Collaborative approaches to prenatal care: strategies of successful adolescent programs

Adolescent pregnancy is not a new phenomenon in the United States. The 31.3% adolescent birth rate in the US remains one of the highest among industrialized nations. Healthy People 2020 targeted a specific goal of a 10% reduction in pregnancy rates among adolescent females. This objective is important to healthcare providers working in the maternal-child arena, as the consequences of pregnancy and birth can be relatively detrimental to the adolescent, the offspring, and society as a whole. Programs purposely designed for the adolescent population are essential to promoting and achieving optimal results. The intent of this article was to highlight 3 successful prenatal programs that use a collaborative and interprofessional approach to caring for pregnant adolescents: group prenatal care, school-based programs, and age-specific clinics.