A Brief Overview of Antenatal Care Services at Two Primary Care Centers in Bangladesh

Background: The health and well-being of mothers and their fetuses depend on the timely utilization of antenatal care (ANC) and delivery services. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the current situation of ANC services at primary care centers in Bangladesh. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at two primary healthcare centers in Bangladesh over a six-month period. A total of 359 childbearing women who visited for ANC services were interviewed using a semistructured questionnaire. ANC service utilization was assessed in terms of the number of ANC visits, presence of health personnel, availability of iron tablets and folic acid, informing danger signs, and number of tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccinations, along with the overall satisfaction of participants during service utilization. Results: The majority of participants were between 21 and 25 years old (37.6%), lived in semiurban (municipal area) areas (49.3%), and had completed at least secondary school (52.4%). Thirty-five percent of women were primigravid. Among participants, 55.7% had their first ANC visit. Only 45.1% women had completed the TT vaccination before the visit. Advice on family planning (72.4%) and eating nutritious food during pregnancy (82.5%) was received. Iron and folic acid tablets were accessible to 94.7% of the patients. During the ANC visit, privacy was maintained (96.4%), danger signs were addressed (83.6%), and the behaviors of healthcare providers were rated as very good (47.1%) or good (50.4%). Overall satisfaction with services was reported by 81.6% of participants. Conclusion: The high level of participant satisfaction reflects the overall positive quality of primary health care services.