Curriculum planning for antenatal health education

Abstract

THE AIM OF antenatal health education is to ensure that the mother and baby remain healthy throughout pregnancy, and that the mother gives birth to a healthy baby whom she is then able to care for in a manner which will ensure that the baby reaches its full potential. In June, 1972 Sir Keith Joseph, then Secretary of State for Social Services, said he ', envisaged preparation for' parenthood as a means of helping parents to be better equipped to meet their responsibilities to their children-not be presenting them with a frightening picture of the ideal parent, but rather that of an ordinary good enough parent'. In the antenatal period the mother is very willing to listen to talks on preparation for labour and early child care, because they are of immediate value. Rathbone (1973) found that many ofthe mothers had a high degree of anxiety, but there was no significant relationship between the degree ofanxiety and the decision to attend classes. However, the fear of the unknown, which is the predominant cause of anxiety, can be relieved by information and education gained at antenatal clas\es. \Vhat factors, then, are involved in planning the curriculum for these classes? Firstly, let us define what we mean by the curriculum. No one as yet appears to have produced a definition that is generally acceptable. The main reason for this is that it is a wide-ranging concept, can become value-laden, and depends on one's educational priorities and principles. Stenhouse (1975) has taken the view that the curriculum should be grounded in practice, and has proffered the following definition. 'A curriculum is an attempt to communicate the essential principles and features of an educational proposal in such a form that it is open to critical scrutiny and capable of effective translation into practice.'