Educational Program for Pregnant Women Regarding Obstetrics Dangerous Signs in Rural Areas

Background: Complications linked to postpartum & pregnancy are one of the major causes of female death. In order to understand the causes of complications and encourage women to take sufficient action in order to receive emergency treatment, a critical step should therefore be taken to minimize complications related to pregnancy, in order to ensure the safety of both women and newborns. Aim of the work: Evaluate the effectiveness of the education programs for pregnant women on obstetric danger signs in rural areas and help minimize the incidence of pregnancy loss and comorbidities. Methods: A quasi-experimental design on 70 women from a population of through 372 women in six-month in antenatal clinics recruited from the previously mentioned settings with pre- and post-test was conducted at antenatal clinics (M.C.H centers) affiliated to the available geographical health zones in EL-fayoum rural area including: Al-sheikh hassan at sanorse. We collected the data of women characteristics by a self-administered interview questionnaire & a structured reported knowledge and practices checklist to evaluate pregnant women practices and knowledge. Follow up was done to the studied groups & histopathology assessments of the product of conception in cases of abortion secondary to the complications to compare between effect of antenatal care program on the woman who followed the program and those who did not. Results: There is an improvement in 63% of pregnant women knowledge and practices after educational program in all aspects. The most common danger signs that may occur during pregnancy were miscarriage and vaginal bleeding, intrauterine fetal death as reported by women & confirmed by the histopathology reports. Conclusion: The educational program had an efficient improving women knowledge and practice regarding danger signs for pregnant women in rural areas, with highly statically significant differences in all the tested items between pre/post program implementation (P < 0.001). Recommendations: Establishment of in-service training programs and continuous supervision in rural areas to a raise women knowledge and practice regarding educational pregnant women and developing antenatal classes for all pregnant women about obstetric danger signs.