Report: 50 percent of pregnancies unplanned in Los Angeles County

April 1, 2010 by Shawn Douglas
Filed under: News

A report issued by Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Health revealed that much of its female population “may not be physically prepared to have a baby.”

California’s Los Angeles County revealed yesterday that nearly 50 percent of its women between the ages of 15 and 44 have unplanned pregnancies, and many women aren’t physically prepared to do so.

In a report titled “Healthy Women, Healthy Children: Preconception Health in Los Angeles County”, the Department of Public Health highlighted many of the issues its population of reproduction-ready women face in the county. The report focuses on what women can do to better ensure they’re physically ready for pregnancy.

“As women think about when or whether to have children, they should also think about how to improve their health first,” said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, Director of Public Health, in a press release. “The opportunity to impact the health of a baby starts before conception, and the health of a potential mother should be a priority long before pregnancy.”

The report also examined disparities among racial groups, family planning, previous birth outcomes and access to health care. Nearly 23 percent of women of childbearing age reported that they didn’t have health insurance coverage and 20 percent didn’t have a regular source of health care.

“The key to early diagnosis of health problems and their effective management is having health insurance and a regular source of care — a place people visit for routine medical care and when they need advice about their health,” said the report. “Without these, women are at a heightened risk for problems that can compromise their health.”

Short of addressing how to provide better health care access to its women, the report encourages L.A. County’s women to adopt more healthy habits to ensure better health outcomes for expectant mothers and babies.

“All women should think ‘me first’ when it comes to their health,” said Cynthia Harding, director of Public Health’s Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Programs. “The duration of pregnancy itself is too brief to optimally manage chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, and may not be enough time to eliminate behaviors that threaten a baby’s health, such as smoking and alcohol use.”

By continuously maintaining a healthy lifestyle, women can ensure that they enjoy longer, more fulfilling lives, and that any future children they have may do the same.”

A copy of the full report can be found out L.A. County’s Public Health site.