Infant mortality is an important measure of a community's health. Prenatal Plus is a case management program for high-risk pregnant women who are eligible for Medicaid.

Nurses, nutritionists and mental health professionals work in collaboration with medical care providers toward a common goal of improving birth outcomes - specifically to improve the chances of a healthy mother and child, and to decrease the incidence of low birthweight and premature babies.

Tri-County Health Department nurses visit with a woman ten times during her pregnancy to help address issues such as smoking, alcohol abuse, lack of medical care and the need for prenatal vitamins.

Call 303-873-4431 for more information.

Prenatal Vitamins / Folic Acid:
Tri-County provides folic acid information to all women of childbearing age when seen in our Family Planning and WIC Programs.

Folic acid is a B vitamin that can help prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord called neural tube defects (NTDs). Folic acid works to prevent these birth defects only if taken before conception and during early pregnancy.

Because NTDs originate in the first month of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant, it is important for a woman to have enough folic acid in her system before conception.Folic acid is recommended for all women of childbearing age because about half of all pregnancies in this country are unplanned.

Studies also suggest that folic acid may help prevent some other birth defects, including cleft lip and palate and birth defects involving the heart and limbs.

All women who can become pregnant should take a multivitamin that contains 400 micrograms of folic acid every day and eat a healthy diet.

• Brochure - Before You Know
• Brochure - Ready or Not
• Folic Acid Fact sheet
• Folic Acid - CDC
• March of Dimes Website
• March of Dimes/Folic Acid Articles