Pré-natal em mulheres usuárias do Sistema Único de Saúde em duas maternidades no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: a cor importa?

Prenatal care of Brazilian women: racial inequalities and their implications for care

The study aimed to characterize women that attended prenatal care in Brazil according to ethnicity/skin color and sociodemographic variables and to verify the association between the indicators of the prenatal care process and the women's ethnicity/skin color. This was a population based, cross-sectional study carried out with data from the National Health Survey of 2013. A bivariate analysis was performed using the multilevel logistic regression model, estimating the odds ratio and the respective 95% confidence intervals to test the association between the indicators of the adequate prenatal care process and the women's ethnicity/skin color. The findings showed that black women have a lower chance of starting prenatal care before 12 weeks of gestation, having 6 or more consultations, performing the HIV test, performing the VDRL exam or receiving advice related to care during gestation and childbirth. Inequalities were identified in the healthcare of Brazilian women during prenatal care, related to ethnicity/skin color and other sociodemographic characteristics. It was concluded that being of black ethnicity and living in a socially disadvantaged area entails disadvantages for women regarding access to a prenatal care considered to be adequate according to the criteria established by the Brazilian Ministry of Health.

Prenatal care of Brazilian women: racial inequalities and their implications for care

Abstract The study aimed to characterize women that attended prenatal care in Brazil according to ethnicity/skin color and sociodemographic variables and to verify the association between the indicators of the prenatal care process and the women’s ethnicity/skin color. This was a population based, cross-sectional study carried out with data from the National Health Survey of 2013. A bivariate analysis was performed using the multilevel logistic regression model, estimating the odds ratio and the respective 95% confidence intervals to test the association between the indicators of the adequate prenatal care process and the women’s ethnicity/skin color. The findings showed that black women have a lower chance of starting prenatal care before 12 weeks of gestation, having 6 or more consultations, performing the HIV test, performing the VDRL exam or receiving advice related to care during gestation and childbirth. Inequalities were identified in the healthcare of Brazilian women during prenatal care, related to ethnicity/skin color and other sociodemographic characteristics. It was concluded that being of black ethnicity and living in a socially disadvantaged area entails disadvantages for women regarding access to a prenatal care considered to be adequate according to the criteria established by the Brazilian Ministry of Health.

Racial inequality in obstetric good practices and interventions in labor and birth care in Rede Cegonha

This study aimed to evaluate the racial inequality on childbirth care at the Rede Cegonha (Stork Network) using obstetric good practice and interventions indicators. Racial inequality, measured by the total effect of ethnicity/skin color in the crude model, was seen in many indicators. After adjusting for mediators, such as age, schooling, parity, high-risk hospital, and geographic macro-regions, the persistent direct effect suggests racial discrimination against black women with lower partograph completion (PR 0.88; 95% CI 0.80-0.95). Black women stayed less in lithotomy (PR 0.93; 95% CI 0.89-0.98), performed less episiotomy (PR 0.81; 95% CI 0.68 - 0.96), and had less episiotomy suturing pain (PR 0.66; 95% CI 0.51 - 0.87) when compared to white women, suggesting more good practice applied to black women. However, according to the interventionist care model still adopted by many professionals, these practices are routine, and lower achievement in black women would be better interpreted as evidence of racial discrimination against these women. For other outcomes, the ethnicity/skin color effect disappeared after adjusting for mediators, suggesting mitigation or disappearance of the skin color effect in some practices/interventions in childbirth.

Sociodemographic, sexual, and reproductive variables associated with pregnancy among adolescents from low socioeconomic background

Adolescent pregnancy remains a public health concern in both developed and developing countries. Portugal and Brazil represent some of the best examples of this phenomenon. The present study aimed to identify sociodemographic, sexual, and reproductive health-related variables associated with adolescent pregnancy among students from low socioeconomic backgrounds in both countries. The sample included 984 female adolescents, among whom 215 became pregnant. Living with a partner and lack of information about sex and contraception from the family were the best explicative factors for pregnancy occurrence in both countries. Country-specific variables were also identified. Our results may contribute to developing global preventive interventions, addressing the school as an ideal setting for primary intervention and considering culture-specific characteristics of high-risk populations.

Social and geographical inequalities in the performance of prenatal care in a metropolitan area of Brazil

This study analyzed the social and geographical inequalities in the performance of prenatal medical care in the Unified Health System (SUS) in the Metropolitan Region of Grande Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 1,209 puerperae living in this region, admitted for childbirth from 2010 to 2011. Data about prenatal care and contextual, enabling, and social characteristics were collected, following the Andersen's Behavioral Model. The performance of prenatal care was classified into five levels, including information on the number of prenatal visits, initial and repetitive examinations, tetanus vaccination, gestational risk management, and participation in educational activities. The likelihood of different levels of prenatal care performance was analyzed using a multivariate multinomial model, according to maternal social variables. High prenatal coverage (98%) and 4.4% care adequacy were identified. The likelihood of access to prenatal care was increased by enabling, contextual, and social factors. The relationship between prenatal care quality and pregnant women's social and geographical conditions must be considered in the organization of services to achieve equity and reduce maternal and perinatal morbimortality.

Adequacy of prenatal assistance in birth houses and causes associated with hospital transfers

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the adequacy of prenatal care in a Birth Center and the causes associated with maternal and newborn transfers to the hospital.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study of the care provided at the only Birth Center in Rio de Janeiro, from 2009 to 2014. Statistical analyzes were based on the χ2 test and Prevalence Ratio (PR).

RESULTS

Suitable prenatal care was predominant (42.8%) and there was no association (p = 0.55) with the transfers. Maternal transfer is caused by the ruptured amniotic sac (PR = 2.09, 95% CI 1.62-2.70) and altered fetal heart rates (PR = 3.06, 95% CI, 2.13-4.39). Newborn transfers are associated with the presence of meconium in the amniotic fluid (PR = 2.40, 95% CI 1.30-4.43); Apgar below 7 (PR = 5.33, 95% CI 2.65-10.73); and ventilatory assistance at birth (PR = 9.41, 95% CI 5.52-16.04).

CONCLUSION

Complications during intrapartum care are the causes associated with transfers.

Economic and racial inequalities in the prenatal care of pregnant teenagers in Brazil, 2011-2012

Abstract Objectives: to analyze the prenatal care of pregnant teenagers interviewed in the post-partum period in Brazilian maternity hospitals, according to economic status and skin color. Methods: data were obtained from the Birth in Brazil study, a national hospital-based survey in 2011 and 2012. Information was obtained from interviews with the postpartum women and from data collected from their prenatal cards. Multivariate logistic regression was used to verify whether maternal and prenatal care characteristics were associated with ina-dequate prenatal care. Results: a total of 3,317 teenage mothers were interviewed in the postpartum period, 84.4% of whom had received inadequate prenatal care, with worse results for lower-income, lower-schooling, and multiparous teens. In the same way, it became evident the higher proportion of black teenagers and those from economic classes D/E among those who failed to receive routine laboratory tests, who received little orientation on the pregnancy, labor, and childbirth, and who were forced to go from one maternity hospital to another before being admitted to give birth. Conclusions: strategies targeted to the most vulnerable pregnant teenagers should be implemented in order to achieve greater equality in teenagers’ prenatal care, seeking to assure easier access, earlier initiation of care, and greater case-resolution capacity

Gestational risk and social inequalities: a possible relationship?

This study aims to analyze the association between social inequalities and gestational risk in administrative regions of the state of Espírito Santo. This is a cross-sectional study based on two administrative regions of the state of Espírito Santo. The sample consisted of 1,777 women who underwent prenatal care in the municipalities of the Greater Vitória Metropolitan Region (RMGV-ES) and São Mateus Microregion (MRSM) and were admitted to the public health facilities at the time of delivery between 2010 and 2012/2013. The multivariate logistic regression was performed to test the association between social and gestational risk variables. Variables with a significance level < 0.20 in the Chi-square test were adopted for the final model, and only those variables with a p-value < 0.05 remained. An association was found between high gestational risk and women's dwelling place in the RMGV-ES (OR = 1.74; CI95% 1.32-2.28), women as head of households (OR = 3.03; CI95% 1.64-5.61), head of household with less than five years of schooling (OR = 1.58; CI95% 1.14-2.20) and receipt of social benefit "Bolsa Família" (Family Grant) (OR = 1.46; CI95% 1.04-2.03). While some social variables underpin the classification of gestational risk, other social factors have been shown to produce this risk.

Neonatal near miss and mortality: factors associated with life-threatening conditions in newborns at six public maternity hospitals in Southeast Brazil

We aimed to evaluate factors associated with cases of neonatal near miss and neonatal deaths at six public maternity hospitals in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro States, Brazil, in 2011. A prospective hospital-based birth cohort investigated these outcomes among live births with life-threatening conditions. Associations were tested using multinomial logistic regression models with hierarchical levels. High rates of near miss were observed for maternal syphilis (52.2‰ live births) and lack of prenatal care (80.8‰ live births). Maternal black skin color (OR = 1.9; 95%CI: 1.2-3.2), hemorrhage (OR = 2.2; 95%CI: 1.3-3.9), hypertension (OR = 3.0; 95%CI: 2.0-4.4), syphilis (OR = 3.3; 95%CI: 1.5-7.2), lack of prenatal care (OR = 5.6; 95%CI: 2.6-11.7), cesarean section and hospital, were associated with near miss; while hemorrhage (OR = 4.6; 95%CI: 1,8-11.3), lack of prenatal care (OR = 17.4; 95%CI: 6.5-46.8) and hospital, with death. Improvements in access to qualified care for pregnant women and newborns are necessary to reduce neonatal life-threatening conditions.