Antenatal care visits during pregnancy and their effect on maternal and fetal outcomes in pre-eclamptic patients.

Aim: The frequency of antenatal care visits during pregnancy was examined to determine their effect on maternal and fetal outcomes in patients with pre-eclampsia.

Methods: This study included 150 pregnant women with pre-eclampsia who attended the Outpatient Clinic of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Ismailia General Hospital. The women were interviewed and their antenatal care visits recorded. Blood pressure control, cardiotocography, ultrasonographic and Doppler evaluations and the administration of methyldopa were recorded. We calculated the distribution of women who attended an adequate versus an inadequate number of antenatal care visits, examined the characteristics of the groups using significance tests, computed the risk of poor maternal and fetal outcomes and created regression analysis models. We also calculated the incidence rate of poor maternal and fetal outcomes, odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

Results: Women who attended an inadequate number of antenatal care visits had a significantly higher risk of post-partum hemorrhage, eclampsia, and intensive care unit admission compared with women who attended an adequate number of visits. Women who attended an inadequate number of visits had a 12-fold risk of a poor maternal outcome, a 53-fold risk of a poor fetal outcome and a significantly higher risk of neonatal mortality in comparison to women who attended an adequate number of antenatal visits.

Conclusions: The frequency of antenatal care visits during pregnancy has a significant effect on maternal and fetal outcomes in patients with pre-eclampsia.