Abstract:
A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among pregna1 mothers who had
completed 36 weeks of gestation. Data were collected using an interviewer administered
questionnaire from mothers who were either admitted for delivery of attended a referral
clinic at the General Hospital Vavuniya and the District Hospitall Cheddikulam. The I
sample included 392 consecutive pregnant mothers. The majority of the respondents were
Sri Lankan Tamils by ethnicity (82.4 percent), and Hindus by religion (71.2 percent). More
than half of the respondents (58.4 percent) reported that their family was affected directly by
the conflict. The results revealed that: 68.4 percent of mothers were registered by PHM for
ANC; I 31.4 percent were registered by PHM before 12 weeks of gestation; 38.5 percent
were;~, PHM; 37.8 percent had booking clinic visit before 12 weeks of gestation; 90
percent had made at least four antenatal clinic visits. Average antenatal clinic visits to
specialist antenatal clinics (5.34, 95 percent CI: 5.03-5.65) was significantly higher than that
of field c1inic (2.97,95 percent CI: 2.69-3.25). On average a pregnant mother was seen by
a PHM at home 1.47 times (95 percent C I: 1.25-1.70) during the pregnancy. Almost all
mothers had seen a specialist in Obstetrics (97.9 percent ) at least once during their
antenatal period. Approximately 52 percent of mothers had complications in the past or
present pregnancy. Proportion of antenatal registration was significantly lower in mothers in
urban areas and affected by conflict than others. There was a statistically significant
difference in rate of mothers visited at home by PHM between MOH areas, with Vavuniya
south reporting the highest rate (69.2 percent ) and Cheddikulam reporting the lowest (14.7
percent ). There was no statistically significant difference in frequency of ANC clinic visits
between mothers wit different selected socio-demographic characteristics.
