Abstract: Adverse pregnancy outcomes are significantly reduced by antenatal booking within 12 weeks of gestation (early antenatal booking) according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Parturients in the developing world tend to book late. Significant and visible benefits of early booking can change this narrative. The quality of antenatal care services especially in resource poor settings may have an impact on the expected benefits of improved pregnancy outcomes from early antenatal care. This study aims to compare the pregnancy outcomes of parturients who booked early (within 12 weeks of gestation) for antenatal care as against late booking in a semi-urban secondary healthcare facility in a resource poor setting. The records of 420 parturients who registered for antenatal care and also delivered at Zonal Hospital Bonny Island in Southern Nigeria were analysed. Adverse pregnancy outcome measures included preterm births, low birth weight, still births, operative deliveries and maternal deaths.
An overwhelming majority (94%) of the participants booked late. There was a marginal improvement (though not statistically significant at p < 0.05) in pregnancy outcomes of patients who registered early for antenatal care. The study suggests a need for improvement in the quality of antenatal care services in such resource poor semi-urban healthcare facilities to meet the WHO standard of care and significantly improve pregnancy outcomes so as to encourage early booking.
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