Postnatal Care: The Impact of Early Visits among Parturients in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria

Background: Postnatal care is an important preventative health programme capable of reducing maternal and infant morbidity and mortality but had been underutilized in developing countries. Proper utilization has been associated with improved patient satisfaction.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the usefulness of additional visit at 7-9 days postpartum to the pre-existing protocol of postnatal visit at 6 weeks only and to determine the pickup rates of postpartum complications between the two protocols.

Methodology: This was a comparative interventional study among parturients who attended postnatal care in two hospitals in Enugu, South East Nigeria. Data was analysed using SSPS statistical software version 20.0 for windows (Chicago IL, USA). Test of significance was done using the Pearson’s Chi-square test and the level of significance was taken at P value ≤ 0.05.

Results: Compliance with the additional visit (7-9 days and 6 weeks) was 37.3% and 52.5% for the traditional model (6 weeks only). More women presented with complaints at 7-9 days than at 6 weeks (85.6%) versus (12%), (P ≤ 0.001); postpartum hypertension (12.2%) versus (2.2%), (P ≤ 0.001) and postpartum depression (5.3%) versus (1.8%), (P ≤ 0.001).

Conclusion: Compliance with early visits at 7-9 days postpartum enhanced the chances of picking up postpartum morbidities. This should be emphasized during antenatal counseling sessions.