Use of antenatal care services in Kassala, eastern Sudan

A cross-sectional community-based study was carried out in Kassala, eastern Sudan during September-October 2009. Household surveys were conducted. Structured questionnaires were used to gather data from women who had been pregnant within the last year, or pregnant more than 14 weeks.Out of 900 women investigated for antenatal care coverage, 811(90%) women had at least one visit. Only 11% of the investigated women had ≥ four antenatal visits, while 10.0% had not attended at all. Out of 811 women who attended at least one visit, 483 (59.6%), 303 (37.4%) and 25 (3.1%) women attended antenatal care in the first, second and third trimester, respectively. In logistic regression analyses, while maternal age and residence were not associated with inadequacy of antenatal care (<2 visits), high parity (OR = 2.0, CI = 1.1-3.5; P = 0.01) and husband education ≤ secondary level (OR = 2.4, CI = 1.3-4.2; P = 0.002) were associated with inadequacy of antenatal care.Antenatal care showed a low coverage in Kassala, eastern Sudan. This low coverage was associated with high parity and low husband education.Antenatal care is one of the four pillars initiatives of the Safe Motherhood Initiative; however, its relative contribution to maternal health has been under debate. While many of routine antenatal care procedures have little effect on maternal mortality and morbidity, some of these have been ascertained as beneficial [1,2]. Antenatal care provides advice, reassurance, education, support for the woman on screening programs and detects the problems that make the pregnancy high risk one [3]. There are many socio-economic and cultural factors which act as barriers to the use of antenatal care [4]. Although, it can't be claimed that antenatal care is the only solution for the high maternal and perinatal death in the developing world, but it can help to reach the Millennium Development Goals for the maternal and child mortality [5].Although, World Health Organization recommended four ante