Læknaneminn - 01.04.2004, Page 82

Antenatal Care in Monkey Bay Head Zone Area
Sigríður Bára Fjalldal 1, Geir Gunnlaugsson2, Halldór Jónsson3, Þóra
Steingrímsdóttir4
1 Faculty of Medicine University of lceland, 2Centre for Child Health
Services, Reykjavík, lceland 3lcelandic International Development
Agency, 4Faculty of Obstetrics Landspítali University Hospital
Objective: Important components of safe motherhood are,
among other things, antenatal care, appropriate assistance at
delivery and well defíned lines of referrals. Further, qualíty of
the services has to be secured and pregnant women have to
belief that attendance is of benefit to them and their unbom
child. In the context of ICEIDAs Health Project, this survey was
conducted to describe and evaluate the antenatal care (ANC)
service provided by five health centers in the area with focus
on what needs to be improved.
Material and Methods: Interviews were conducted with 215
women in Monkey Bay area regarding their last pregnancy
and their attendance at ANC. They were randomly selected
by the Cluster Sampling Technique.
Results: About 90% of the women attended ANC at the
nearest health center. Different antenatal cards were in
use and just less than 1/4 had lost their card. Most women
gave positive remarks on the ANC given. About 2/3 of the
women had registered at least one obstetrical high risk factor
and about 1/3 remembered at least one complication of
pregnancy. About 2/5 of the women gave birth at a health
center and another 2/5 ín their village.
Discussion: Women in Monkey Bay area want good quality
ANC service. There is a need to raise women's awareness
of obstetrical high risk factors and complications related to
pregnancy. The nurse-patient relationship should be taken
to consideration to improve the ANC services. Approximately
1/2 of the women gave birth outside the health center. How
these women can be reached includes the construction of
a maternity home. The registration system is deficient and
needs standardization.
Keywords: Antenatal Care, Monkey Bay, Malawiw
82-Læknaneminn 2004