Oral

Maintaining optimal maternal health is essential in improving pregnancy outcomes and for achieving positive infant outcomes. Maternal emotional health, physical health and community factors can interact synergistically to influence optimal pregnancy outcomes. This session will examine some the contextual, behavioral, environmental, and other factors influencing the health and pregnancy outcomes of women. Understanding these various factors may be particularly helpful in guiding the development of interventions to protect more vulnerable populations of women. In this session, we will learn about the effects of prostitution on pregnancy outcomes, examine behavioral choices such as H1N1 influenza vaccine uptake, look at the relationship between maternal mental health status and early parenting practices, and, finally, consider the relationship between environmental exposures and pregnancy intention. At the end of this session, we will identify how these behavioral choices and external factors can affect pregnancy outcomes.

Session Objectives: 1. Identify 3 external and behavioral factors that can affect pregnancy outcomes. 2. Discuss the interactive effects of mental, physical and societal factors on maternal health.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH) , Masters Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES)