Abstract
The article describes the temporal evolution of prenatal quality indicators in the primary health care network in Brazil and investigates regional differences. This study used data from the external evaluation of Brazil's National Program for Improving Primary Care Access and Quality (PMAQ) with health teams participating in Cycles I, II and III of the Program, carried out respectively in 2012, 2013/14 and 2017/18. The number of visits, physical examination procedures, guidelines and request for laboratory tests were investigated. There was a positive evolution for tests-HIV, syphilis, blood glucose and ultrasound, and for all tests, guidance on feeding and weight gain of the baby and examination of the oral cavity. The indicators that performed the worst were: performance of tetanus vaccine, six or more visits, receiving guidance on exclusive breastfeeding and care for the newborn, and the procedures-all, measurement of uterine height, gynecological exam and cervix cancer prevention. These changes had a varied behavior between the regions of the country.
Highlights
[1] There is already evidence that women adequately monitored during pregnancy have better health indicators, as is the case, for example, of obese pregnant women or those with a family history who need to carry out the prevention and prophylaxis of pre-eclampsia [2]
In addition to the primary objective of early identification of possible pathologies, abnormalities or complications, pregnant women may be followed-up based on the guidelines of the United Nations (UN) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) [6,7,8,9]
The objective of this article was to describe the temporal evolution of the coverage and quality of prenatal care performed in primary care in Brazil over the three cycles of the external assessment of Primary Care Access and Quality (PMAQ), and to investigate regional differences
Summary
Prenatal care, pioneered by Ballantyne in 1901, systematizes a set of conducts and guidelines directed at pregnant women [1] There is already evidence that women adequately monitored during pregnancy have better health indicators, as is the case, for example, of obese pregnant women or those with a family history who need to carry out the prevention and prophylaxis of pre-eclampsia [2]. In addition to the primary objective of early identification of possible pathologies, abnormalities or complications, pregnant women may be followed-up based on the guidelines of the United Nations (UN) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) [6,7,8,9].
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