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(詳細はhealth care provided to women also being a type of preventive care with the goal of providing regular check-ups that allow obstetricians-gynecologists or midwives to detect, treat and prevent potential health problems throughout the course of the pregnancy while promoting healthy lifestyles that benefit both mother and child.〔 Patients attend regular check-ups once every month during the first two trimesters and the number of appointments increase to once a week as the due date nears. Check-ups consist of various tests to ensure that mother and child are healthy. If not, appropriate treatment will then be provided to hinder any further complications. Prenatal care in the United States started as a preventative measure against preeclampsia, which included program visits during which medical professionals conducted physical, history, and risk evaluations. Over the last century, prenatal care has shifted focus to low birth weight and other preventative conditions in order to decrease the rate of infant mortality. Increased use of prenatal care was found to decrease the rates of birth-weight-related mortality and other preventable medical ailments such as post-partum depression and infant injuries. The United States has socioeconomic disparities that prevent the equal adoption of prenatal care throughout the country. Various levels of prenatal care accessibility can be observed in both developing and developed countries such as the U.S. Although women can benefit from taking advantage of prenatal care, there exists varying degrees of health care accessibility between different demographics, by ethnicity, race, and income-level, throughout the United States.〔〔 Education level can also influence the utilization and accessibility of prenatal care. Nearly one-fifth of women in the United States do not access prenatal care during the first trimester of pregnancy.〔 The prenatal health care system, along with personal attitudes all contribute to the utilization and accessibility of prenatal care. Suggested steps to improve prenatal care in the United States include the implementation of community-based health care programs, and the increase in number of those insured. ==Background== (詳細はhealth care provided to women also being a type of preventive care with the goal of providing regular check-ups that allow obstetricians-gynecologists or midwives to detect, treat and prevent potential health problems throughout the course of the pregnancy while promoting healthy lifestyles that benefit both mother and child.〔(Prenatal care fact sheet ) womenshealth.gov Retrieved on 11 March 2012〕 Health professionals instruct mothers on prenatal nutrition, the benefits of breastfeeding, life style changes, injury and illness prevention, and methods to monitor potentially dangerous health conditions.〔(Retrieved on 11 March 2012. )〕 Medical professionals will also inform the mother on the birthing process and the basic skills for taking care of a new born.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/prenatalcare.html )〕 During visits physicians will determine the due date, family and medical history, conduct a physical exam and pelvic exam, and run various blood work. Physicians will also conduct ultrasounds to monitor the baby's health periodically throughout the pregnancy.〔(Your First Prenatal Doctor's Visit ) WebMD Retrieved April 1, 2012.〕 Ultrasounds are used to measure fetus growth, heartbeats, movement, and the identification of physically identifiable abnormalities. Regular check-ups allow physicians to assess changes to the mothers' blood pressure, weight, uterus size, protein supplies from urine samples, and various diseases such as diabetes through screen tests. Prenatal care serves as a tool to inform mothers on common concerns, and on methods to take care of themselves (amount of rest needed, the proper nutritional diet, etc.).〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/medical_care/medical_care_pregnancy.html# )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Prenatal care in the United States」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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