PRENATAL-CARE AMONG LOW-INCOME WOMEN

Forty low-income pregnant women were interviewed about the personal, f amily, and provider rewards and costs they experienced in obtaining pr enatal care. The women identified important rewards as the health of t heir babies, their own health, partner's desire for a healthy baby, mo nitoring of the pregnancy by qualified health-care personnel, and die evaluation of problems by health-care providers. The authors suggest s trategies to strengthen personal, family, and provider rewards aimed a t achieving a high level of prenatal care for low-income women.