PROFILE OF ANTENATAL CARE AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN ATTENDING OUTPATIENT CLINICS IN A RURAL BASED MEDICAL COLLEGE

Abstract

Introduction: Antenatal care (ANC) provides monitoring and regular follow-up of maternal and fetal health during pregnancy. Women with appropriate ANC tend to have uneventful delivery and birth outcomes. This study describes the patterns of ANC care provided in a tertiary care rural teaching hospital. Methods: Baseline cross-sectional data from pregnant women who attended the ANC clinic at GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Rushikonda, Visakhapatnam between May 2017 and January 2019 was analyzed. All the participants enrolled in the study completed a self-administered questionnaire in the regional language. The data collected were socio-demographic and pregnancy-related information. Regression models assessed the relationship between socio-demographic and pregnancy-related variables and “appropriate” (≤ 4 months' gestation) vs. “late” ANC initiation (>4 months' gestation). Results:At enrolment, 841 participants reported that it was their rst ANC visit and half (50.2%) of the women attending were late i.e. > 4 months gestation in registering for their ANC. Mothers who were more educated, had previous infertility treatment or previous miscarriages were all more likely to achieve appropriate ANC initiation [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.66, 95% condence interval (CI): 1.05–2.62; aOR: 3.68, 95% CI: 1.50–9.04; aOR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.16–2.79, respectively]. Women with anxieties about childbirth were less likely to achieve appropriate ANC initiation (aOR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.34–0.85). Conclusion: Half of the pregnant women in this study did not achieve the global consensus guidelines on appropriate ANC initiation. Better counselling for the less educated women and those with previous pregnancy complications and childbirth anxieties are recommended to ensure appropriate ANC initiation and better outcomes.