  |
 |
 Women at 185% of the federal poverty level are Medicaid-eligible for prenatal care and two years of uninterrupted family planning services. WIC services are provided to infants and pregnant and breast-feeding women. New Mexico’s Families FIRST Case Management offers services for low income mothers to improve health in pregnancy and in infants age 0-3 years Healthcare providers statewide are trained on screening for domestic violence.
Make preconceptional health a popular idea. Increase treatment services for childbearing women with alcohol and/or drug problems. Offer effective services to help potential parents quit smoking. Enhance access to preconceptional health and the full range of family planning services through health plans and Medicaid. Broaden the agenda of prenatal care to include screening and treatment for smoking, alcohol, family stress and abuse. Increase access to home visiting services for families of newborns.
|
 Five keys to having a healthy baby Who Are They? There are 324,000 women aged 15-44 in New Mexico, making up about 20% of the New Mexico population.(1) An estimated 23% of this group lives at or below the federal poverty level. Many of them are single parents with children, struggling to keep a family together while working a low paying job. Nearly 30% have no health insurance.(2) Nearly 8% had a baby in 1997.(3) “Preconceptional Health” is a new term to most New Mexicans, one that needs to become familiar. It refers to the health and well-being of potential parents during the time before their first child, as well as between pregnancies. There are five keys to preconceptional health (Figure 1).
Five Keys to Preconceptional Health: 1. Use folic acid. This is a B vitamin also known as folate. It helps a baby’s spinal cord and brain to develop normally during pregnancy. To protect a baby from developing birth defects of the brain or spinal cord, which are known as neural tube defects (NTD), a woman needs to take a multi-vitamin with 0.4 mg of folic acid every day for at least one month before she gets pregnant and during the entire pregnancy. Mothers of infants with NTD can reduce the risk for their later children by consulting their doctors, and taking more folic acid before and during pregnancy. Half of the 16-20 cases of NTD each year in New Mexico could be prevented by taking folic acid.(4) In a 1997 survey, less than a third of New Mexico women of age 18-44 knew that folic acid could prevent birth defects;(5) 68% of those who gave birth knew this.(6) 2. Avoid tobacco use. Infants of mothers who smoke may be born prematurely and/or with low birth weight (less than 5 pounds). These infants have an increased risk of respiratory problems and of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). In 1997-98, nearly 24% of new mothers smoked before pregnancy, although this figure dropped to 11% in the last 3 months of pregnancy; 18% smoked after delivery. In general, women coping with difficult life stresses are more likely to smoke.(7) 3. Avoid alcohol use. Infants can be seriously affected by prenatal exposure to alcohol. The effects may include moderate to severe mental disability and other serious medical problems. Nearly 44% of New Mexico women drank alcohol in the 3 months before pregnancy. Once they get into prenatal care, this figure drops, e.g., to 4% in late pregnancy.(8) Almost one infant out of a hundred has some alcohol-related health problems, and an estimated one in one thousand children under 20 in New Mexico has the very severe set of problems known as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).(9) 4. Prevent family violence. The nation and this state are witnessing an increase in violent solutions to everyday problems of life. Often associated with alcohol and stresses of time and money, violence affects families from all socioeconomic, racial and ethnic groups. In 1997-98 in New Mexico, 13 of every 100 new mothers experienced physical abuse in the 12 months before or during pregnancy.(10) This is nearly 100 times the rate of physical abuse reported for all women. In New Mexico, this abuse was inflicted by a husband or partner in most cases. Men who are violent with their partners are also more likely to be sexually violent with them, and to use violence against children. Children who witness or are targets of violence from their parents or caregivers are more likely to become violent adults.(11) Their own children can then become victims. Breaking this cycle of violence requires protecting the women and children of this generation. 5. Planned pregnancy. Women who are planning to become pregnant are more likely to seek prenatal care and avoid drinking and smoking than those whose pregnancies are unplanned. In New Mexico in 1997-98, an estimated 46% of births were not intended.(12) Family Planning and Preconceptional Health Care The best places to address the health risks mentioned above are family planning and primary care. There are several important ways to address gaps in these systems’ coverage:
Early and Continuous Prenatal Care To get help for domestic violence:
If you need help or know someone who needs help because of child abuse or neglect, call
New Mexico Department of Health, Public Health Division, Family Health Bureau
|
)
