In 1990, 3 out of 4 mothers started prenatal care in the first trimester.  However, beginning in 1991, early prenatal care rates began to rise steadily, reaching 83.2 percent in 2000, when more than 4 out of 5 mothers started care in their first trimester.  To meet the Healthy People 2010 objective of 90 percent of births to women with early prenatal care, set by the US Department of Health and Human Services, the proportion of women receiving early prenatal care will need to increase more than 8 percent.