The perinatal outcome of pregnancy without prenatal care. A retrospective study in Szeged, Hungary.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine the social conditions of women who never attended prenatal care and to evaluate the perinatal outcome of their newborns.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis of uncared pregnancies of women who delivered at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Szeged, Hungary between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 1998. There were 5262 deliveries during this period, of which 54 (1%) had no prenatal care. Matched controls (108 cases) were selected on the basis of maternal age, educational level, the number of gravidity and parity, and marital status.


RESULTS
The mean age of women with out-of-care pregnancies was 27 years+/-3.9; 5 women were under 18, 23 (43%) were unmarried, 5 (9.3%) did not finish elementary school and 35 (65%) had only elementary school education. Compared to the controls there were more in preterm labors (33 versus 14% (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.4-6.8)), lower birth weight (P<0.001) and more given up for adoption (17 versus 0.9% (OR 21.4, 95% CI 2.63-173.9)).


CONCLUSIONS
These data underline the importance of regular prenatal care in the prevention of preterm delivery.
Orvos
Hajnalka
H
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 1., 6725, Szeged, Hungary.
Hoffmann
Ildikó
I
Frank
Ildikó
I
Katona
Márta
M
Pál
Attila
A
Kovács
László
L
D000300:Adoption; D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D017533:Marital Status; D008423:Maternal Age; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000453:epidemiology; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies