Discussion of health topics during prenatal care in Rhode Island.

prenatal Care is a series oF assessments and interventions For pregnant women, to help ensure healthy pregnancies and birth outcomes, and to prevent any potential adverse health outcomes to mothers and their babies. The three basic components of prenatal care have been defined as 1) early and continuing risk assessment, 2) health promotion, and 3) medical and psychosocial intervention and follow-up. It is recommended that prenatal care start in the first trimester of pregnancy, and continue throughout the whole pregnancy period. Early prenatal care provides opportunities for detection, treatment, and management of medical and obstetric conditions, as well as opportunities for encouraging healthy behaviors by educating women in their pregnancies. The report describes 1) the timing of prenatal care initiation among pregnant women in Rhode Island, 2) health topics discussed with healthcare providers during prenatal care visits, and 3) the relationships between maternal behaviors and prenatal care discussions.