The association of prenatal nutrition and educational services with low birth weight rates in a Florida program.

Nutrition services and education, provided as components of normal prenatal care, have a key role in preventing preterm delivery and low birth weight (LBW). To determine the influence of these components on a woman's risk of having a LBW infant, the authors examined groups of patients who were receiving the services. Bivariate analyses were made of 9,024 prenatal charts of single births. Most women received nutrition education, prescriptions for nutrient supplements, screenings for anemia, and dietary assessments. A greater proportion of the women at high risk received the interventions than did women at lower risk. The presence of educational components and assays for anemia were associated with a lower risk of a LBW delivery in the total group and in the high risk groups.