Improved perinatal outcomes with perinatal case management.

Despite technological and medical advances in maternal-fetal care, poor perinatal outcomes continue to perplex scientists and health care providers. Past programs have had limited success but set the stage for comprehensive and multidisciplinary approaches that exhibit promise for high-risk perinatal populations. Community-based comprehensive perinatal case management is one approach which is showing improved perinatal outcomes for women of high economic and psychosocial risk. This integrated networking of case management has decreased the incidence of low birthweight infants and prematurity rates of at-risk women to those rates similar for low-risk women. Further study of family outcomes, especially violence in the home and care provision of infants, has shown interesting although confusing outcomes.