A new study from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences indicates Arkansas mothers in rural areas and/or with a Medicaid-covered birth are less likely to receive early prenatal care. The study was conducted by the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation.
The same study finds some minority groups, including Black and Native Hawaiian/Island populations, were less likely to experience the recommended prenatal care visits compared to white mothers. The director of the institute, Pearl McElfish, said the study shows that if maternal health care in Arkansas is going to improve, the state needs to develop systems to meet women where they are and increase access to prenatal care.
