THE WEST-LOS-ANGELES-PRETERM-BIRTH-PREVENTION-PROJECT .2. COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS OF HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY INTERVENTIONS

Objective: To examine the cost-effectiveness of the West Los Angeles P reterm Birth Prevention Project. Methods: Maternal and neonatal care d ata were collected on all preterm deliveries (150) and a random sample of term deliveries (140) from high-risk patients at both experimental and control clinic sites. Costs were determined for prenatal care, in patient preterm labor, delivery and postpartum care, and newborn care. Cost calculations, weighted by the actual proportions of term and pre term births, were confirmed with square-root transformation and trimme d mean (2%) values. Results: When compared to control clinic high-risk patients, experimental clinic high-risk patients had an average cost savings of $2196 for newborn care (P = .02), resulting in a net saving s of $1768 per high-risk mother-infant pair. Births before 32 weeks' g estation accounted for the greatest mean cost. Conclusion: Programs of comprehensive prenatal care and patient education may be highly cost- effective for prevention of prematurity.