The Effects of Group Prenatal Care on Infant Birthweight and Maternal Well-Being: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction: Group prenatal care models have been in use in the USA for over 20 years and have shown benefits in reducing rates of preterm birth and low birth weight infants in high-risk civilian populations. Group prenatal care has been widely implemented at military treatment facilities, despite a lack of high-quality evidence for improved perinatal outcomes in this population. Materials and methods: In this randomized, controlled trial, 129 patients at a military treatment facility received either traditional one-on-one prenatal care or group prenatal care using the CenteringPregnancy model. CenteringPregnancy care was administered by certified nurse midwives and family medicine residents and faculty. The primary outcomes were infant birthweight appropriateness for gestational age, maternal anxiety (as measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and depression (as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale), and patient satisfaction (as measured by the Short-Form Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire). Infant birthweights were compared using Chi-square tests for the categorical variables of small for gestational age (SGA), appropriate for gestational age (AGA), or large for gestational age. Maternal mood and satisfaction scores were evaluated before, during, and after the intervention and analyzed using rank sum tests. Additional demographic and outcome data were collected directly from participants and extracted from patient records. Results: Patients receiving group care were more likely to deliver an infant that was appropriate for gestational age, with an incidence ratio of 1.12 [CI = 1.01-1.25, p = 0.04]. Depression and anxiety levels remained similar between groups throughout the study. Satisfaction was similar between groups, though patients receiving group care reported higher satisfaction with the accessibility and convenience of their care at the study's end [p = 0.048]. There were no differences between groups in preterm births, maternal or neonatal morbidity, mode of delivery, maternal weight gain, or breastfeeding rates. Conclusions: Military parturients receiving group prenatal care in the CenteringPregnancy model were less likely to deliver an small for gestational age or large for gestational age newborn and were more likely to be satisfied with their access to care. Group prenatal care is well received by patients and may positively influence neonatal metabolic status.