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Leveraging Pediatric Infant Visits to Improve Access to LARC for Teen Mothers

Statement of Problem

Unintended pregnancies, a measure that includes both unwanted and mistimed pregnancies, account for 73 percent of teen pregnancies in Pennsylvania. Additionally, 20 percent of teen births occur to those who are already mothers. Long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) are the most effective form of contraception and can reduce repeat pregnancies for mothers, but few young women use them. As PolicyLab researchers have previously identified, there is an overwhelming amount of evidence demonstrating the safety and efficacy of LARCs, yet they are rarely a provider’s or patient’s first choice contraceptive.

We also recognize while many mothers never return to their own physicians for postpartum care, almost all report visiting the pediatrician’s office. Pediatric clinicians are, therefore, well positioned to provide intergenerational services to teen mothers to reduce unintended pregnancies, such as counseling about LARCs and referral to Obstetrics/Gynecology.

Description

Next Steps

By identifying and offering support to teen mothers in the pediatric health system, we can move towards a healthier life for both mother and her child and prevent unintended pregnancies. We hope that this project will be the first step in leveraging our EHR to improve perinatal outcomes at the population level by more effectively promoting health for young mothers seeking care in the CHOP system.

This project page was last updated in January 2019.

Suggested Citation

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PolicyLab. Leveraging Pediatric Infant Visits to Improve Access to LARC for Teen Mothers [Online]. Available from: http://www.policylab.chop.edu [Accessed: plug in date accessed here].

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