Effect of maternal education on antenatal care utilization, maternal and perinatal outcome in a tertiary care hospital

ABSTRACT

Background: Antenatal Care (ANC) utilization facility is available but poorly utilized because of many factors which play indirect role in inadequate utilization of antenatal care facility low social status of women in the society, less opportunity for basic education, less ability to make decisions. Therefore, the present study is an attempt to study the effect of maternal education on antenatal care utilization, maternal and perinatal outcome in a tertiary care hospital.Methods: A prospective study was carried out on 525 cases delivered during period of one year at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India; a tertiary care hospital catering both urban and rural population. All cases were categorized into two groups booked and unbooked. The age, parity and education of each patient in booked and unbooked cases was noted. Further, its impact on antenatal care utilization, maternal and perinatal outcome was studied.Results: On studying education pattern, among illiterate subjects 50% were booked and 50% were unbooked; For graduate and above were 80.6% and 19.4%respectively. Among mothers who were illiterate 90.9% had low birth weight babies and 13.6% had stillborn. Among those graduates and above 38.7% had low birth weight babies,1.5 % stillborn and 1.2% neonatal deaths.Conclusions: The educational status of the women came out as a significantly important variable and predictor of perinatal outcome. Hence, whole hearted efforts should be directed in educating women population and also improving health care facilities in rural areas to provide early referral to higher centers.