director of Program Services, Florida Chapter, March of Dimes, 341 N. Maitland Avenue, Suite 115, Maitland, FL 32751.

In Florida, more women are accessing early prenatal care. Despite this improvement, we are seeing a rise in the rates of low birth weight and premature infants. We still have racial disparities as well as an increasing number of births to women with chronic health conditions. There is increasing evidence linking maternal stress and lifelong experiences of racial discrimination to poor birth outcomes.

The traditional system of prenatal care, by design, is unable to meet the educational, social and emotional needs that many women experience. Increased access to the traditional mode of prenatal care alone is proving insufficient in bringing further substantial improvements in birth outcomes; thus, we must focus our efforts on the quality of prenatal care.

In 2003, the Florida Department of Health explored alternatives to the traditional mode of delivering prenatal care, resulting in the creation of the Group CARE model. The Group CARE Prenatal Project is a study to determine if the provision of prenatal care in a comprehensive, qualitative manner, using the Group CARE model as opposed to a traditional one-to-one approach, can ultimately have a positive impact on maternal and child health outcomes.

The Florida Department of Health in collaboration with the Agency for Health Care Administration and Florida State University developed the Group CARE Prenatal Project. Additional funding is received through a cooperative agreement with the March of Dimes and the CDC's Division of Reproductive Health.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Discuss how each of the four components of the CARE model can potentially impact maternal and child health outcomes.
• List three benefits of providing prenatal care in a group setting.
• Describe the difference between facilitating a group and lecturing to a group.

Keywords: Prenatal Care, Pregnancy Outcomes

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation