Study of the effect of maternal malnutrition and antenatal care on pregnancy outcome among women living in squatter areas of Cairo, Egypt

ABSTRACT

Adequate maternal nutrition and proper antenatal and natal care can prevent unfavorable outcome of pregnancy. The present study aims to assess the quality of antenatal care, to study the prevalence of some maternal nutritional health problems and to study their effect on the outcome of pregnancy among ever-married women in the childbearing period [15-49 years] in some squatter areas of Cairo Governorate. The study examined 1164 ever-married women in the childbearing period. The sample size was calculated according to each indicator required to be measured and according to the prevalence of the studied problems. Six unplanned poor areas of Cairo were chosen randomly. A questionnaire sheet was designed to collect data from ever married women in the childbearing period in the household. It contained information about pregnancy care and pregnancy outcome for the last five years. Weight and height were measured for the entire studied sample and detection of hemoglobin level was done for a subsample of 303 women. The results revealed that the percentage of women who received antenatal care [ANC] in their last pregnancy was 55.6% and the quality of ANC was mostly poor [62.9%] in all squatter areas. Around half of children in squatter areas were born at home [48.2%] and doctors assisted more than half [56.0%] of all deliveries whereas pregnancy or delivery complications were detected in 27.9%. The overall percentage of the unfavorable outcome of pregnancy [abortion, stillbirth and ectopic pregnancy] was 22.5%. The percentage of women who had body mass index [BMI] below 18.5 was 3.4% indicating chronic energy deficiency. There was a high prevalence of severe anemia among non-pregnant [10.5%] and pregnant women [10.3%] and all the studied squatter areas showed high prevalence of moderate anemia among pregnant [76.5%] and non-pregnant [61.5%] women. The study concludes that there are high prevalence of moderate and severe anemia and high percentage of obesity [35.2%], the quality of ANC is mostly poor [62.9%] in all squatter areas and that the significant risk factors affecting unfavorable outcome of pregnancy are poor quality of ANC, low maternal age and height [malnutrition including [chronic energy deficiency, obesity and severe anemia]. The study recommends nutrition based interventions to improve food intake and prevent micronutrient deficiencies of females in reproductive age and interventions to improve awareness, accessibility, quality and coverage of pregnancy care among women living in squatter areas