Utilization of Postnatal Care in Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia

Objectives: To assess utilization of postnatal care and to define the magnitude of postnatal maternal morbidities in Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A descriptive study involved 1,996 mothers, representing 94.7% of mothers giving birth during a four months duration in the catchment areas of 15 Primary Health Care Centers (PHCCs) in urban, rural and hegar (deserts collection) localities. Trained Arabic-speaking nurses collected data from family files and maternity cards kept at PHCCs as well as by an interview with mothers, two months after delivery, at infant vaccination sessions. Results: Less than half of the mothers received postnatal care, mostly (88.7%) at PHCCs. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the independent predictors of seeking postnatal care were the presence of maternal morbidities (OR=8.0), long pregnancy spacing (OR=1.9) and antenatal care at private clinic (OR=1.3). No maternal mortality was recorded in the chosen PHCCs during the study period. About 5% of mothers reported one or more postnatal morbidities. The most frequent postnatal morbidity was breast engorgement/abscess. Conclusions: Postnatal care coverage is low and is often considered as unnecessary. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an awareness-raising program highlighting the importance and availability of postnatal care. Antenatal care visits are good opportunities to counsel mothers about postnatal care.