Background: Pregnancy is a crucial time to promote health thus good antenatal care can promote mother and new born health &links mother with formal health system with increasing chance of using a skilled attendant at birth while inadequate care during this time increases mortality & morbidity of mother & new born.
Objectives: Assessment of Antenatal Care Services in relation with Iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy.
Patients and Methods; A descriptive study was carried out in 12 health centers , which were chosen randomly in Behri area (part of Khartoum City) in Sudan that (300) available pregnant females in 3rd trimester were interviewed (using non probability convenience sampling) by using a questionnaire paper during the period between September– December2010.
Results; The study revealed that most of females were educated & all of their husbands were educated, more than half of them were over thirty & 22% below fifteen , about quarter of them had history of previous abortion & had complications mostly hypertension .The prevalence of anemia was 60% , 40% had mild anemia (mean hemoglobin & S.D 10.18, ±0.51), C.I (10.58 –9.79) , p value <0.05) & 20% had moderate anemia with mean hemoglobin & S.D 7.63 , ± 0.12) ,C.I (7.64- 7.61), p value <0.05). Regarding antenatal care services less than half had taken ferrofole tablet for once & 20% for twice/ day with significant association, P value = 0.001. All of them attended antenatal care centers in the 2nd trimester and mostly for less than 4 visits that mostly affected by education, occupation of females with significance association ,P value = 0.001 , 0.01 respectively & also affected by education of husbands with significant association , P value = 0.001.Regarding dietary pattern most of them had poor intake of white meat , had good intake of carbohydrate unless rice & macaroni . For vegetables more than half had poor intake of green pepper, green leaves, spinach, chard & all of them had poor intake of grape.
Conclusion; More than half of respondents were anemic ,with high risk pregnancy &still had insufficient coverage & inadequate utilization of antenatal care services which mostly affected by maternal education & occupation , husband’s education & availability with poor spacing between last child & another which affected by parity while for dietary pattern there was average & poor intake of food that rich with iron .
