Use of pediatric prenatal visits by family physicians

A questionnaire regarding the use of pediatric prenatal counseling interviews was mailed to 235 randomly chosen family physicians. From 164 responses, 69 practicing family physicians who see a minimum of ten newborns per year were identified. Thirty-five (51 percent) of this study group conducted pediatric prenatal visits with the expectant parents. They saw a mean of 65 percent of mothers (or couples) for such an interview and were unanimously in favor of fathers" attending the session. Whether members of the study group did or did not conduct prenatal visits did not correlate with geographic location, number of years in practice, or board certification. Those who did conduct prenatal interviews saw significantly more newborns per year than those who did not. The average prenatal visit lasted significantly longer than a well-baby visit. Study group members, regardless of whether they conducted prenatal interviews, had positive attitudes about their use. High consensus regarding the usefulness and importance of prenatal visit combined with the low prevalence of their actual use suggest the need for more parent and physician education around this aspect of the care of infants and parents.