Impact of Creating Awareness About Birth Preparedness and Complications Readiness Amongst Pregnant Women of Remote Communities with Extreme Poverty and Access Problems

Abstract

Background: Although antenatal care sets in road to safety of mother and baby, birth affects pregnancy outcome most. Birth preparedness, complications readiness (BPCR) during pregnancy become essential, especially for rural women who have scarce health services, resources and access problems. Objectives: Community based study was carried out to know about impact of creating BPCR awareness to rural, tribal pregnant women. Material and methods: Study was conducted in 100 villages, randomly divided into 50 studies and 50 controls. Minimum 10 from each village, 15 to 39 years old, 1040 pregnant women, became study subjects. BPCR awareness was tried with maximum 5 sessions. Some women had only one session, because of inclusion from mid pregnancy, research assistant’s fixed visits, women’s availability. Ten randomly included women from each village in control set of villages, with no BPCR sessions, 1000 became study subjects. Pregnancy outcome was collected in study, as well as control villages. Results: Of 115 women who could have only one session, 45.2% found session useful, 16.5% of them had home births, 40.9% at Subcentre, 5.2% District hospital, 11.3% Referral hospital, 96.5% had live births, 3.5% stillbirths, 6.3% neonatal deaths occurred. Of 475 women who had 2-3 sessions, 77.1% found sessions useful, 3.6% had HBs, 42.3% at SC, 35.8% primary health centre, 30 (6.3%) DH, 12% RH, with 100% LBs, 1.1% NNDs. Of 450 women who had 4-5 sessions, 84.9% said sessions were very useful, 0.7% had HBs, 42.7% at SC, 38% PHC, 6.4% DH, 12.2% at RH, no SB, 1.6% NNDs. Of 1000 women who were not given BPCR awareness sessions, 40.4% had HB, 32.4% SC, 19.2% PHC, 2.8% DH, 5.2% RH, 92.7% had LBs, 7.3 SBs, 11.3% NNDs, no maternal death. Conclusion: BPCR awareness helped increase facility births, improved neonatal outcome, especially with more sessions.