ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND Antenatal care (ANC) is the essential regular care of women that prevents potential health problems during pregnancy. In India, the proportion of women who received four or more antenatal visits was only 51% (National Family Health Survey, 2015–2016). An even worse situation prevails in urban areas where women from poor communities face greater health risks. We assessed various barriers women residing in these areas come across in availing ANC services. METHODS This study is a part of a mixed-methods, community-based study, and we report its qualitative component. We conducted the study at the residence of the study participants in September–October 2019. The study participants were women who had less than four antenatal visits throughout the pregnancy. Twelve in-depth interviews were conducted based on data saturation. Data were transcribed and themes were drawn concerning the gender analysis framework. RESULTS Through this study, we found how gender relations affect the utilization of antenatal services concerning access to resources, division of labour, social norms including the belief of husband and other family members towards pregnancy and decision-making power of women. CONCLUSION Our findings underline the importance of making the urban health system gender-sensitive and responsive to the needs of women during pregnancy. There is a need to educate men regarding maternal health so as to allay such social norms that label pregnancy as a woman’s responsibility and encouraging them to accompany their wives during pregnancy visits, thus making men a part of antenatal services.
ABSTRACT
Background: Anaemia is a global public health problem affecting more South East Asia in India the rate is even higher and moderate to severe is more among the pregnant women. Moderate to severe anaemia is important contributory factor in maternal death and leads to various maternal morbidities. Just knowing anaemia prevalence is not useful until associated with a picture of the various multiple causal factors in specific settings. Aims & Objective: To find the prevalence of severity of anaemia and evaluate the multiple casual factors among recently pregnant women in this rural area. Material and Methods: A cross sectional study was done in the OBGY OPD of tertiary care rural hospital. All the recently pregnant women diagnosed to be anaemic and residing in rural area with no other chronic infection or diseases. The pretested questionnaire was administered to them for personal details .BMI was calculated and peripheral smear, Stool examination, and electrophoresis done in cases as per clinical findings. Results: Prevalence of anaemia was 86 %. Overall 44.3 %, 50.3% and 5.3 % had mild, moderate and severe anaemia. Severe anaemia was more prevalent in women less than 18 yrs (12%), illiterate (8.8%), lower class (7.1% & 8.3%), spacing less than one yr (18.2%), and inadequate diet (6.2 %). Most were suffering due to iron deficiency (77%). Conclusion: High prevalence of anaemia early in pregnancy depicts the pre- pregnant status. Adolescent need to be given health education and develop mechanism to improve compliance of iron tablets.