The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) in 1987 in response to indications that the United States low birthweight and infant mortality rates were no longer declining as rapidly as in past years. In 1991, South Carolina (SC) PRAMS was implemented through a collaborative agreement between the CDC, the Office of Public Health Statistics and Information Services and the Bureau of Maternal and Child Health, SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).

SC PRAMS is an ongoing, population-based survey that collects information on SC mothers who have recently given birth to a live-born infant. Each month approximately 200 women are sampled from the states live birth registry, and women who delivered a low birthweight infant are oversampled to ensure that adequate information is collected on high-risk groups. Selected mothers are mailed a PRAMS survey up to three times, and telephone interviewers attempt to reach the mothers who do not respond by mail. After statistical weights are applied to the data, inferences can be made about the health of mothers and babies in the state of SC.

The PRAMS survey provides state-specific data on maternal behaviors, attitudes, and experiences before, during, and shortly after pregnancy and delivery. Several topics on the survey include: pregnancy intention, smoking and alcohol use, psychosocial stress, family planning, barriers to health services, maternal nutrition, maternal obstetric history, infant health care, health insurance issues, income, and intendedness of pregnancy.

For additional information contact: Andrew Broadway (SCPRAMS@dhec.sc.gov)

PRAMS RESOURCES

QUARTERLY WEBINARS:

1. Smoking During Pregnancy Modifies the Effect Of 17P on Subsequent Preterm Birth: A 2012-2015 SC PRAMS Analysis
   1. Presentation slides (pdf)
2. Maternal Healthcare Needs Identified in South Carolina A Qualitative Analysis of the 2015 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System
   1. Presentation slides (pdf)
3. Impact of Pregnancy Intention on Maternal and Infant Health
   1. Presentation slides (pdf)
4. Does prenatal physical activity modify the association between stress during pregnancy and postpartum depression?
   1. Presentation slides (pdf)

JOURNAL ARTICLES:

1. Harris ST, Liu J, Wilcox S, Moran R, Gallagher A. Exercise During Pregnancy and its Association with Gestational Weight Gain. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 2015 Mar; 19(3):528-37 (pdf)
2. Smith MG, Liu J, Helms KH, Wilkerson KL. Racial differences in trends and predictors of infant sleep positioning in South Carolina: 1996-2007. Maternal and Child Health Journal 2012; 16:72-82.
3. CDC. Perceived Health Need and Receipt of Services During Pregnancy - Oklahoma and South Carolina, 2004-2007. MMWR 2010;59(23):710-714. (pdf)
4. Liu J, Smith MG, Dobre MA, Ferguson JE. Maternal Obesity and Breast-feeding Practices Among White and Black Women. Obesity 2010;18(1):175-182

PUBLICATIONS:

1. Birth Control Practices and Barriers in South Carolina (2011) (pdf)
2. Flu Shot Issue Brief (2012-2013) (pdf)
3. 2011 Flu Issue Brief (pdf)
4. Breastfeeding Initiation by WIC Status (December 2010) (pdf)
5. Education During Prenatal Care (October 2010) (pdf)
6. Racial Disparities in Pregnancy Planning Report (February 2010) (pdf)