Why does VA PRAMS exist?
VA PRAMS will provide data for state health officials to use to improve the health of Virginia’s mothers and infants. VA PRAMS will allow CDC and Virginia to monitor changes in maternal and child health indicators (e.g., unintended pregnancy, prenatal care, breast-feeding, smoking, drinking, infant health). VA PRAMS will enhance information from birth certificates used to plan and review Virginia’s maternal and infant health programs. The VA PRAMS sample is chosen from all Virginia women who had a live birth recently, so findings can be applied to the state’s entire population of women who have recently delivered a live-born infant. VA PRAMS not only provides state-specific data but also allows comparisons among participating states because the same data collection methods are used in all states.
