Birthing provider supply and its affect on pregnancy outcomes in rural South Carolina

South Carolina lacks adequate numbers of birthing providers to address the needs of its pregnant women and infants. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of the supply of birthing providers on birthing outcomes in South Carolina. The population for this study consisted of the 46 counties in South Carolina. Data were collected from 2000 – 2003 and converted to rates per 1,000 for use in this analysis. The first data set was taken from the South Carolina Community Assessment Network, and it included the Birth module information generated from birth certificate data, the Infant Mortality module which was an infant death cohort, and the Mother's Health and Lifestyle module information was derived from birth certificate information. The second dataset used was compiled from the Office of Women's Health. The data included the number of pregnancies per county that were reported from women under the age of 18 and those more than 40 years of age. Information on the detailed demographic data on birthing providers was collected from the South Carolina Office of Research and Statistics – Health Professions dataset. The data indicated that poor pregnancy outcomes such as infant mortality and low birth weight are higher in very rural areas than rural areas. The total numbers of potential birthing providers are concentrated in urban areas, however those located outside of these areas are found in very rural areas as opposed to rural areas. Future studies should continue to explore the link between pregnancy outcomes and birthing providers.