253874 Effects of prenatal care on infant and maternal inpatient stay and cost at delivery and through the neonatal period

Wednesday, November 2, 2011: 8:50 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
Little research to date has investigated the effects of prenatal care on inpatient hospital stays and cost. Linked birth certificate and hospital discharge abstract data permitted multivariate regression analyses of the effects of adequate prenatal care on hospital stays and cost at delivery, and through the neonatal period, for a cohort of over 30,000 infants born in Utah in 1997, and for their mothers. Results suggest that there are significant reductions, in certain instances, on both stay and cost in the neonatal period associated with prenatal care that are magnified over the effects manifest at delivery. Stratified results on Cesarean and Medicaid-covered deliveries also indicate that prenatal care may have the greatest impact in reducing risk amongst the most vulnerable populations.

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

Learning Objectives:
Analyze the influence of adequate prenatal care on reducing neonatal inpatient hospital charges and utilization; Differentiate the influence of adequate prenatal care on hospital charges and utilization between nulliparous and multiparous births

Keywords: Prenatal Care, Healthcare Costs

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a health services researcher and health economist with expertise in the area of focus.
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