Mpunga DM1, Lubo I², Mafuta EM1, Nguma AM3.

Annales africaines de médecine Volume 9 n°4 : Septembre 2016

Objective. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of prenatal visits on outcomes of pregnancy with fetal viability.

Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study comparing women who had regular antenatal visits to those who did not in the maternity of the General Provincial Referral Hospital of Kinshasa from January to December 2010. The study participants were randomly selected by a systematic sampling. The variables of interest were: age of the pregnant woman, parity, gestity, number of antennal clinics attended, gestational age at delivery, mode of delivery, blood pressure, weight at birth, and the health condition of the infant at birth.

Results. Among the 176 women whose records were examined, 82.37 percent [76.26-87.49] had attended antenatal clinics regularly. Their mean age for pregnant women was 29±6 years. The majority of women were in their first pregnancy (47 %). The pregnant women who attended prenatal clinics regularly are three times more likely to deliver vaginally than those who had irregular prenatal visits (OR=2.67; 95% CI: 1.11-6.41). Likewise, the rate of infants born with a normal weight and infants in good health condition was respectively three times higher (OR=3.35; 95% CI:1.49-7.54) and six times higher (OR=5.78; 95%CI: 2.33-14.31) for women who had regular prenatal visits compared to those who had irregular visits.

Conclusion. This study has indicated that regular and appropriate prenatal visits may contribute to the improvement of maternal and newborn health.

Key words: antenatal clinic, prognosis of pregnancy, fetal viability