FRESNO, Calif. – A quarter of pregnant women in the United States are delaying prenatal care or forgoing it completely, according to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
From 2021 to 2024, the rate of women beginning prenatal care in the first trimester decreased, while the rate of women beginning care in the second and third trimesters increased – as did cases of women forgoing prenatal care altogether.
Experts at Valley Children’s say starting prenatal care as early as possible – specifically in the first trimester – improves the likelihood of a healthy baby and a healthy mother.
“This trend is a concern,” said Dr. Daniel Hernandez, an OB-GYN at Warner Women’s Healthcare in Fresno. “If you start prenatal care late, you are missing an opportunity to make an impact on that patient.”
Across all ethnicities, prenatal care beginning in the first trimester dropped from 78.3% in 2021 to 75.5% in 2024, according to the CDC.
During that same period, beginning prenatal care in the second trimester increased from 15.4% to 17.3%, and starting in the third trimester or not receiving care at all increased from 6.3% to 7.3%.
Social determinants of health play a significant role in these trends, Dr. Hernandez said, which can lead to an even bigger impact on minority groups.
“It could be a problem with access to transportation or other barriers, but one of the things making this worse is prenatal care deserts,” Dr. Hernandez said. “Around 35% of U.S. counties don’t have a provider for prenatal care or delivery.”
He said the frequency of prenatal visits is shifting, with tailored plans being introduced based on each patient and their needs.
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Regardless of frequency, Dr. Hernandez emphasized the importance of starting prenatal care in the first trimester. One of the main benefits of early prenatal care is the ability to detect preexisting conditions.
For example, a patient may have high blood pressure and be completely unaware. A prenatal visit could diagnose this, leading to care that helps the patient avoid strokes during pregnancy or preeclampsia.
“Get prenatal care as early as possible, because it is proven that when you do that, you improve outcomes for both the baby and the mom,” he said.
To learn more about the team at Warner Women’s Healthcare, click here.
