Uptake of Antenatal Care Services Among the First Trimester Expectant Mothers at International Hospital Kampala Namuwongo.

Abstract

Introduction: This study was sought to determine the uptake of antenatal care services among mothers at International Hospital Kampala Namuwongo. This is against the background that ANC services are the measures used to identify risk factors during pregnancy, do appropriate referral from health centers and plan for proper labor management to reduce infant and maternal maternal mortality. Reducing the infant and maternal mortality is one of the Millennium development goals. The infant and maternal mortality rates have been a challenge to Uganda and the world at large. The rates that seem not to reduce in Uganda. Therefore this call for the determination of uptake of antenatal care services among the first trimester among expectant mothers to assess the level of early antenatal visits in Uganda.

Methodology: Across sectional descriptive study. Using a case of International Hospital Kampala in Namuwongo, a suburb of the Capital city of Uganda, quantitative approaches of data collection and analysis were engaged to conduct the study.

Results: There was inadequate knowledge on the ANC services; the early uptake of antenatal care services was affected by the age of the mothers and the number of pregnancies. The mothers who had more years and high numbers of pregnancies seemed to seek antenatal care services after the first 12 months.

Recommendations: The mothers who seek ANC services should be given the full package of information about antenatal services; mothers should be encouraged and motivated to seek antenatal services early during the first trimester in every pregnancy.