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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Maternal health and prenatal care

Challenges Related to Pregnancy and Returning to Work after Childbirth in a Rural, Tourism-Dependent Community
Discusses the challenges related to pregnancy and returning to work after childbirth in rural, tourism-dependent communities. Examines the issues of pregnancy timing and maternity leave, breastfeeding support, and child care, providing recommendations for improving conditions in each area. Results are based on a focus group of 6 women, which included 3 mothers and 3 pregnant women.
Author(s): Amanda Corbett, Carrie Henning-Smith, Kristin DeArruda Wharton, Katy Kozhimannil
Date: 02/2018
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Cavity Free at Three: CDC Evaluation 2013-2018
Presents the key findings of a 5-year evaluation of the Cavity Free at Three (CF3) program that trains medical and dental professionals to provide preventive oral health services for young children and pregnant women. The goal is to decrease dental disease and reduce disparities associated with oral health among vulnerable populations in rural and urban Colorado.
Date: 2018
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
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Case Study: High-Tech OB Simulation Training Educates OB Teams, Improves Quality of Rural Health Care
Reports on a pilot obstetrics simulation training program intended to help rural family physicians and obstetric care teams recognize and react to complications related to pregnancy, initially focusing on hemorrhaging. Identifies planned quality improvement measures resulting from the training and includes program contact information. Program targeted 12 rural hospitals in Nebraska.
Date: 2018
Sponsoring organizations: Bryan Health, Heartland Health Alliance
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Preterm Birth - New Mexico PRAMS
Reports on preterm births in New Mexico using data from the state's Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). Compares preterm birth rates by rural/urban location, race/ethnicity, age group, and more.
Date: 2018
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Department of Health
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First Trimester Prenatal Care Initiation Among Hispanic Women Along the U.S.-Mexico Border
Reports on a study to determine what factors, including barriers, influence pregnant and parenting Hispanic women from counties within the U.S.-Mexico border region to seek first trimester prenatal care – care associated with improved birth outcomes.
Author(s): Katherine Selchau, Maricela Babuca, Kara Bower, et al.
Citation: Maternal and Child Health Journal, 21(Suppl 1), 11–18
Date: 12/2017
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Impact of a Mobile Health Application on User Engagement and Pregnancy Outcomes among Wyoming Medicaid Members
Examines the effects of a mobile health application, Due Date Plus, on user engagement and birth outcomes among pregnant Medicaid members compared to pregnant Medicaid members not using the application in Wyoming. Compares data on four outcomes: 6-month or more prenatal visit, C-section, low birth weight, and neonatal intensive care unity (NICU) admission to evaluate the association between Due Date Plus with pregnancy and birth outcomes.
Author(s): James Bush, Dilek E. Barlow, Jennie Echols, Jasmine Wilkerson, Katherine Bellevin
Citation: Telemedicine Journal and e-Health, 23(11), 891-898
Date: 11/2017
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NIEHS/EPA Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers Impact Report
Highlights progress made toward reducing the impact of environmentally induced diseases on children. Includes examples of how exposure to pollutants in rural areas could make children's asthma worse or increase the chances of autism spectrum disorder in children of mothers exposed to pesticides during pregnancy.
Date: 10/2017
Sponsoring organizations: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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Access To Obstetric Services In Rural Counties Still Declining, With 9 Percent Losing Services, 2004-14
Results of a study identifying gaps in the availability of hospital-based obstetric services in rural America, and providing evidence of disparities in local access to obstetric services in vulnerable rural communities. Includes statistics on percentages of rural counties by status of hospital obstetric services from 2004–14, with breakdowns by micropolitan or noncore location, and a county-level map with shadings indicating full closure, continuous services, or no services.
Author(s): Peiyin Hung, Carrie E. Henning-Smith, Michelle M. Casey, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Citation: Health Affairs, 36(9), 1663-1671
Date: 09/2017
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Arizona American Indian Health Status Summary Report for Data Year 2015
Provides tables and graphs highlighting healthcare disparities for American Indians in Arizona. Addresses chronic disease incidence, mortality rates and causes of death, maternal and infant health, and behavioral risk factors such as drug and alcohol use.
Date: 06/2017
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Department of Health Services
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Pregnancy Outcomes After Maternal Zika Virus Infection During Pregnancy — U.S. Territories, January 1, 2016-April 25, 2017
Provides data on Zika virus infection in pregnant women and outcomes in their fetuses and infants in the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands and the U.S. freely associated states of Federated States of Micronesia and Marshall Islands.
Author(s): Carrie K. Shapiro-Mendoza, Marion E. Rice, Romeo R. Galang, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 66(23), 615-621
Date: 06/2017
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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