Maternal and Child Health
Maternal and child health is a priority for AVPH and the Antelope Valley community. The Antelope Valley has some of the highest rates of infant mortality, low birth weight babies, preterm births, teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections in the United States. In fact, these rates are higher than other parts of Los Angeles County! While many factors contribute to this trend (including income level), there are plenty of resources available to help families cultivate an environment that supports healthy pregnancies and children from their first days through adulthood.
AVPH is committed to improving maternal health and child health in the Antelope Valley.
- We are a non-profit organization that provides maternal and child health services.
- Our goal is to provide education, coaching, development screening and referrals for both families and providers.
- As a community-based organization, we partner with local organizations including hospitals, schools and businesses to provide these services.
Prenatal Services
Prenatal care is important for you and your baby. The more prenatal care you get, the better it is for both of you.
Prenatal care helps to ensure that you have a healthy pregnancy, so that your baby can be born at term and with little chance of complications during delivery. It also helps to identify problems that may arise during pregnancy so they can be dealt with as soon as possible.
You should go in for regular visits with your doctor or midwife during your pregnancy, including regularly scheduled appointments at first visit (usually around 6-8 weeks), followed by monthly visits until 28 weeks gestation, every 2 weeks until 36 weeks gestation, then weekly visits until full-term delivery (about 40 weeks gestation). Some pregnant women need to make additional appointments depending on their health condition or if there are any concerns about the baby’s health. It can be difficult to keep up with all these different recommendations!
