The Medical Journal of Basrah University

Abstract

Antenatal care (ANC) has been defined as care given by skilled individuals with extensive healthcare training to both pregnant women and adolescent girls to ensure the best possible health conditions for both the mother and fetus during gestation (1). The objective of this study is to find the percentage of antenatal care booking, care regularity and antenatal care irregularity. This study is A cross-sectional field survey study with an analytic element conducted from 1st January -1st July 2018 . we choose 10% of all the catchment areas (shown in block numbers) as a two-stage cluster sampling method. Fifteen clusters (one cluster to every 180 families in the block) choosing each cluster consisting of 15 households, totals of 225 households some households had two-three married women of reproductive age (15 -49 years old), so the total final female’s participants were 255. This study was done in Bab Al-Moatham Primary Health Care center for family health approach, and it's revealed most houses 195(76.47%) have one adult woman of reproductive age per house, 106(41.6%) of participant's age between 30-39 years, 77(30.2%) married between 2012- 2007, and 87(34.1%) complete primary school. In concern to women reproductive history, the highest percentage have two pregnancies, two babies, without abortion or stillbirth. Out of 255 studied women, 236 women gate pregnancy for 3 years, 191(80.93%) of them had ANC booking, 148(58.1%) have regular ANC visit, while 43(16.9%) have irregular ANC visiting, and 188(98.43%) of them had ANC card. Abortion represents a major problem for irregularity in consuming ANC services. Improving health services and health promotion are essential steps in reducing abortion which might lead to increase ANC booking.