Limited access to care and home healthcare

Abstract

Access to perinatal healthcare services for women living in poverty is complicated by many barriers and directly affects rates of premature births, low birthweight infants, and maternal and infant deaths. Health and social services delivered in the home can help improve pregnancy outcomes. Home visiting programs need sustainable funding and support from physicians and other healthcare providers. Ongoing research is needed to develop, refine, and evaluate systems of care that integrate home visiting components and different service delivery models that address pregnancies complicated by various psychosocial and medical complications.