Antenatal care utilization and unfavourable pregnancy outcome trends in Benin (Africa)

Antenatal care was an efficient preventive strategy for decreasing unfavorable pregnancy outcome incidence. Its appropriate utilisation remained the priority of Benin Health authorities following the Bamako Initiatives; but little research was undertaken on its effectiveness. This study proposes to describe the trends of unfavorable pregnancy outcome and antenatal care utilization. To that end, we collected and analysed retrospectively the data stored from 1993 to 1997 in the Heath Ministry data bank (339 maternity units). We observed an increase of antenatal care utilization (31 to 42%), the progressive high level of the maternal mortality ratios (245 to 322o/ooooo), intrapartum fœtal death (31 to 41%) and neonatal mortality ratios (11 to 12%). We also observed in the regional areas, a positive high variability of unfavourable pregnancy and antenatal care utilization (p=0.00). The authors insist on the improvement of care quality through the reinforcement of caregivers' training followed by extensive research on antenatal care quality.