What does this measure?

The number of births to women who initiated prenatal care during the first trimester of pregnancy (before 13 weeks gestation), expressed as a percentage of all live births within each racial and ethnic group.

Why is this important?

Early, high-quality prenatal care is critical to reducing risks for complications of pregnancy or birth and improving birth outcomes.

How is our county performing?

In 2017, 79% of Hispanic women and 82% of African American women in Berks County received early prenatal care, compared with 84% of white women and 100% of Asian women. The rates for both Hispanic and African American women were up by 32 and 37 percentage points respectively since 2007. For white women, the rate was up 15 percentage points since 2007. Far fewer Asian women gave birth in Berks County during this period, which makes accurate percentage comparisons difficult.

Rates in Berks County were significantly higher for African American and Hispanic women compared to state and national rates, and slightly higher for white women.

Among neighboring counties, Chester, Lancaster, Lehigh and Montgomery counties had lower rates of early prenatal care among Hispanic and African American women than Berks County. In Lancaster County, however, there were fewer racial disparities than in Berks. Relatively few African American and Hispanic women gave birth in Schuylkill and Lebanon counties during this period, which made accurate comparisons difficult.

Notes about the data

The rate excludes the number of live births for which the date of entry into prenatal care is unknown. In addition to considering when prenatal care began, it is also important to understand the quality and continuity of care received throughout the pregnancy. Comparable national data is not available before 2014.

There may be additional research available on this topic. Click on Reports and Resources to learn more.