CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Antenatal care is care you receive while you are pregnant to make sure you and your baby are well at possible still delivery (NHS 2017) this care enables the promotion of positive pregnancy outcome. Appropriate antenatal care is one of the pillars of safe motherhood initiative. A worldwide effort launched by the world Health Organization (WHO) and other collaborating agencies in 1987 aimed to reduce the number of death associated with pregnancy. It highlights the care of antenatal mother as an important element in maternal healthcare as appropriate care will lead to successful pregnancy outcome and healthy babies. (Nicholas 2010) All pregnant women are expected to go for their antenatal checkup in the first trimester to identify and manage anyedical complications as well as screen them for any risk factors that may affect the outcome and progress of their pregnancy. According to perinatal care recently edited by the minister of Health Malaysia, primigravida women are advice to go for a total of ten visit during their pregnancy and for multigravida women, the total recommended antenatal visit is seven sessions (MOHM, 2010). Antenatal care is more important and beneficial in the prevention of adverse outcomes when it is sought early in the pregnancy. The WHO recommends that a woman without complications should have at least four antenatal care visits, the first of which should take place during the first trimester (GSS, 2009). In Cameroon 85% of pregnant women attended at least one ANC.

Reasons that delay the use of Antenatal Care are dissimilar from State to Country. But the reason noticed in developing countries are almost alike such as hemorrhage, followed by eclampsia, obstructed labor and infection. Added issues are lack of knowledge and attentiveness about reproductive healthiness in the community, family and health giver. To ease such factor, Antenatal care is the main central method for detecting pregnancy troubles in the early hours and ANC is the finest method to diminish maternal mortality and provide high quality information for pregnant women regarding their birth and how to avert associated problems. The great and main benefit of Antenatal Care is to look after the health of women and their infant’s as well as signifying the risk signals that will occur and request to be further treated by highly developed health professionals. A quantity of studies point out that the utilization rate of Antenatal Care is low owing to several factors that require to be examined such as socio demographic factors, social support knowledge about it. Therefore to eliminate these factors it is essential to augment the women’s involvement in Antenatal Care.Studies has shown that morbidity and mortality of pregnant women who attends antenatal care is reduced compared to women who do not attend antenatal care. Early initiation of antenatal care visit is an essential component of services to improving maternal and new born health. The Cameroonian demographic and health survey conducted in 2011 indicated that only 34% of pregnant women start antenatal care in less than 12 months of pregnancy, 1st time at 24-28 weeks gestation and 2nd time at 32-36 weeks gestation. In 2015, countries met and put forward a series of goals known as the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) SDG 3 calls for acceleration of current progress in order to archive a global MMR of 70 maternal death per 1000 lives in 2030. This global reduction of MMR and a positive pregnancy outcome can only be archived if the care offered to women during pregnancy improves and the initiate antenatal care early enough. Most studies established a cause and effect relationship between pregnant women and inadequate antenatal care. Low birth weight, and preterm birth. On the other hand, such a relationship is less obvious in adverse pregnancy outcome such as preeclampsia, cesarean delivery, vaginal instrumental delivery and postpartum hemorrhage. WHO reports that eight or more contact for ANC can reduce perinatal death by up to 8 per 1000 birth when compared to 4 visit.

1.2. Problem Statement

Although WHO recommends that every woman should start antenatal care before 12 weeks of pregnancy and should a minimum of eight ANC contacts during pregnancy, but many pregnant women go for their first ANC visit after 12 weeks of pregnancy and have less than eight antenatal contacts. In Cameroon, 85% of pregnant women attended at least one ANC. In many research studies, low ANC compliance among pregnant women (adolescents) has been noted (Phafoli et al 2010).where this occurs, a large number has also been noted to have late attendance, usually in the third trimester. For instance , following a study done at Lesotho out of the 632 pregnant women ( teenagers) sampled 43% visited the antenatal clinic for the first time in their third trimester and only 14.9% attended in the first trimester,78% of the 14.9%who attended were married (Phafoli et al 2010).It is also known that  mothers ( adolescents )have many complications and undesired outcomes .This is because  some of these pregnant women are children themselves and their bodies are not yet sufficiently developed to handle pregnancy and delivery. It is expected that by attending antenatal clinic these pregnant women will equipped with health information on how to care for themselves during pregnancy, delivery and after (Phafoli et al).When many pregnant mothers do not attend clinic, there are at risk. It is therefore necessary to established ways of making them adapt healthy antenatal health seeking behaviors giving me the reason to assess pregnant women knowledge and practices on ANC.

1.3 General Objectives 

To Assess the knowledge and practices of pregnant women (14-45) years on antenatal care in the Great Soppo community

1.4 Specific Objectives

To asses knowledge of pregnant women in Great Soppo Community on antenatal Care

To assess practices of pregnant women in the Great Soppo community

To assess challenges of pregnant women towards Antenatal Care in Great Soppo Community

1.5 Research Questions

What knowledge do pregnant women have on antenatal care in the Great Soppo Community

What is the practice of pregnant women towards antenatal care in the Great Soppo Community

What are the challenges of pregnant women towards antenatal care in the Great Soppo Community