253864 Effects of prenatal care on post-neonatal inpatient utilization and cost: New evidence on both mother and infants

Wednesday, November 2, 2011: 9:05 AM

Norman J. Waitzman, PhD , Economics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Edward Coffield, PhD Candidate , Department of Economics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
No research to date has undertaken an analysis of the effects of prenatal care on health care utilization and cost in the post-neonatal period, even though improvement of health outcomes at delivery may well yield benefits that extend far beyond delivery. Merged birth certificate and hospital discharge abstract data for all infants born in Utah in 1997 permitted a longitudinal analysis of such utilization and costs for 32,356 infants and their mothers. Two-stage models were estimated, with the probability of a post-neonatal inpatient episode estimated in the first stage and the extent of utilization and cost of such hospitalization in the second stage. Separate analyses were performed on delivery utilization and costs for a subsequent birth. Results indicate that in several instances, particularly for births covered by Medicaid, there is a significant net effect of prenatal care on morbidity and cost in this extended period.

Learning Areas:
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice

Learning Objectives:
Discuss the association between adequate prenatal care and hospital utilization for mothers and children during the one year post-delivery period; Describe the influence of previous prenatal care on hospital utilization during subsequent births

Keywords: Prenatal Care, Healthcare Costs

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I helped conduct the analysis and research for this project.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Benefits of Prenatal Care to both Mothers and Children: New Evidence from Longitudinal Research
See more of: Maternal and Child Health