KNOWLEDGE OF PREGNANT WOMEN ABOUT OBSTETRIC DANGER SIGNS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL AT PESHAWAR, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

1. 1.1. Background The danger signs of pregnancy are the leading cause of death all over the world. It imposes significant burden on health care system because of high mortality and morbidity rates. 1.2. Objectives 1. To assess the knowledge about pregnancy related danger signs among pregnant women visiting OPD of Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH). 2. To assess the frequency of pregnancy related danger signs among pregnant women visiting OPD of Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH). 3. To make recommendations regarding community awareness and reducing morbidity and mortality rates due to pregnancy related danger signs. 1.3. Methodology It was a cross sectional descriptive study conducted in gynecology ward and OPD of Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar from December 2018 to April 2019. Sample size was taken as 250 through non- probable convenient sampling. Data was collected through a semi-structured questionnaire with open and close ended questions. Face to face interviews were conducted after taking informed verbal consent. Data was analyzed in SPSS for windows version 20. It was presented in the form of percentages and frequencies and was prepared in the form of tables, graphs and texts. 1.4. Results Knowledge of major obstetric danger signs (61.5%) among pregnant women was found to be better as compared to the minor obstetric danger signs (57.4%). Among major danger signs, the knowledge about vaginal bleeding and lack of fetal movements in pregnant females was the highest, followed by pre- eclampsia and abdominal pain while high percentage of study subjects had knowledge of anemia as minor obstetric danger sign. Women having higher literacy rate, more antenatal visits and having greater number of pregnancies had better knowledge of obstetric danger signs. Anemia 48 (19.2%) was the most commonly occurring danger sign in current pregnancy followed by 25 (10%) pre-eclampsia and 21 (8.4%) hyperemesis gravidarum while lack of fetal movements 9 (3.6%) was the least common. 1.5. Conclusion Analysis of collected data conclude that knowledge of major obstetric danger signs (61.5%) among pregnant women is found to be better as compared to the minor obstetric danger signs (57.4%). Regarding the frequency of occurrence of obstetric danger signs, it is concluded that anemia is most frequent (19.2%) while lack of fetal movements the least (3.6%). Keywords: Anemia, vaginal bleeding, pre-eclampsia, abdominal pain, hyperemesis gravidarum, lack of feral movements.