Pregnancy & Infant Health

What does this measure?

This section uses data from the Better Outcomes Registry and Network (BORN). Prenatal healthcare visits measures the proportion of women who gave birth who attended at least one prenatal visit with a health care provider during the first trimester, expressed as a percentage of the total number of women who had a live birth or stillbirth. Prenatal education measures the proportion of women who gave birth who attended prenatal education of any kind, including in-person and virtual classes.

Why is this important?

Prenatal care and education can lead to improvements in perinatal (immediately before and after birth) outcomes by:

• identifying and mitigating potential risks
• promote healthy behaviours such as folic acid use, prenatal vitamins, and a healthy diet
• helping women to change potentially harmful behaviours, such as smoking and alcohol use
• providing information about care options and community supports

While there is some debate regarding the appropriate frequency and timing of these visits, it is generally accepted that prenatal care is more likely to be effective if women begin receiving care in early pregnancy. While the general effectiveness of childbirth education is unknown, there have been studies looking at the effectiveness within certain population subgroups and for specific outcomes have shown positive outcomes (e.g. women who attend prenatal classes also have a higher rate of breastfeeding).

How are Hastings and Prince Edward Counties doing?

The vast majority of pregnant women in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (HPEC) attend a visit in the first trimester, consistently exceeding the provincial average, though in 2020 the difference was no longer significant. In HPEC, the proportion of women who attend classes before giving birth was below the provincial average 2015-2017 but in 2019 and 2020 has moved to exceed the provincial average.