Prenatal care and infant emergency department use

Objective: To determine the relationship between mothers' use of prenatal c are and pediatric emergency department (ED) use by their infants in the fir st 3 months of life. Methods: This is a retrospective, cohort-control study of well, full-term i nfants who use a children's hospital ED. Using logistic regression, the lik elihood of an emergency visit in the first 3 months of life was compared be tween infants of women with fewer than two prenatal visits and infants of w omen with two or more prenatal visits. Covariates were maternal age, race, substance abuse history, parity, infant birth weight, insurance status, and distance from the ED. Results: The odds of an ED visit before age 3 months by infants of mothers with less than two prenatal visits was 29% lower than the comparison group. ED use was increased by proximity, Medicaid or no health insurance and you nger maternal age. Seventy percent (70%) of visits by both cohorts were cla ssified as unjustified. The odds of making an unjustified ED visit were inc reased by younger maternal age and proximity to the emergency department, Conclusions: Women with poor prenatal care are less Likely to seek ED care for their young infants. Although suboptimal prenatal care is associated wi th negative health outcomes, it is not known whether fewer infant ED visits are similarly deleterious.