Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards antenatal care among pregnant women attending a tertiary care centre in Dakshina Kannada

Abstract

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) is one of the strategies aimed at addressing maternal mortality as it facilitates the identification and mitigation of risk factors early in pregnancy. The primary aim of antenatal care is to achieve a healthy mother and baby. Aim and Objective: To determine the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding the benefits of antenatal care utilisation at tertiary care center of our hospital Methods and design: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 500 pregnant women attending antenatal care centre at the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology AJIMS, Mangalore during May 2022 to August 2022. Face to face interview was conducted to assess their knowledge, attitude and practice using a structured questionnaire Results: A total of 86% were in the age group between 20-29 years and 71.4% were multigravida. 96.1% pregnant women responded that registration for antenatal care and visits is essential. 87.2% responded to take iron and folate during pregnancy.92% women responded that tetanus diphtheria (Td) should be given during pregnancy but 3.2% were unaware. 71.2% pregnant women reported that they knew about the danger signs during pregnancy. Conclusion:The study recommends improving health education for patients by healthcare professionals to increase understanding during pregnancy and the postpartum period and encourage early reporting of danger signs to reduce maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality.