Antenatal Care Adequacy in Three Provinces of Vietnam: Long an, Ben Tre, and Quang Ngai

Vietnam has high numbers of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. Each year, 1,500 women die and 45,000 others become disabled as a result of pregnancy and childbirth complications. There were 37,700 neonatal deaths in Vietnam in 1999. The maternal mortality rate is 165 per 100,000 live births and the infant mortality rate is around 30 per 1,000 live births. Antenatal care (ANC) has been proven to be effective in preventing pregnancy adverse outcomes. For ANC to be effective, women should have enough visits at appropriate times, with sufficient ANC content. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends four visits at the 4th, 6th or 7th, 8th, and 9th month for women in developing countries. The Vietnamese government recommends three visits, one during each trimester. WHO recommends three basic components of ANC content: (1) biomedical assessment based on medical history, physical examination, and laboratory tests; (2) health promotion; and (3) care provision.