Do the quality of prenatal care have an impact on obstetrical outcomes?

Objectives. - To assess the rate of pregnant women not having accurate prenatal care utilization. The others goals were to assess the impact of an inadequate quantitative or qualitative prenatal care on obstetrical outcomes. Patients and methods. - Historical cohort study with a prospective data registration. Hospitalised patients at the maternity ward of the University Hospital of Pointe-a-Pitre were eligible if they gave birth after 22 weeks (or >= 500 g) at home, outside a maternity ward or in another maternity ward. Early postpartum maternal transfers were included but not medical abortions. The principal outcome was preterm birth (before 37 weeks' gestation). Results. - Patients without an appointment before 15 weeks or without an appointment each month before their delivery represented 27.4% of women (n = 2344). We stressed more preterm deliveries outside the maternity ward among the group with an inadequate prenatal care utilization vs. the other group (3,89% vs. 0,88%) (p < 0,0001). We did not find any difference concerning the perinatal outcomes among the women with an inadequate quality prenatal care. Discussion and conclusion. - Our study did not stress a difference concerning perinatal outcomes among women with an inadequate quantitative or qualitative prenatal care utilization. (C) 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.