.^Si^tS^I
A Special Report Series by
THE STATE CENTER FOR HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL STATISTICS
P.O. Box 29538, Raleigh, N.C. 27626-0538
No. 94 June 1995
STATEWIDE COVERAGE OF VERY LOW BIRTHWEIGHT INFANTS
AND TEENAGE MOTHERS (LESS THAN 15 YEARS OF AGE)
IN NORTH CAROLINA'S CHILD SERVICE
COORDINATION PROGRAM: 1991 AND 1993
by
Harry Herrick'
Anita Farer
n C. DOCUMENTS
. ...EARINGHOUSE
JUL 20 1995
ABSTRACT N.C. STATE LIBRARY msm
This study compares the 1991 and 1993 coverage or enrollment rates for very low birth weight (VLBW) infants and
teenage mothers Oess than 1 5 >ts.) in North Carolina's Child Service Coordination (CSC) Program, forthe state as a whole
and for each of the state' s six perinatal care regions. The study population included NC state resident births for 1 99 1 aiid
1993 who were referred to the CSC Program. For both study years, VLBW infants and mothers under 15 years em-olIed
in CSC, were matched to the live birth files.
The number of matched participants was expressed as a percent of the total number with the corresponding risk
condition in the birth population. Coverage was also classifial by whether a mother received prenatal care in a health
department. It was assumed that coverage rates for both risk groups would be higher in 1993 than in 1991, and that
coverage would be higher among recipients of care from local health departments.
Among VLBW infants who sunived the first year of life, 79. 1 percent were enrolled in the CSC Program in 199 1 ; and
in 1993, theVLBW enrollment rate dropped to 74. 1 percent. For mothers under 15 years, the 1991 total coverage rate was
64.3 percent in 1 99 1 and 70.4 percent in 1 993 . Statewide, health department coverage ofVLBWinfants and teen mothers
was higher than that of private pro\iders or those who had no prenatal care for both study years. Regional differences
indicated that program coverage was generally higher forVLBW infants and mothers under 1 5 who received prenatal care
fi-om health departments, but not in all instances.
Coverage rates were significantly higher among health department patients for both risk groups in both study years.
The overall decrease in the 1993 CSC coverage ofVLBW infants was due to a significant reduction in the percaitage of
VLBW infants enrolled from non-health departments compared to the corresponding percentage enrolled in 1991. The
overall increase in the 1 993 CSC coverage of mothers luider 1 5 was due to a significantly higher proportion enrolled from
non-health departments, compared to the corresponding rate for 1991.
These findings, particularly at the regional le^'el, provide a preliminary measiffe for evaluating the identification and
referral process of the CSC Program.
*N.C. Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, State Center for Health and Environmental Statistics, Raleigh,NC
•School of Public Health. Department of Maternal and Child Health. Chapel PLII.NC
J^^ NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT. HEALTH, AND NATURAL RESOURCES
DEHI-JF=«
