This study compared the validity of the haemoglobin colour scale (HCS) and clinical signs in diagnosing anaemia against Sahli's haemoglobinometer method as the gold standard, and assessed the reliability of HCS. The sample comprised 129 pregnant women recruited from 6 urban health centres in Ahmedabad. The prevalence of anaemia was 69.8% by Sahli's method, 78.3% by HCS and 89.9% by clinical signs; there was no statistically significant difference between Sahli's method and HCS whereas there was between Sahli's method and clinical signs. The mean haemoglobin level by Sahli's method and HCS differed significantly. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of HCS was 83.3%, 33.3%, 74.3% and 46.4% respectively and that of clinical signs was 91.1%, 12.8%, 70.7% and 38.5% respectively. Interobserver agreement for HCS was moderate (κ = 0.43). Clinical signs are better than HCS for diagnosing anaemia. HCS can be used in the field provided assessors are adequately trained. MET Medical College, LG Hospital Compound, Maninagar, Ahmedabad, India (Correspondence to G. Bhatt: gneyaa@yahoo.co.in

No abstract

Background: Postnatal care is crucial in maintaining and promoting the health of the woman and the newborn baby. Despite the known benefits of the postnatal care, there are many access and utilization barriers to care. The present study was conducted on postnatal care and its correlates among recently delivered women visiting to BRD Medical College Gorakhpur. Methods: For present cross-sectional study recently delivered women (RDW) defined as a post natal woman who had a baby between two months to six months of age at the time of data collection were taken as the study subjects. Complete post natal care was considered if RDWs had received post natal check-up (Post natal day -1, day-3, day-7,) along with immunization of child with BCG, OPV and three doses of DPT/Pentavalent vaccine. Sample size was calculated as 275 by using the formula 4PQ/L2 with an allowable error (L) of 20% including 10% extra for non/incomplete responders. The proportion of women receiving postnatal care was considered as 50.0% as by this proportion maximum sample size is arrived. Results: A total of 269 recently delivered women (RDW) were taken as the study subjects. They belonged to age group 19-29 year (Mean age 23.7±6.7 year), either educated up to 12th standard and only few were graduate or post graduate. Majority of them belonged to middle or lower middle class. Conclusions: Postpartum care utilization was associated with socioeconomic status, antenatal care received or not, planned pregnancy or not. Interestingly, access to care was not perceived as a top reason for not obtaining PPC.

Background: India is amongst the top five countries in terms of absolute numbers of maternal deaths. In Uttar Pradesh MMR is even higher than national average. In spite of better utilisation of antenatal services, pregnancy outcome is not significantly improving. Reason behind it is that worrying gaps in quality of antenatal care exist which lead to poor effectiveness of ANC in practice. Methods: In the present study quality of antenatal care services utilised by 286 recently delivered women (RDWs) in last one year in Shivrajpur block of district Kanpur was conducted from August 2012 to July 2013. A predesigned questionnaire was used for data collection. Information regarding age, parity, and detailed history of antenatal care & place of antenatal care were collected after taking verbal consent. Results: Majority (76.1%) of women were within 20 to 30 year of age who had delivered in last one year while 13.6% of women were within 20 year of age. In present study we find 91.9% coverage of antenatal care which was based on receiving at least one antenatal checkup. Majority (73.1%) of women received antenatal care from public facility (SC/PHC/CHC/Govt. Hospital). Out of 263 RDWs who received ANC, three-fourths had weight measurement (74.9%), their abdomen examined (76.4%) and hemoglobin estimation (69.6%) done. Less than two-thirds had height (60.8%) and blood pressure measured (66.2%). Nearly one of the two RDWs had urine examination (50.2%) and told about pregnancy complications & danger signs. Only 14.8% RDWs consumed 100 IFA tablet. TT injection was received by 79.5% of RDWs. Full ANC was taken by only 16.3% RDWs. Conclusion: Poor qualities of antenatal have a limited potential to affect maternal mortality. High-risk screening during antenatal care, as a means of identifying women for facility-based intra-partum care, is not effective for women who subsequently failed to obtain complete package of antenatal care.

No abstract