The effect of prenatal follow-up on postpartum maternal and newborn health outcomes

Objective: The research was conducted to examine the effect of prenatal follow-up on postpartum maternal and newborn health outcomes. Materials and Methods: This study was done in cross-sectional type. The population of the study consisted of mothers registered in Karlıova, Genç and Kültür Family Health Centers (FHC) in Bingöl province. The sample of the study consisted of 300 mothers selected according to the power analysis. Data were collected from mothers who applied to FHCs for various reasons during the first week after birth between October 11 and November 15, 2019. Data were collected by the researcher using the 'Survey Form' and face to face interview technique. Descriptive analysis, arithmetic mean, t test in independent groups, pearson correlation analysis and Chi square tests were used in the statistical evaluation of the data. Results: All the mothers in the study received prenatal care at least once during pregnancy and almost all of them received prenatal care four times or more. In the study, the average number of prenatal follow-up of mothers in the prenatal period was 8.23 ± 3.19, almost nine out of ten mothers received prenatal care adequate in quantitative terms and qualitatively good. It was found that the most common problems experienced by mothers at postpartum period were fatigue, back pain, headache and breast problems. Approximately four-fifths of the mothers reported that they had 4 or more postpartum problems or complications. No statistically significant correlation was found between the quantity of prenatal care and postpartum maternal and fetal health outcomes (p>0.05). Conclusion: It was found that having prenatal care rates of mothers were very high and the quantity and quality of the prenatal care service was found to be sufficient and good. In the study, it was found that the quantity of prenatal care service had no effect on postpartum maternal and newborn health outcomes. In this context, it is recommended to conduct more comprehensive studies at national level. Key Words: Maternal health outcomes, postpartum period, prenatal follow-up, newborn health outcomes