Evaluation of Using Prenatalcare Services in Outpatients Applying to Gynecology and Obstetric Polyclinic

Abstract

Purpose: Antenatal care, one of the strategies aimed at protecting maternal and child health, is to monitor the mother by trained health personnel at regular intervals throughout pregnancy. This study aimed to evaluate the prenatal care service use of pregnant women who attend Kartal Dr. Lütfi Kırdar City Hospital Gynecology and Obstetrics Polyclinics. Materials and Methods: The sample universe of this cross-sectional study was pregnant women attending Kartal Dr. Lütfi Kırdar City Hospital Gynecology and Obstetrics Polyclinic between 01.08.2020-01.09.2020. The questionnaire developed by the researchers was applied to the participants by face-to-face interview technique. Results: All the participants (n=403) received at least one prenatal care service from a health institution. 73.4% (n=296) of the pregnant women received prenatal care, which is required according to their weeks of gestation quantitatively. The highest rate of physical examination in antenatal care follow-ups was fetal heart rate, while the lowest rate was the cardiac auscultation and edema examination rates of the pregnant woman. Conclusion: It was seen that all of the pregnant women received antenatal care at least once, but the number of prenatal care follow-ups required in accordance with their gestational weeks was still not at the desired level. For this reason, there is a need for a study to determine the factors that prevent compliance with the follow-ups and to carry out the ideal four follow-ups of all pregnant women.

Keywords

• mother and child health
• pregnancy
• prenatal care services
• primary care services