Determining the Effectiveness of CenteringPregnancy for Medically High-Risk Mothers

CenteringPregnancy is being implemented in hundreds of sites across the country, with evaluation data revealing numerous positive outcomes, primarily with medically low-risk women. CenteringPregnancy is being piloted with groups of medically high risk, primarily minority women in a federally qualified health center in Chicago, led by a maternal fetal medicine obstetrician. Twenty-three high risk women have participated in Centering Pregnancy and delivered: the women had conditions such as obesity, hypertension, and gestational diabetes. The mean age of participants was 31 years and the average attendance of visits is 86 percent. The average gestation period was 36.8 weeks and the average birth weight was 3343 grams. Fifty percent initiated breast feeding. Feedback from patients indicates high satisfaction and preference for group model; and program evaluations show increased health knowledge.

The preliminary findings of this program indicate that CenteringPregnancy is effective at improving birth outcomes for medically high risk women.