What Africans Need to Know About Antenatal Care

By: Dr. Azuka Ezeike, MBBS, FWACS (Obstetrics and Gynaecology), MSc (Public Health).  Medical review and editorial support by the DLHA Team.

A black pregnant woman and nurse at antenatal care with male partner looking on.

Highlights

• Antenatal Care is provided by skilled professionals to pregnant women to ensure the best health conditions for both mother and baby.

• It helps monitor health, manage complications, and prepare for successful delivery, promoting the health of both mother and baby.

• Services provided during antenatal care Include health assessments, education, supplementation, infection screening, vaccination, and birth planning.

• The initial visit is between 8-12 weeks and includes history taking, physical examination, routine tests, and special tests if risk factors are present.

• Follow-up visits are required for monitoring of the mother's and baby's health, with specific attention to potential complications and necessary interventions.

Introduction

Getting pregnant is a significant event in the life of any woman. It is a delicate journey for both the mother and baby. Pregnancy is a natural process, however, when the necessary care is not received, it may end up with problems.

All women are entitled to care during pregnancy, childbirth and after delivery but this is not usually the case for some African women. Because of this up to 99% of women who die from pregnancy-related problems all over the world are from developing nations. 

Having access to antenatal care helps to preserve the life of the woman so it establishes her fundamental human right to life. 

The primary aim of antenatal care is to promote and protect the health of women and their unborn babies during pregnancy, and to achieve a healthy mother and a healthy baby at the end of a pregnancy.

In this article, you will learn the importance of having antenatal care and what to expect during your antenatal care visits.

What is Antenatal Care?

Antenatal care (ANC) is the care provided by skilled professionals to pregnant women to ensure the best health conditions for both mother and baby. [1] This means that as a pregnant woman, you must receive care in a health facility with trained health workers. Attending antenatal care with your partner is recommended as it helps to improve outcomes. Some of the antenatal care services may be delivered through telemedicine where the facilities are available.

Related: Men’s Participation in Maternal Healthcare in Africa is a Win-Win for All

Why Antenatal Care?

Antenatal care is very important for you as a pregnant woman. [2]   It helps to:

• Monitor your health and that of your baby

• Identify and manage pregnancy-related complications

• Identify if you are at increased risk of developing complications and provide targeted management

• Recognise and treat any underlying illness

• Make the necessary preparations to ensure a successful delivery

Benefits of Antenatal Care

When you receive antenatal care, it has a lot of benefits. These include

• Close relationship and support from the healthcare workers
• Better understanding of the pregnancy journey
• Information on the precautions to take during pregnancy
• Education on the type of food and drugs to take during pregnancy
• Education on how to prepare for labour and childcare
• Early detection and care of complications
• Better health for you and the baby

Resources

Published: August 17, 2024

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