Antenatal Care Consultations: Start Early, Stay Healthy, and Sleep Under Mosquito Nets
- sharonche794
- Mar 8, 2023
- 2 min read
Antenatal care (ANC) is a term you will hear very often once your pregnancy is confirmed. It refers to a type of care offered during pregnancy. ANC ensures that the mother-to-be and her unborn baby are healthy and doing well [1]. Making an appointment as early as possible once the pregnancy is confirmed is encouraged. With the mother-to-be’s vulnerability, the quality of care during pregnancy matters.
So what happens at ANC visits? The midwife or doctor will check the health status of the mother-to-be and baby, help estimate her due date, discuss nutrition, the required vaccines to take, disease prevention, and much more [1]. While all disease prevention is worthy of emphasizing during ANC, malaria in pregnancy remains a priority in most developing countries. Malaria in pregnancy is dangerous and can lead to complications such as miscarriage, anemia, premature delivery, fetal loss, and low birth weight [3].
Every pregnant woman or adolescent girl who registers for ANC gets malaria medications and free mosquito nets. Please, mosquito nets are for you to sleep under every night and not for farming purposes. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 8 ANC sessions [2]. However, not all pregnant women attend all sessions or start their ANC early. Moreover, the cost of ANC is why most pregnant women start late or do not even attend.
However, according to Dr. Besong Tabot Itoe, the Coordinator for the National Malaria Control Program at the South West Regional Delegation of Public Health, less than 5,000 FRS covers the cost of ANC. Even if you do not have any money, you are encouraged to register. For every woman to have a positive pregnancy experience, it starts with attending all ANC sessions.
References
4. Image Credit: Minsante Cameroon
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