The factors affecting gestational age at booking in Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria
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Date
2015
Authors
ADEGBOLA, O
Kuku, T.O
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wolters Kluwer India Private Limited
Abstract
Background: Antenatal care is an important part of safe motherhood and plays a major
role in maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity reduction. Thus early antenatal
bookings contribute immensely to good pregnancy outcome. Objective: To ascertain the
factors that determine gestational age at booking in Lagos University Teaching Hospital
(LUTH) and how these factors affect timing of seeking antenatal care in the hospital.
Materials and Methods: A cross‑sectional study of 302 consenting consecutive pregnant
women attending the antenatal clinic in LUTH from October 2009 to April 2010. Results: The
mean age of the women was 31.5 ± 5 years (range 17‑46 years) and the mean gestational age
at booking was 18.9 ± 7.8 weeks (range 6‑40 weeks). The majority of women, booked at 20
completed weeks or less were 185 (61.3%), while 117 (38.7%) booked after 20 completed weeks.
The main reason for early booking for most patients was physician referral in 36.8%, while 27.6%
perceived benefit by husband, partner or patient was the reason for early booking. The main
reason for late booking was late referral from the previous hospitals where they initially booked.
Conclusion: Most of the women booked early did so as a result of their doctor’s referral due to
complications in pregnancy. Late booking was mainly due to late referrals from other hospitals
Description
Keywords
Antenatal booking, early and late booking, factors responsible, gestational age, influencing factors