Knowledge of prenatal health care among Costa Rican and Panamanian women.

Objectives: There is evidence that health care during pregnancy is a crucial component in ensuring a safe delivery. Because the infant mortality rate in Costa Rica is almost half the rate of Panama, the researchers tested the hypothesis that women in Costa Rica are more knowledgeable about prenatal health care than women in neighboring Panama.

Methods: A multiple-choice survey was used to evaluate women's knowledge of prenatal care using WHO recommendations as the nominal standard.