Commentary : A Drive for Prenatal Services

California now faces one of the most important taxpayer, pro-life and compassion-generating issues there is: the lack of prenatal services in our state.

For the first time in 20 years, infant mortality rose in California in 1984-85 (the most recent data available).

How dismaying that of the half-million babies born each year in California (which is one of eight born in the United States annually), 40,000 die in infancy or begin their lives with terrible health problems.

California compares poorly with other states in the provision of care to expectant mothers: We recently spent only $12 million out of a $37-billion budget on maternal and child health services. Additionally, between 1970 and 1984:

California dropped from 10th to 31st best in the nation on the percentage of pregnant women receiving prenatal care in the first trimester.

In low birth weight (one of the prime indicators of projected infant mortality or severe health problems), California declined from 12th to 15th in comparison with births in other states.

In infant mortality, our rating dropped from seventh to ninth.

As residents of a state that is reputed to be one of the best in quality of life and that is generally known for its health-consciousness, abundance and availability of public services, it is easy to forget the difficulty faced by many in providing for their own health care. We tend to believe that the less fortunate are adequately served by our public assistance programs.

Yet, 26 of California’s 58 counties have so few Medi-Cal providers that maternity care is virtually non-existent for pregnant women. There are 14 counties that have no public prenatal clinics at all.

In Orange County, delays for care appointments can be as long as 14 weeks; in Los Angeles County, 19 weeks.

Along with a 24% increase in the number of babies born in California in 1979-1985, more families are also uninsured and indigent, relying more heavily upon public health facilities.

And there is a “Medi-Cal gap” of working women who just barely miss qualifying for Medi-Cal assistance because their incomes are just above eligibility limitations--but still too low to afford health care insurance.

The consequences of these facts are both disarming and disheartening. Babies born to mothers with no prenatal care are five times as likely to die in the first year of life and 1 1/2 times as likely to be born at health risk because of low birth weight.

The consequences for the taxpayer because of inadequate care services are serious, too. It costs nine times as much to provide remedial services to children whose mothers had no prenatal care as it does to provide the prenatal care in the first place.

Prenatal services cost about $1,000 per mother, but each dollar invested saves $1.70 later. It costs $2,300 per day to provide neonatal intensive care to each baby needing such care.

Clearly, we have a moral, a pro-life and a taxpayer interest in expanding prenatal services to expectant mothers in our state.

The expenditure of additional state funds for prenatal care in California will not only save the lives of newborns but will result in the savings of millions of dollars for California taxpayers--potentially $22.4 million annually!

Prenatal care can detect toxemia, anemia and other difficulties that may result in a risk to their health, thereby reducing the number of babies needing intensive care by about one-third.

Armed with the above facts, I introduced legislation earlier this year (SB 1071) to expand prenatal services at the state level. While the measure was held in committee because of the state’s tight fiscal situation, I plan to appeal to the administration to address this crucial issue through next year’s budget.

Orange County has already responded by appropriating funds to provide prenatal care to 500 more mothers in the coming fiscal year.

An exciting opportunity exists--one that we can all embrace for a number of reasons. Let’s get behind this issue, both publicly and through our charitable and civic activities, to give these babies a chance.