Knowledge, Attitude and Practices regarding antenatal care services, its utilization and delivery practices among mothers (aged 15-49 years) in a Peri-Urban area of Delhi

Antenatal care (ANC) is the care offered to pregnant mothers to ensure a healthy pregnancy and healthy babies.
ANC has the potential to be one of the most effective health treatments for avoiding maternal morbidity and
mortality, particularly in areas where women’s overall health status is low. Materials and Methods: We conducted
a community-basedcross-sectional study in the peri-urban area of Qutub Vihar, Goyla Dairy, Southwest District,
New Delhi between the period of June 2022 and August 2022 to explore the knowledge, attitude, and practices of
mothers about ANC services and ANC utilization and delivery practices. Results: Out of the 121 study participants,
about 34 of the mothers (28.1%) did not have any idea about antenatal check-ups whereas 47 of the mothers
(35.5%) said 4 antenatal check-ups must be done during pregnancy. Roughly 93 mothers registered during the first
trimester, 22 mothers registered during the second trimester, and just 7 mothers registered during the third trimester.
Nearly 36 of the mothers went for 4 ANC check-ups during pregnancy whereas almost an equal number (34
mothers) went for 6 ANC check-ups. When mothers were asked about various danger signs during pregnancy
which require referral to the hospital, only 12 mothers knew about emergency signs whereas 60 mothers were
unaware of these, 98.2 percent of mothers received tetanus injections to prevent convulsions whereas 1.8 percent
were not given injections during ANC check-up,13.2 percent mothers did not consume IFA tablets during pregnancy
whereas 86.8 percent taken medicines which were given during visits. Conclusion: The findings show that maternal
knowledge is still an important factor in the effective utilization of antenatal services. The role of health workers in
raising awareness about the significance of ANC and the danger signs of pregnancy among antenatal mothers in
peri-urbanareas should be strengthened.