Mothers' Reasons for Antenatal Care Registrations in Multiple Centres in the Same Pregnancy

Abstract

Objective: To determine why women would register for antenatal care in more than one centre in the same pregnancy. Methodology: This was a descriptive cross sectional study conducted at the University of Port-Harcourt Teaching Hospital, PortHarcourt (UPTH), South-South Nigeria, between June and September, 2014. It consisted of a set of structured, pretested questionnaires that were administered to consecutive antenatal attendees at the centre. Results: Two hundred and thirty one (231) respondents were enrolled for this study. The mean of antenatal care attendance (ANC) at the University of Port – Harcourt Teaching Hospital was 4.69 2.62, and a median of 5.0. One hundred and three (44.6%) of respondents registered in both conventional health institutions and unorthodox antenatal care centres besides UPTH. Eighty (34.6%) of respondents registered solely in conventional health facilities besides UPTH without patronising unorthodox care. Put together, 24 (10.4%) respondents had unorthodox antenatal care registrations among the study population i.e. in Churches, Traditional Birth attendants and in Maternity homes. The most common reason adduced for a second antenatal registration was incessant strike actions by Health workers. 46 (17.3%) of respondents and 36 (13.6%) said the distance from place of residence to the Teaching hospital was too far. Conclusion: To improve and strengthen antenatal care in sub-Saharan Africa and indirectly reduce maternal mortality and morbidity, care providers need to correct the negative perception they have created before antenatal patients. At the same time, Care providers need to launch aggressive education programmes that will enlighten mothers on factors militating against antenatal care and its benefits when properly executed.