Abstract

PIP: Free prenatal consultation services are not very much used in Latin America. To study the reasons of this phenomenon 686 patients who had just delivered were interviewed in 3 major hospitals of Rosario, Argentina. These women belonged to the lowest socioeconomic class; their education level was very low, and parity high. 7.5% had come to delivery without any prenatal control; 32% had had 7 or more controls, and 37% had had 3 or less controls. Deficient prenatal control was clearly associated with higher incidence of fetal deaths, 23.9%, low birth weight, 14%, and neonatal depression, 4.4%. Most patients did not think a prenatal control would be important, and many did not find the schedule of services convenient. The majority of those who had come for prenatal controls knew of the availability of certain services. All patients were very happy with the attention and care received from medical and nonmedical personnel. Authorities should promote campaigns to advertise free prenatal services in local hospitals, and therefore to improve the attendance of pregnant women to such consultations.