Antenatal care in general practice, Trondheim, Norway

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Characterizing pregnant populations is crucial for understanding healthcare needs.
• Previous studies have not fully detailed the sociodemographic and health-seeking behaviors of pregnant women in Trondheim during the late 20th century.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the characteristics of nulliparous and parous women in Trondheim.
• To analyze patterns of antenatal care utilization, including consultations, medication use, and sick leave.
• To investigate causes and duration of hospitalization during pregnancy.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study analyzing data from nulliparous and parous women in Trondheim between 1979-1981.
• Data collection included sociodemographic factors, antenatal visit frequency, medication prescriptions, sick leave, and hospitalization reasons.

Main Results:

• Nulliparous women were younger, more educated, and employed more often than parous women.
• Most women had early first-trimester antenatal care, averaging 10 visits; smokers consulted later.
• Medication was prescribed to 33% of women, primarily for genitourinary issues; sick leave was longer for parous women due to low-back pain; hospitalization was more common in nulliparae for hypertension and threatened premature labor.

Conclusions:

• Significant differences exist in the characteristics and pregnancy experiences of nulliparous and parous women.
• Antenatal care patterns and outcomes, including sick leave and hospitalization, warrant further investigation.
• Controlled trials are recommended to optimize future antenatal care provision based on pregnancy outcomes.