Encouraging early antenatal care

[Kunle Emmanuel]

Hypertensive disease in pregnancy is a major cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) that progresses to pre-eclampsia is a common reason for hospital admission in pregnant women.

Pre-eclampsia, once called toxemia of pregnancy, occurs in about 5% of pregnancies. Women with pre-eclampsia are at increased risk for abruptio placenta, acute renal failure, cerebral hemorrhage, disseminated intravascular coagulation, pulmonary edema, circulatory collapse, and eclampsia. Eclampsia occurs when pre-eclampsia is complicated by seizures or coma and it develops in 1 of 200 patients with pre-eclampsia.

Eclampsia is immediately life threatening for both the baby and the mother and can be fatal if untreated.

[Kunle Emmanuel]

Women and husbands need to understand not only the importance of antenatal care and how it may help prevent potentially fatal problems in both mother and child, but also need to understand what it entails and what to expect, so as to encourage them to attend and make provision for this.

The film describes what focused antenatal care (FANC) entails, including the importance of attending all your sessions & what to expect at each of the 4 standard visits.

[Sister Nadi]

A few of them are routinely screened for at antenatal care.
Make sure you use your malaria prevention therapy as recommended by your hospital to protect you from having malaria in pregnancy. You can use treated net in addition.

Stay healthy mum extraordinaire

[Sister Nadi]

Antenatal Care Schedule

Antenatal care should start IMMEDIATELY your pregnancy test is Positive (not 3 or 4 months after).

A good antenatal care should have at least 8 visits
This is a guide, your visits can be more depending on your overall health & needs