Background:Out of 36 countries, the United States ranks 33rd for infant mortality. In the US, black infants have a higher likelihood to die from low birth weights. Black mothers are 2.3 times more likely to receive late or no prenatal care compared to white mothers. Many pregnant women reside in “materno toxic” zones, which are low-resource, high-stress areas characterized by crime, food insecurity, ­­etc. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these issues – making seeking prenatal care more difficult. The use of technology-enhanced healthcare has been adopted by midwives and OB/GYNs to provide increased access to maternity care during COVID-19.

Methods: A patient-centered model of care was tailored with culturally relevant tenets of perinatal care to reduce racial and class birth disparities. The model focuses on improving prematurity, low birth weight and breastfeeding rates in marginalized populations in Central Florida. Since the pandemic, the clinical protocol of this model has transitioned into telehealth approaches to maintain the safety and dignity of the patients.

Results: By mid-March, telehealth approaches have been utilized with at least 150 pregnant women. There has been an increase in remote ultrasounds, use of outside labs and an expansion of touch points per patient through text messages. Of the 88 births that have occurred, only two patients delivered a low birth weight or premature baby. Both babies are now thriving.

Conclusion: Telehealth perinatal care has been a value to pregnant women as an alternative to in-person care. Results suggest that telehealth yields favorable birth outcomes to eliminate perinatal disparities.