This statement is false. Women get essential information about pregnancy as part of prenatal care. In a nationally representative population of over 9000 women, less than one-third reported getting information during prenatal visits on topics shown to be linked to birth outcomes. In another study, less than half of prenatal records showed such information was provided. In addition, topics covered in prenatal care have been shown to vary by provider, insurance status, and maternal race, age, education and income.
Providers consistently underestimate women's interest in information about pregnancy.
Multiple Choice 4. Since 1992, ACOG and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that all pregnant women be given information on violence and encouraged to report violence to their prenatal care providers. Pregnancy is a risk factor for the initiation or escalation of violence, and violence is a risk factor for prematurity and low birth weight. In other words, if new information fits reasonably well with what a maternity patient already knows and what makes sense to her, she is likely to understand, accept, and act on the information. Because of their training and experience, health care professionals think and talk about health and medical care in ways that are foreign to most health care consumers.