Antenatal care on birth outcome

Antenatal care is the healthcare support for the women, when they are pregnant. This care assures the health maintenance of the developing fetus and the mother. The antenatal care services depend on the health status of mother, environment and circumstances she lives in, and nutritional condition.

The doctor or midwife will be responsible for the antenatal care. The antenatal care services include:

• Useful information on healthy pregnancy.
• Checking the health of mother and developing baby.
• Care choices during pregnancy, labor, and birth.

At the time of birth, the antenatal care:

• Track baby’s movement.
• If baby’s movement slows down immediately inform to concern health authority.

The first antenatal appointment is called an “booking appointment,” which lasts longer, up to an hour. Mothers will be asked a lot about her health, family health, and the health of the child’s father. In addition, especially in relation to any diseases in the family that may affect the child.

Research

There are few studies conducted in developing countries to find out the effects of ANC on pregnancy outcomes. Assessment of the impact of ANC on birth outcome incidence requires well-designed clinical trials for each component intervention, which have not been performed. These identified gaps were kept in mind before the study was designed and inclusion and exclusion criteria were decided to avoid the biases created by the confounders.

The antenatal examination is quite haphazard and does not bear the fruitful results, which are expected if done systematically respecting the WHO criteria for ANC. This is the reason that poor health state of mother and infants remains unchanged. Therefore, we have conducted a research on “Impact of Antenatal Care on Birth Outcome.” The purpose of this study is to assess the pattern of antenatal care provided by public sector hospital and to identify the relationship between antenatal care and birth outcome.

The data collected from Gyne/Obs ward of Polyclinic Hospital Islamabad was analyzed on excel. Data of hundred patients was subjected for analysis. Out of five dead babies; two babies were premature one baby died due inhaled Meconium, resulting in pneumonia one was premature and one was with congenital abnormality. The mother of these unfortunate babies never attended the antenatal clinic.

The Antenatal visits and birth out comes of the collected data was analyzed and following results were observed.

• Valuable amount (12) respondents had no antenatal checkup during their present pregnancy and only 7 had one antenatal visit.  Among these 19 respondents 16 had low birth outcome; 2 had medium outcome and 1 respondent had high category of birth outcome.
• 26 respondents had two antenatal visits. Among these respondents 2 had low birth out comes; 14 had medium out comes and 10 had high outcomes.
• Larger number of respondents (55) had 3 and above antenatal visits. Out of these 55 respondents 1 had low outcome, 19 respondents had medium outcomes and 35 had high birth outcome.

Association between Antenatal care and birth out come at public sector observed. The results clearly indicates that there is a need for awareness of the importance of Antenatal examination in our community, more so the quality of antenatal services and neonatal care units has to be improved at public sector.
People do not realize the importance of Antenatal care. They either reach the facility late, as the data shows that 33% women were overdue or they do not attend the antenatal clinic unless some complication occurs.

There is negligence from the side of health policy makers also, like there are no health awareness programs in the country and antenatal clinics are not sufficient. Accessibility and Affordability is difficult to the available clinics. 5% perinatal mortality at the tertiary care level is a great disappointment.

“Research by Dr. Nasira Tajamal”