Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #113432

Donna Parisi, MS¹, Roberta Glaros, MA², Patricia Doyle, LCSW², Perdietha Rogers², Wendy Pulver, MS³, and Guthrie Birkhead, MD, MPH². (1) Office of Program Evaluation and Research, New York State Department of Health, AIDS Institute, 150 Broadway, 5th Floor, Menands, NY 12204, 518-402-6790, DMP10@health.state.ny.us, (2) AIDS Institute, New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, Corning Tower, Room 459, Albany, NY 12237, (3) BHAE, New York State Department of Health, Corning Tower, ESP, Albany, NY 12237

Background: The Community Action for Prenatal Care (CAPC) Initiative is designed to decrease adverse birth outcomes, including perinatal HIV transmission and low birth weight, among high-risk pregnant women by recruiting them into prenatal care (PNC). CAPC targets four areas where the rates of late/no PNC and HIV seroprevalence are both high. We compared the birth outcomes of women enrolled in CAPC with those of all women giving birth in the target area.

Methods: Between 2001-2003, 691 high-risk pregnant women were enrolled in CAPC and connected to PNC and case management. To examine birth outcomes, CAPC intake data were matched with New York State Comprehensive Newborn Screening and Vital Records databases for 302 (44%) of enrollees.

Results: Review of birth weight data revealed that 89% of CAPC women delivered normal birth weight infants (>2500 gms) as compared to 91% of all women giving birth in the target areas. HIV testing rates were equivalent (87%) between the two groups. Eleven (3.6%) CAPC women were found to be HIV+, compared to 1% in the target area. Five women learned their HIV status during pregnancy, five knew their status prior to pregnancy and one learned her status at delivery. Of these 11 women, nine delivered normal birth weight infants. Of the 11 HIV exposed infants, 10 were non-infected and transmission data are not available on one infant.

Conclusion: Although CAPC enrollees were at high risk of HIV and late/no PNC, their birth outcomes were comparable to childbearing women who resided in the target areas.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the barriers to care for high-risk pregnant women.
• Recognize the immediate service needs of high-risk pregnant women.
• Describe the relationship between late/no prenatal care and poor birth outcomes.
• Demonstrate the importance of HIV testing prior to delivery.

Keywords: Prenatal Interventions, Perinatal Outcomes

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.