Fewer expecting mothers getting prenatal care

(CNN)– Roughly a quarter of pregnant women in the U.S. don’t get prenatal care in their first trimester.

That’s according to a new report from the “March of Dimes.”

Beginning prenatal care early is important because it provides the longest possible window to understand how to best support a pregnant mother’s health.

But the new report indicates starting it after the first trimester appears to be a growing yet dangerous trend.

According to the report, only about 75% of babies last year were born to mothers who started prenatal care in the first trimester.