Social support in improving perinatal outcome: the Resource Mothers Program

Area of Science:

• Maternal and Child Health
• Public Health Interventions
• Sociology

Background:

• Rural adolescent pregnancy presents unique challenges, increasing risks for adverse perinatal outcomes.
• Social support systems are crucial for mitigating these risks.
• The Resource Mothers Program utilizes community-based, nonprofessional support to address these needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Resource Mothers Program in improving perinatal outcomes among rural adolescent primigravidas.
• To assess the impact of nonprofessional social support on prenatal care utilization and infant health.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study design was employed, comparing 565 matched pairs of rural teenage primigravidas.
• One group received support from a Resource Mother, while the control group did not.
• Outcomes measured included prenatal care adequacy, low birth weight, and small-for-gestational-age rates.

Main Results:

• Program participants demonstrated significantly higher rates of adequate prenatal care (P < .000001).
• The frequency of low birth weight infants was significantly reduced in the program group (P = .006).
• Small-for-gestational-age rates were also significantly lower for infants whose mothers received Resource Mother support (P = .002).

Conclusions:

• The Resource Mothers Program is an effective intervention for improving perinatal outcomes in rural adolescent pregnancies.
• Community-based social support, delivered by nonprofessional women, positively impacts maternal and infant health.
• The program demonstrates a significant return on investment through improved health outcomes and potentially reduced healthcare costs.