Adequacy of Prenatal Care in Northeast Brazil: Pilot Data Comparing Attainment of Standard Care Criteria for First-Time Adolescent and Adult Pregnant Women

BACKGROUND: Adolescent pregnancy is a public health concern worldwide, particularly in low-income settings. Adolescent mothers face higher risks during pregnancy and delivery compared to adult mothers and yet, may also experience worse quality of obstetrical care. This study evaluates adherence to meeting Brazilian recommendations for prenatal care by comparing first-time adolescent versus adult mothers in a rural, low-income setting. METHODS: Using data from the Adolescence and Motherhood Research (AMOR) project, we evaluated adherence to national recommendations as documented in the prenatal cards of 39 adolescents (13–18 years) and 37 adults (23–28 years) from a low-income area in northeast Brazil. Recommendations included ≥6 prenatal consultations, gestational age ≤12 weeks at the first visit, participation in 3 educational activities, 2 serology for syphilis (VDRL) and HIV, 1 Toxoplasmosis serology, 2 urine tests, 2 blood glucose and 2 hemoglobin/hematocrit (Hb/Ht) exams. Chi-square tests were used to compare the proportions of adolescents and adults with a record of these procedures in the prenatal cards. RESULTS: Compared to adult women, the adolescent group had lower attainment of almost all recommended components of prenatal care compared to the adult group, with statistically significant differences for 2 blood glucose tests (46.2% vs 78.4%; p=0.004), 2 VDRL tests (30.8% vs 54.1%; p=0.040), 2 Hb/Ht exams (35.9% vs 83.8%; p<0.001), and at least 6 consultations (84.6% vs 100%; p=0.013). CONCLUSION: Despite greater health risks of adolescent fertility, the prenatal cards of adolescent mothers presented a poorer record of adherence to recommendations for adequate prenatal care compared to adult mothers from a low-income setting of Brazil. Health policies for both health professionals and the target population are needed to ensure adequacy of prenatal care and appropriate risk reduction for this vulnerable population.