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Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System
The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) is a survey for women who have given birth in the past 6 months. Forty-seven states use the PRAMS survey. This covers about 83% of all live births in the United States. Kansas PRAMS is a project between the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The answers and stories gathered by the survey are used to help lower infant mortality (death) rates and the number of low birth weight babies.
To find out more about the national CDC PRAMS project, visit the CDC PRAMS page.
The Importance of PRAMS
PRAMS is important because it:
- Allows women who have recently had a baby to help future moms in Kansas, by telling the story of their pregnancy and baby's birth.
- Gathers new data to help us build programs to assist mothers and babies in Kansas.
- Supports healthy pregnant women and healthy babies by guiding Kansas programs and policies.
The PRAMS Survey was made possible by 1U01DP006224-01 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- What is PRAMS?
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Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) is a project between the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The purpose is to find out why some babies are born healthy and others are not. To gather this information, mothers answer questions about their health and life around the time of their pregnancy.
Your answers and participation in the project will help us learn more about ways to improve the health of both mothers and babies in Kansas.
- Why should I participate in PRAMS?
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You should participate in PRAMS for these reasons:
- Your story will help future mothers deliver healthy babies in Kansas
- You will help doctors and nurses improve care for babies in our state
- You will receive a gift when you complete and return the questionnaire
- Will my answers be kept private?
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Yes, all answers are private to the extent allowed by law. All answers given on the questionnaire become grouped together and no woman will be identified by name.
- How was I chosen to participate in PRAMS?
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Your name was picked at random from the state births for the month that you received the questionnaire. Only a small number of women are chosen to help with this project. By choosing names at random, we are able to get a general idea of the health of moms and their newborn babies. In other words, we are not picking just one type of person or situation - all situations are important and it is likely that your story will be like other women that were not chosen.
- Is it really important that I answer these questions?
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Absolutely - it is very important! There are only a small number of women that are chosen to answer the questions. Therefore, each woman's answers are important. We will get the best overall picture of the health of Kansas moms and babies if all mothers selected complete and return the questions!
- Some of the questions do not seem related to health care – why are those questions asked?
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So many things in a mother's life affect her pregnancy. These questions are designed to try to get the best picture of the new mother's health care and other things that happened in her pregnancy.
- What if I want to ask more questions about PRAMS?
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Contact a member of the Kansas PRAMS team by email or toll-free at 844-353-9249.
The Kansas PRAMS Survey
Kansas PRAMS is an important part of KDHE's activities to lower the Kansas infant death rate. Babies born premature (early) or low birth weight (less than 2,500 grams) have a higher risk of infant death and illness. Finding out why some babies are born healthy and others are not can help us create a better future for mothers and babies.
Each month, about 140 mothers of babies aged 2 to 6 months are chosen at random from the Kansas Vital Statistics birth certificate file. The Kansas PRAMS survey is mailed with instructions on how to complete and return the survey. If the mother does not respond by mail, she will receive a phone call in case she prefers to answer by phone.
Some of the questions ask about the mother's feelings and experiences, such as:
- Childhood experiences, stress, discrimination, and abuse
- Chronic health problems
- Postpartum (after the baby is born) depression
- Prenatal care such as doctor and dentist visits, home visits, and health insurance
- Social support during pregnancy
- Use of birth control, vitamins, tobacco, alcohol, and drugs
Some of the questions ask about the baby's health, such as:
- Avoiding accidents, illness, or injury
- Breastfeeding and nutrition
- Sleep habits
If you were chosen for Kansas PRAMS, you are free to do the survey or not. If you don't want to participate, or if you don't want to answer all of the questions, that's okay. If you choose to share your story with us, your answers will be kept private to the extent allowed by law. Your answers, along with the answers of other women, will provide better care and programs to Kansas women and babies in the future.
If you have questions about the KS PRAMS project, please email our team.