Abstract:
Back ground: There is renewed interest in adverse pregnancy outcomes prevention for
lower-middle income countries. Early initiation of and properly timed antenatal care (ANC) is
thought to reduce the risk of many adverse birth outcomes. To this end current study examined
if timing of the first ANC visit influences the risk of late pregnancy complication and adverse
pregnancy outcomes. Status of early antenatal care booking and its association with late
pregnancy complication and pregnancy out comes is not yet studied in Ethiopia in general.
Therefore, this study aims to assess timing of antenatal care booking and its association with
late pregnancy complications and pregnancy outcomes in Arbaminch general hospital.
Objectives: to determine the status of early antenatal care booking and its association with late
pregnancy complications & pregnancy out comes in Arbaminch Hospital in Arbaminch Town,
Southern Ethiopia, 2016.
Method: Hospital based comparative Cross-sectional study was conducted from March 21 to
April 14, 2016 in Arbaminch Hospital. All deliver records of the year 2015 was included. A
total of 670 medical records was used to collect data by using checklist. Binary and multiple
logistic regression was carried out adjusting for maternal characteristics using SPSS version 20.
Chai square test was used for group comparison.
Result: the level early booking for ANC is 24.2%. The prevalence of late pregnancy
complication, severe pre-eclampsia 16.1% 18 % anemia, 19.3 % , eclampsia 10.6% & LBW
24.2 %. Late commencing ANC associated with severe pre-eclampsia by (AOR=2.77, 95 %
C.I:1.44-5.3), eclampsia (AOR=3.9, 95 % C.I:1.7-9.01), low birth weight (AOR=1.58, 95%
C.I: 1.01-2.5), anemia (AOR=2.04, 95% C.I:1.2-3.5) & adverse fetal outcomes (AOR=4.4, 95
% C.I: 1.5-12.2).
Conclusion: Mean antenatal care is not providing its promises for the study area. Late
pregnancy complications and adverse birth outcome were more common in late booked mothers
than early booked for antenatal care. Further research is required to examine how timing of
ANC care, incorporating primary data, effective biomedical interventions, influences outcomes
in this setting.
