The Relationship between Prenatal Visits, Maternal Comorbid Conditions and Low Birth Weight and Preterm Birth

Infant mortality remains a significant health challenge in the United States with many factors impacting the death rate. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the prenatal visits and birth outcomes, specifically preterm birth and low birthweight. As well as examined the relationship between maternal comorbid health conditions such as hypertension, obesity, and gestational diabetes and demographic characteristics and birth outcomes. Data used in this secondary analysis was collected from birth registry data obtained from Hamilton County Public Health Department for women residing in the County of Hamilton, which includes Cincinnati, Ohio. Descriptive statistics were performed for demographic, comorbid conditions, and behavioral characteristics of all participants in the birth registry dataset. Multiple linear regression analysis and correlation coefficient was used to examine the relations of predictor variables on birth weight and gestational age. Data from 133,550 women was collected with the majority being white (76%) and Black and African American participants accounted for 17.6%. The participants had an average age of 28.7 years and approximately 52% of the sample had private health insurance and 39% relied on Medicaid for their primary source of payment. WIC participation was reported as 25.8% for the sample. Approximately 4% of all the births in the sample were preterm births (< 37 weeks) and 9% of all births from the sample were reported as low birth weight (< 2500 grams). It was found that for gestational age and birth weight, pregnancy weight change, maternal delivery weight, number of prenatal visits, and maternal age were all statistically significant. For birth weight and gestational age, it was also found that maternal education, adequate weight gain, previous preterm birth, previous poor pregnancy outcome, primary pay method, Kotelchuck Index, and WIC participant were all statistically significant. In conclusion, this study provided data on the importance of continuing to research prenatal care and maternal factor variables that can have a relationship with preterm birth and low birth weight birth outcomes. Both the Kotelchuck Index and maternal comorbid conditions were found to have a statistically significant relationship with preterm birth and low birth weight.