Definition

Percentage of births wherein prenatal care was begun by the fourth month of pregnancy and 80.0 percent or more of the recommended prenatal visits were made.

The data reported herein represent the sum of the “adequate” and “adequate-plus” categories of the Adequacy of Prenatal Care Index, which is comprised of the following categories:

1. Adequate-Plus Care: prenatal care begun by the fourth month and 110 percent or more of the recommended visits were made.

2. Adequate Care: prenatal care begun by the fourth month and 80-109 percent of the recommended visits were made.

3. Intermediate Care: prenatal care begun by the fourth month and 50-79 percent of the recommended visits were made.

4. Inadequate Care: prenatal care that did not occur, began after the fourth month, or in which less than 50 percent of the recommended visits were made.

For more information see, M. Kotelchuck, “An Evaluation of the Kessner Adequacy of Prenatal Care Index and a Proposed Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization Index,” American Journal of Public Health, 1994, 84[9]:1, 414-1,420.

Data Source

Alabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statistics, Selected Maternal and Child Health Statistics, 2012, Table 9 and Alabama Vital Statistics, 2022, Table 11.

Notes

(1) Variations in prenatal care percentages over the last few years may reflect in part changes in data collection methodology. Formerly, these data were collected directly from mothers at the time of birth. They are now collected by hospitals from healthcare

Last Updated

2025-03