Postpartum care visits--11 states and New York City, 2004

Abstract

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend that women who give birth have a postpartum care visit (PPCV) 4-6 weeks after delivery. PPCVs provide important opportunities to assess the physical and psychosocial well-being of the mother, counsel her on infant care and family planning, and detect and give appropriate referrals for preexisting or developing chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or obesity. To estimate the prevalence of PPCVs among U.S. women who deliver live infants, CDC analyzed population-based 2004 data (the most recent data available) from 12 areas (11 states and New York City) participating in the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which indicated that although the overall prevalence of PPCVs among U.S. women who deliver is high (89%), rates are significantly lower in certain population subgroups (e.g., 71% among women with < or =8 years of education and 66% among women who had not received prenatal care). To help reach all population subgroups, the importance of the PPCV should be communicated to all women at the time of discharge from the hospital after delivery.