Late initiation of antenatal care and associated factors among pregnant women who have anc follow up at Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital, Eastern, Ethiopia

Abstract

Antenatal care is said to be initiated early if pregnant women start antenatal follow up at 12 weeks and considered to be late if they starty after 12weeks of gestational age. Antenatal care is focused mainly with prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of general medical and pregnancy related disorders. Despite majority of pregnant women who came to our institution late for different obstetric complication which was difficult for its management, there is no resent research that shows the magnitude of late initiation and its assicoated factors in this study area.