Developmental care of the pregnant couple.

Outcomes are being viewed as the measure of quality in the current health care environment. Measured outcomes of prenatal care must include not only the physical outcomes but also the developmental-psychological outcomes. A systematic approach to continuous assessment of these outcomes is presented. A tool, used for the assessment of mothers' and fathers' developmental progress throughout pregnancy, is divided into three interview/observation periods during each trimester of pregnancy. Each interview/ observation period is divided into tasks, expected behaviors, and nursing interventions. Content for these categories is based on a literature review and observation in practice. Category content is meant to be progressive from one observation to the next.