Relationship between Antenatal Care Utilization and Post-partum Complications in Mothers; Evidence from Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey Data - 2019

Background: Pregnancy and childbirth represent significant milestones in women’s lives, accompanied by both joy and challenges. Access to quality antenatal care is essential for ensuring the well-being of mother and child. Objective: To analyze the relationship between antenatal care utilization and postpartum complications among mothers of reproductive age using Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey Data 2019. Methodology: In this study data from Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2019 of all the Provinces was used. The ethical approval for the PMMS 2019 survey was obtained from The National Bioethics Committee of Pakistan, the Demographic and Health Surveys Program and the ICF Institutional Review Board. All respondents provided written informed consent before participation during the PMMS 2019 fieldwork. A sample consisted of 6,907 women aged 15 to 49 years who delivered a baby during the last three years before the survey and had at least one antenatal care visit. Women of reproductive age with incomplete or missing data on antenatal care visits were not included in this study. The data was analysed using the SPSS 23 version. The data following normal distribution, were computed by mean and standard deviation. However, if the data were skewed, we instead determined the median and interquartile range. Then bivariate analysis was conducted to examine the associations between independent and dependent variables using chi-square statistics or cross-tabulations. Results: The outcome variable in this study was post-partum complication and independent variables include antenatal care services, maternal age, parity, gravidity, birth attendance, place of delivery, history of pregnancy and previous labour complications, intra-natal complications and post-partum care. Conclusion: Women with non-standard antenatal care and visiting private facilities have a high prevalence of post-partum complications. Healthcare providers should implement policies and develop appropriate health education plans to prevent avoidable maternal complications. Additionally, raising awareness about the negative impact of high parity on obstetric outcomes within the community is crucial.