Characteristics of antenatal care for adolescents from state capitals in Southern and Northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Quantitative and descriptive study that intended to describe some aspects of antenatal care for adolescents at teaching hospitals in the South and Northeast of Brazil, based on the quality criteria established by the Humanization Program of Antenatal and Birth Care. This is an excerpt from the research "Social support networks for fatherhood during adolescence". The data collection occurred between December 2008 and December 2009. The sample consisted of 559 puerperal adolescents. The results showed that 98% of the interviewees received antenatal care, 67.2% attended six or more consultations and 62.5% started the care in the first pregnancy terms. As regards the routine exams, not all of them were done, and 41.8% denied having received any kind of information about labor and delivery during the antenatal consultations. In conclusion, most of the adolescents received antenatal care according to the criteria recommended in the Program. Nevertheless, educational actions and orientations are needed during the consultations.

Grupo de gestantes de alto-risco como estratégia de educação em saúde

“…They made it possible for the participants to reflect on their gestational process and on the adaptation to hospital routine. Thus, the educational process is not a simple task, because it is not restricted to the transmission of information to pregnant women (18) . On the contrary, it is a shared practice that involves exchange of knowledge, through the establishment of bonds and must be constantly improved.…”

Determinantes sociais da saúde relacionados à gravidez na adolescência

“…Os resultados de um estudo brasileiro mostram que, das cidades pesquisadas, Pelotas (RS) teve maior prevalência de partos na adolescência, perfazendo 21,4% do total de nascimentos no hospital participante da pesquisa, seguida por Florianópolis (SC) com 16,2% e João Pessoa (PB) com 12,9% 21 .…”

Grupo de gestantes adolescentes: contribuições para o cuidado no pré-natal

“…Other studies also report the persistence of the biomedical paradigm in prenatal care practices, with the implementation of traditional lecture-based educational activities merely aimed to convey information and make recommendations that are not consistent with the reality and do not meet the specific needs of the target population (5)(6). The lack of a space for active communication and interaction between health professionals and pregnant women creates obstacles to the development of appropriate prenatal care (7).…”

“…On the other hand, studies carried out in different Brazilian regions showed that prenatal care for teenagers still falls far short of what is recommended, especially with regard to guidance, to the ability to attract the target audience to the groups of pregnant teenagers at an early stage, and to the delivery of permanent care. Guidance/ education activities are neglected because of the large number of tasks performed by health professionals and the limited time available for prenatal consultations (4)(5).…”