Evidence-based prenatal care visits: when less is more

Traditionally, low-risk pregnant women in the United States who participate in prenatal care have been scheduled for approximately 14-16 prenatal visits, which is the schedule recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. In 1989, an expert panel convened by the United States Department of Health and Human Services proposed a reduced frequency prenatal visit schedule for low-risk, healthy women based on the timing of specific tests or events that occur in pregnancy. Available evidence shows no adverse effect on maternal or neonatal outcomes for low-risk pregnant women who follow a reduced visit schedule, making it a highly important consideration for pregnant women and their health care providers. Other important aspects of prenatal care, especially related to adequacy and content, will be explored in-depth in a future segment of this series on evidence-based prenatal care.