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The Demographic Characteristics of Early and Late Attenders for Antenatal Care
Author(s) -
Essex Charles,
Counsell Anthea M.,
Geddis David C.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.734
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1479-828X
pISSN - 0004-8666
DOI - 10.1111/j.1479-828x.1992.tb02839.x
Subject(s) - socioeconomic status , medicine , parity (physics) , maternity care , educational attainment , prenatal care , first trimester , cohort , pacific islanders , family medicine , demography , pregnancy , second trimester , population , environmental health , political science , gestation , sociology , law , genetics , physics , particle physics , biology
EDITORIAL COMMENT: The findings in this study will probably not surprise readers but the authors have established clinical markers for first antenatal attendance after 13 weeks' gestation in New Zealand. Although the authors provide references (1–4) for an association between late initial antenatal attendance and unfavourable perinatal results we urge them to analyze data from their own population and tell us what correlations exist. Summary: In the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society's 1990‐91 Cohort study, 581 of 4,286 women questioned (13.7%) had not initiated antenatal care until after the first trimester. These late attenders were more likely to be non‐European or of high parity; 42.9% of Pacific Islander mothers and 28.9% of Maori mothers did not initiate antenatal care until after the first trimester. Late attenders were also more likely to be unmarried, of lower socioeconomic status, young or with lower educational attainment. The reason for delayed antenatal care needs to be investigated and mothers who are high parity and non‐European need to be particularly targeted to encourage them to attend for antenatal care early.