About
Amy Crockett received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University and her obstetrical training from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Dr. Crockett completed a fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in 2007 and received a MSPH from the UNC College of Public Health the same year. After graduation, she joined the Prisma Health–Upstate and is currently a professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville where she also serves as the founding director of the Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellowship training program. Dr. Crockett has research interests in outpatient obstetrics, prenatal diagnosis and racial disparities in birth outcomes. Her current research includes evaluation of outcomes related to CenteringPregnancy group prenatal care, which has been associated with higher rates of adequate prenatal care, breastfeeding initiation, lower rates of gestational diabetes, and increased attendance at post-partum family planning visits. Qualitative research performed by her group indicates women generally find GPNC to be a positive experience, meeting many of their preferences for care. She has ongoing research projects with Clemson University faculty, including a prospective randomized controlled trial evaluating the effect of CenteringPregnancy on racial disparities in preterm birth, and evaluating the outcomes of a statewide expansion of CenteringPregnancy group care to 15 new obstetric practices in South Carolina. For more information, see her Curriculum Vitae.
How their research is transforming health care
Preterm birth is a serious, international public health issue. In the short term, preterm infants require more medical interventions, ranging from antibiotics and phototherapy to mechanical ventilation and total parenteral nutrition. The average daily cost for an infant admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit is $3,000. Other complications of prematurity, such as cerebral palsy and retinopathy, can lead to life-long handicap. These costs are substantially greater, and more difficult to know with certainty. South Carolina suffers from one of the highest rates of preterm birth in the country, with 11.2% of women delivering prior to 37 weeks gestational age. There is also a tremendous racial/ethnic disparity in rates of prematurity, with 9.57% of non-Hispanic White women delivering preterm compared with 14.4% of other racial and ethnic groups combined.CenteringPregnancy is a new approach to prenatal care, which has shown promise in reducing rates of preterm delivery. Groups of up to 8-12 women are seen together, following a curriculum of ten sessions that includes information about health and nutrition, childbirth preparation, stress reduction, relationships and parenting.Her work exploring the impact of CenteringPregnancy group prenatal care on maternal-child health outcomes and healthcare costs has the potential to transform the way pregnant women receive medical care. The biologic mechanism that might explain the improved outcomes for participants in group care is unclear, and is also a focus of future projects.
Health research keywords
Prenatal Care, Racial Disparities, Preterm Birth, CenteringPregnancy, Group Prenatal Care, Maternal Child Health
