Measurements of care components during antenatal care checkups among Baiga's women in Madhya Pradesh, India

Antenatal care is one of the four pillars initiatives of the Safe Motherhood. The aim of this study was to investigate coverage of antenatal care among Baiga women's in M.P. A Cross-sectional community-based study was carried out in Dindori district. The structured questionnaires were used to gather data from women who had been pregnant within the last five year, or currently pregnant. A sample of 380 women investigated for antenatal care coverage 273, (71.8%) women had taken at least one antenatal checkup by different health professionals. Out of them 23% women had taken antenatal care in the first, 43% in second and 34% in third trimester during pregnancy. Care components were measured during and checkup reported by women as weight (63.9%) height (32.2%), blood pressure (41.8%), hemoglobin (23%) and abdomen examination (51.9%). Antenatal care showed a low coverage among Baiga women's due to low awareness, distance to medical facility, etc. Special IEC strategy needed there for creating awareness.