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Early prenatal care, considered best for moms and babies, is on the decline in the US
First-trimester prenatal care fell from 78.3% to 75.5% between 2021 and 2024, with Black mothers experiencing a larger decline to 65.1%, linked to access and maternity care shortages.
- On Feb 19, 2026, the CDC reported first-trimester prenatal care in the US dropped from 78.3% to 75.5%, according to the CDC.
- The CDC report offers no definitive cause, and a 2024 March of Dimes study found more than 35% of U.S. counties are maternity care deserts where prenatal care is limited.
- For Black mothers, first-trimester care rates fell from 69.7% in 2021 to 65.1% in 2024, while second-trimester and third-trimester care rates rose.
- Clinicians warn that early prenatal care improves healthy pregnancy chances through screenings and tests, while late or no care raises maternal mortality risk, especially among Black mothers.
- Doctors cite hospital closures and insurance barriers as patients in rural and remote areas face longer travel distances and difficulty finding prenatal care accepting Medicaid.
54 Articles
54 Articles
Fewer Women Seeking Medical Care Early in Pregnancy: CDC
Fewer women are seeking medical care early in their pregnancy, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released on Feb. 19. Just 75.5 percent of women went to health care professionals in their first trimester in 2024, down from 78.3 percent in 2021, the data, from the CDC’s National Vital Statistics System, show. The largest decrease came among pregnant women aged 19 or younger, but drops were recorded across all age groups…
Early prenatal care declining in US: CDC data
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that prenatal care starting in the first trimester declined from 2021 to 2024. The study, released Thursday, found that the share of pregnant mothers beginning prenatal care in the first trimester decreased from 78.3 percent in 2021 to 75.5 percent in 2024.…
Early prenatal care improves the chances of having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. However, a new federal report shows that its use has been declining. The proportion of births in the United States of women who started prenatal care in the first trimester fell from 78.3% in 2021 to 75.5% in 2024, according to data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday. Meanwhile, the onset of post-pregnancy care or the t…
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