Maternal attitudes to antenatal care: changes over time

A survey to assess the effect of changes introduced to antenatal care services provided by a Bristol teaching hospital was carried out immediately before and three years after the changes were implemented (1983 and 1986). Some 751 women resident in a neighbouring health district who gave birth during March and April 1983, were compared with 794 of their counterparts who gave birth during March and April 1986. Aspects studied included the number of antenatal hospital appointments (increased), the number of different doctors seen during the visits (unchanged), and time spent waiting to be seen at the hospital (decreased) significantly. More women had alpha-feto protein tests for spina bifida and ultrasound scans, but many less were anxious about having the test.