Bangladesh, a country with mnual birth of close to 4 million, till has a very high maternal nortality rate estimated at 3.2 to 4 >er 1000 live births. Eighty per-ent of the maternal deaths hap-ien at home as because more han 90 per cent of deliveries iccur at home attended by tradi-ional birth attendants (75.6 icrcenc) and relatives (10.8 per-ent). Deliveries by a medical rained person are 11.6 percent, .e. 6.5 percent doctors and 5.3 percent by nurse-nidwives/Family Welfare Visi-ors/others. 47.5 percent of preg-lant women avail one or more intenatal care check. The infant nortality rate is 66.7 per 1000 live firths, with the neonatal monal-ty rate also 42 per 1000 live births.
Antenatal care is the most rnportant thing to reduce material morbidity as well as mortality luring and immediately after lelivery in our country.
Vhat is antenatal care and vhat are the objectives intenatal care is the care of the
voman during pregnancy. Dur-ng the antenatal period the oming baby is a part of the nother and the mother and the jaby are considered as one unit. Io it provides both the care of the nother and the fetus (coming hild).
It has some important objects ike—
► To promote, protect and main-ain the health of the mother luring pregnancy
► Detecting high-risk cases and jiving them social attention
► Avoiding complication by early letection
► Removing anxiety and dread issociated with delivery
► To reduce maternal and infant nortality and morbidity
► To teach the mother elements of hild care, nutrition, personal lygiene and environmental anitation
► To sensitise the mother to the iced for family planning includ-ng advice to cases seeking medial termination of pregnancy
mportance of antenatal :are
intenatal care bears significant
mportance to bring to positive lealth to mothers as well as to oming children. It prevents ligh-risk pregnancy. Antenatal are provides vaccination against naternal tetanus. Maternal afety in childbirth is ensured and naternal mortality and morbid-ty can be minimised.
Antenatal care is also impor-ant for the coming babies as fetal veil being is assessed by it. Fetal nalformation is minimised. Chance of birth asphyxia (breath-essness) is reduced. As high risk labies are identified, safety to etus is enhanced and perinatal nortality and morbidity are educed to minimum.
Correct number of antennal visits
•tandard:
> Every 4 weeks up to 32 weeks
• Every 2 weeks from 32 - 36 veeks
► Once a week from 36 - 40 weeks
Total 14 visits.
ntermetliate:
► 1st visit before 12 weeks
► 2nd visit during20-22 weeks
► 3rd visit during28 - 32 weeks
► 4 th visit during34 - 36weeks
► 5th visit during 38 weeks to full erm
Total 5 visits.
Minimum:
► 1st visit during 4-12 weeks
► 2nd visit during24 - 26weeks
► 3rd visit during36 - 38 weeks Total 3 visits.
Vhat are the components of intenatal clinic?
Intenatal visits: Antenatal visits nean antenatal contacts letween the patient and doctors. Vhen the first report of the nother is sent to the clinic, her lame should be registered, deally the mother should attend he antenatal clinic once a month luring first 7 months; twice a nonth during the next month; ind thereafter once a week, if everything is normal.
Antenatal advice: A major component of antenatal care is intenatal advice. The mother is nore receptive to advice to con-eming herself and her baby at his time than at other times. At his time, the mother is advised ibout her diet, personal hygiene, adiation, warning signs and hildcare.
Specific health protection: Tie mother should be protected igainst the diseases or disorders ike ananemia, other nutritional lefects, toxemias of pregnancy e.g. eclampsia), tetanus, syphilis, ubella, Rh status, HIV infection, intenatal genetic screening etc.
Mental preparation: It is as rnportant as physical preparaion. Sufficient time and opportu-lity must be given to the expec-ant mothers to have a free and rank talk on all aspects of preg-lancy and delivery.
Family planning: The mother psychologically more respective to advice on family planning than at other times. Educational and motivational efforts must be initiated during the antenatal period.
Paediatric component: It is suggested that a paediatrician should be in attendance at all antenatal clinics to pay attention.
So we all should pay attention to proper antenatal care in order to reduce maternal and child mortality and morbidity.