Maternal health-care seeking behavior in North India

INTRODUCTION: Pregnancy and labour, if not kept under constant vigil, can end in serious complications or even death at any moment. The aim of the study was done to know the practices of community regarding maternity care during pregnancy, delivery and postnatal period. METHODS: A cross-sectional, community based study was conducted on 120 rural, 120 urban elite and 120 urban slum areas mothers, who delivered within last three months. RESULTS: One-fourth mothers in rural area faced one or the other problem during antenatal period while in urban slum and urban elite only 15% and 9.2% mothers had some problems, this percentage being 19.4 at district level. 14.5% respondents faced some kind of complication during delivery and more problems were faced by rural (17.5%) while least common by urban elite (7.5%) but the area wise difference was not significant. The most common source of treatment was ANM/ LHV/ Nurse (47.1% in rural, 40% in urban elite and 60% in urban slum). 12.8%, mothers took treatment from doctor (Government- 7.2%; Private- 5.6%). More than 10% did not take any treatment (11.8% in rural, 20% in urban elite). CONCLUSION: Still the large numbers of mothers are not seeking care of their ailments, during prenatal, natal or postnatal especially rural mothers