Prenatal Care

The motivators that drive clinicians into joining the community health center movement include the ability to support happy and healthy families and the potential to influence health outcomes among neighbors. Prenatal care facilitates both. Even more, prenatal care saves lives.

Research shows that babies who do not receive prenatal care are five times more likely to succumb to infant mortality than those who do. And prenatal care is essential for moms, too: women without prenatal care access are nearly four times more likely to die from birth complications.

Unfortunately, our service area is not where it should be with respect to infant health outcomes.

While Montgomery County is in a favorable position compared to national and state averages, rates are still far too high in the community. Meanwhile, the disparities between Montgomery and Prince George’s counties are vast, with Prince George’s faring worse in every rate against every measure.

4 Preterm Birth, March of Dimes Peristats™, 2021

5 Birthweight, March of Dimes Peristats™, 2021

6 Mortality and Morbidity, March of Dimes Peristats™, 2019

7 Preterm Birth, March of Dimes Peristats™, 2021

8 Birthweight, March of Dimes Peristats™, 2021

9 Mortality and Morbidity, March of Dimes Peristats™, 2019

10 2022 March of Dimes Report Card

11 Birthweight, March of Dimes Peristats™, 2021

12 2022 March of Dimes Report Card

13 2022 March of Dimes Report Card

14 Birthweight, March of Dimes Peristats™, 2020

15 2022 March of Dimes Report Card

There is an urgent need to lower those numbers through prenatal care, and we’re eager to lead the way. In 2022, we admitted 846 participants into our prenatal program, accommodating 59% more than last year. As a result, more than 91% of pregnant parents who participated in our prenatal care program delivered a baby with a healthy weight.

We also hosted our fifth annual Run Baby Run 5K, a fun-run and walk that brought together 275 neighbors to help us raise over $100,000 to fund our effective prenatal care program.