Women with access to group prenatal care had improved birth outcomes, including longer gestational periods and higher birth weight, in a study conducted by researchers at the Peabody Research Institute. The most striking finding was that group prenatal care had “statistically and clinically significant beneficial effects on very low birth weight and fetal demise relative to traditional individually delivered prenatal care,” according to lead author Emily E. Tanner-Smith, research assistant professor of human and organizational development. The work was supported by the Tennessee Governor’s Office of Children’s Care Coordination and the Tennessee Department of Health.