Adolescent Group Prenatal Care: A Pilot Study Evaluating Patient Satisfaction

Abstract

Prenatal care continues to be a critical component of pregnancy today. Quality prenatal care affects maternal and neonatal outcomes; such components will be discussed in further detail in the literature review. Recently, a new twist on prenatal care has emerged, consisting of prenatal care within a group setting. This new concept described as CenteringPregnancy® (CP) has proven to be satisfying with quality outcomes for many pregnant and post partum women (Rising, 1998). This essay describes a pilot study consisting of satisfaction rates and perceptions on group prenatal care by adolescent women who attended a CP program in an upstate New York program from 2006-2009. It provides further information describing methods of delivering prenatal care. Traditional and CP care from an adolescent perspective and a review of the current literature on maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with CP, cost benefits, and client satisfaction is provided. The purpose of this study is to analyze the perceptions and satisfaction rates for a population of adolescent pregnant women and postpartum patients in Upstate New York who attended CP sessions over the course of 30 months.