Interconception care for high-risk moms

Problem

Previous preterm birth is one of the strongest indicators for preterm birth, with a recurrence rate greater than 20%. There are many risk factors for preterm birth that can be addressed prior to a subsequent pregnancy. Many women, however, receive no follow-up care after a poor pregnancy outcome.

Methods

Through cooperative agreement with the CDC's Division of Reproductive Health, the March of Dimes is supporting four projects that provide interconception care for high risk women in Georgia, Florida and North Carolina. While the sites differ in staffing, interventions, and demographics of their participants, they all recruit women with a previous poor birth outcome and follow them for at least six months post- partum. The sites all provide education, counseling and support to assist women in making positive behavior changes and they all collect a core set of outcome data. Through this cooperative agreement, they also collaborate in the identification of best practices.

Results

The presentation will report on the projects' outcomes in the areas of post-partum visit completion, risk assessment/risk reduction and pregnancy spacing. Lessons learned in the areas of participant recruitment and retention, health promotion strategies and needs for special populations (i.e. bereavement) will also be addressed.

Implications for Practice

Women with a previous preterm birth are a priority population for interconception care. These programs provide strategies for reaching women early in the post-partum period and assisting them to improve their health status and access care. They also provide information on enhancing systems of care and program sustainability.