ABSTRACT:Objective: To investigate factors associated with seven or more prenatal visits, in Brazil, in 2013. Methods: Cross-sectional study from the database of Information System on Live Births. The association of explanatory variables was tested with prenatal visits by means of the analysis of single and multiple multinomial regressions. The spatial distribution of prenatal visits according to the Brazilian municipalities was also analyzed. Results: It was found that 2.7% of pregnant women attended no prenatal visit and 63.1% attended 7 or more. The chance to attend 7 or more prenatal visits was higher among pregnant women aged 40 years or more, with 12 years or more of schooling, living with a roommate, living in the South and Southeast regions, who had a triplet or more pregnancy, with gestational age of 42 weeks or more, and who had children with normal birth weight. Significant regional disparities were identified in the prevalence of women with seven or more prenatal visits. Conclusion: Although Brazil has a Unified Health System that provides universal prenatal care, the use of this service is uneven according to geographic, demographic, and socioeconomic characteristics.
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836Rev BRas epidemiol oUT-deZ 2016; 19(4): 835-850
INTRODUCTIONAccess to prenatal care is associated with better health outcomes for pregnant women and newborns. This care is essential to prevent and/or early detect maternal and fetal pathologies, promoting the healthy development of the baby and reducing the risk to the pregnant women 1 . By monitoring the pregnancy since the first quarter there is greater possibility of the mother undergo laboratory tests, reducing maternal and child morbidity and mortality. Consequently, the results are better intrauterine growth, higher birth weight, fewer occurrences of prematurity and neonatal mortality, and, for the mother, lower rate of complications during pregnancy and at delivery 1 . Studies show that the higher the number of prenatal visits, the lower the neonatal 2 and maternal 3,4 mortality rates, the prevalence of prematurity 3 , the low birth weight 5,6 , and the hypertension during pregnancy 3,4 . In this scenario, the anti-tetanus vaccination coverage 7 and supplementation with ferrous sulfate 7 are also greater. Owing to these benefits indicated by the literature and in order to improve access, coverage, and quality of prenatal care in Brazil, the Ministry of Health launched, in 2000, the Program of Humanization in Prenatal and Birth (PHPN). Among other guidelines, the document recommends that pregnant women attend at least six prenatal visits during pregnancy: one in the first quarter, two in the second, and three in the third 1 . Studies that analyzed the factors associated with low number of prenatal care visits found that this negative outcome is more common among women with low education 8 , pregnant adolescents 2,8 , with high parity 6,8 , and living without a partner 6 . However, in Brazil, RESUMO: Objetivo: Investigar os fatores associados à realização de sete ou ma...