Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Jackson County Prenatal Task Force

The Jackson County Prenatal Task Force (PNTF) was created in 2003 as an ongoing partnership between local health and human services groups and individuals, to function as the Action Team for the Jackson County Fetal Infant Mortality Review Team.  The mission statement of the PNTF is: “We empower women and families to make healthier choices for themselves and their babies before, during and after pregnancy.” Our goals are to reduce infant mortality, eliminate racial disparities in infant mortality rates, and improve appropriate preconception and prenatal care.  The PNTF is led by Allegiance Health and the Jackson County Health Department, additionally, many Jackson County organizations are represented on the PNTF’s Advisory team and provide assistance during trainings and educational opportunities including: AWARE(domestic violence) Shelter, Community Action Agency, Center for Family Health (a federally qualified health center), Allegiance Tobacco Treatment and Behavioral Health Services, Born Free substance abuse services, Great Start Collaborative, LifeWays mental health services, United Way of Jackson County, Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative, Partnership Park Neighborhood Association, Planned Parenthood, Safe Sleep Coalition, local obstetrics/gynecology providers, local pediatricians, Jackson Community College, Family Services and Children’s Aid, Jackson County Court System, Department of Human Services, Talk Early and Talk Often, faith community representatives, parents and other concerned Jackson residents.  Since its inception, the Prenatal Task Force has been very successful in coordinating community resources, educating women, and collaborating with service providers. 


Infant mortality is often used as a measure of a community’s overall health and well-being because it reflects multiple, complex and inter-related issues such as a community’s environmental conditions, access to health care, social/living conditions, and poverty rates.  Infant mortality also reflects personal health indicators such as maternal and infant medical conditions, maternal substance abuse and poor nutrition, domestic violence, maternal education levels, and maternal knowledge of safe infant care.  Additionally, infant mortality is one of the best predictors of the health status of a community’s next generation.

Despite efforts to improve prenatal care and advances in medical science and technology, maternal and infant health in the United States has improved very little in the last few decades.  One factor that contributes to adverse pregnancy outcomes is the start of prenatal care late in the first trimester and sometimes after the first trimester.  This delay in care allows little or no opportunity to prevent serious maternal and infant health problems, which often begin in the earliest stages of pregnancy.

There is evidence that improving women’s health before pregnancy is important for optimizing pregnancy outcomes.  However, many women continue to enter pregnancy in less than optimal health, which increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.  Making preconception care services available to women and couples is expected to significantly improve maternal and infant outcomes, particularly for women at risk of adverse outcomes.  Since nearly half of all pregnancies are unplanned, it is necessary to make education about preconception health and access to preconception health care services the norm for women and couples during their reproductive years.  Clinical guidelines often recommend that healthcare professionals should involve patients in decisions about screens, treatment, and other interventions, to help them to arrive at informed choices.  Preconception care should be an integral part of routine primary care and serves as an opportunity to screen for current and future health risks, to provide health promotion messages and education, and to offer interventions that address identified risks.

In addition to the clinical services that constitute preconception care, the PNTF wishes to emphasize the importance of efforts to improve the overall health of women of childbearing age and their partners.  Increasing awareness of reproductive health risks and enabling individuals to have reproductive life plans, for example, are as important as clinical services that can improve preconception health and pregnancy outcomes.  Improving preconception health for the approximately 65,269 women and men of childbearing age in the Jackson community will require multiple strategies and multilevel actions.  Change is needed in consumer knowledge and demand for preconception services.

For more information about the Prenatal Task Force (PNTF) or how you can help please contact Kara Beer, (517)841-7498 or kara.beer@allegiancehealth.org

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