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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2004.047068v1 95/11/1952    most recent Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (10) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ricketts, S. A. Articles by Schwalberg, R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ricketts, S. A. Articles by Schwalberg, R. Related Collections Obesity, Overweight, Underweight Pregnancy Other Maternal and Infant Health Media Public Health Practice Smoking Cessation

Sue Austin Ricketts, PhD, Erin K. Murray, MSPH, RD and Renee Schwalberg, MPH

Sue Ricketts is with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Prevention Services Division. At the time of the study, Erin K. Murray was with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Prevention Services Division. Renee Schwalberg is with the Maternal and Child Health Information Resource Center, Washington, DC.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Sue Ricketts, PSD-A4, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80246 (e-mail: sue.ricketts{at}state.co.us).

Objectives. We examined low-birthweight (LBW) rates among participants in Colorado’s Prenatal Plus program by prenatal risk factors (smoking, inadequate weight gain during pregnancy, and psychosocial problems) and the effect of successful resolution of these risks during pregnancy.

Methods. Data for 3569 Medicaid-eligible women who received care coordination, nutritional counseling, or psychosocial counseling through the Prenatal Plus Program in 2002 were analyzed to determine the prevalence of specific risks, the proportion of women who resolved each specific risk, and the low birthweight rates for births to women who did and did not resolve risk. LBW rates were analyzed with ² tests of significance.

Results. Women who quit smoking had an LBW rate of 8.5%, compared with an LBW rate of 13.7% among women who did not. Women with adequate weight gain had an LBW rate of 6.7%, compared with 17.2% among women with inadequate weight gain. Women who resolved all of their risks had a low-birthweight rate of 7.0%, compared with a rate of 13.2% among women who resolved no risks. Women who had at least 10 Prenatal Plus visits were more likely to resolve their risks than were women who had fewer visits.

Conclusions. Multidisciplinary prenatal interventions targeted toward specific risks demonstrate success at significantly improving infant birthweight.