European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Introduction:
The health of mother and child are closely interlinked and tend to influence each other.Apart from health service related factors, maternal characteristics like genes, socio-demographic profile, behavioural pattern, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain, etc may contribute to birth weight and consequently to child survival.Ergo nowadays maternal and child health are provided in an integrated package.
Aims & objectives: The aimsis to study the maternal characteristics of pregnant women residing in Bahourcommune panchayat, a rural area of Pondicherry UT. Materials & method:
The study is a community based longitudinal study conducted in Anganwadi centres under Bahourcommune panchayat from January 2012 to May 2012. All registered and consented pregnant women fulfilling the inclusion criteria within the designated period were included in the study. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered and followed up with periodical height, weight and blood pressure measurements.
Results & discussion:
The study population were mostly young adults (21-30 years), highly literate (87.7%) with few childhood marriage, well informed with 100% ante natal registration, had better access to ante natal services, bore lesser number of children (1.13) and had greater acceptance of female gender. These positive attributes were marred by lower socio-economic status, wide spread patriarchal mindsetand high prevalence of anaemia, pre-hypertension and hypertension.
Conclusion: Notwithstanding of high literacy and better access to health care facilities the high prevalence of Anaemia, pre hypertension and hypertension emphasis the need of further research.