Awareness and Perception of Pregnant Women Towards Fetal Anomaly Ultrasound Scan in Secondary Healthcare Facilities in South-West Nigeria Perception of pregnant women towards prenatal fetal anomaly ultrasound Section Original Articles

Abstract

ABSTRACT: 

Background: Pregnant women are curious to know about their growing baby, hence they should know about different prenatal diagnostic modalities that can be used to detect any structural or anatomical defect such as prenatal anomaly ultrasound scan. The prenatal identification, diagnosis of congenital defects, and options of intervention including timing are important to the pregnant woman/couple for good outcome of the baby.  

Objective: To assess the awareness and perception of fetal anomaly ultrasound scan among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in secondary health facilities and factors associated with uptake.

Methods: A multicenter descriptive cross-sectional study of pregnant women conducted at Adeoyo Maternity Teaching Hospital, Ring Road State Hospital, and Jericho Specialist Hospital, Ibadan. The study participants were pregnant women receiving prenatal care at government-owned secondary healthcare facilities in Ibadan, Nigeria. A pretested semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used. Information obtained include: sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics, knowledge of antenatal obstetric ultrasound and anomaly ultrasound scan.  Data was entered using SPSS version 25.0 and analysed using STATA version 16.0. Level of significance was set at p<0.05.

Results: A total of 427 pregnant women were enrolled into the study. About 259(60.6%) had good knowledge of obstetric ultrasound while 24(5.7%) had poor knowledge. Perception about anomaly ultrasound was majorly poor with 146(34.3%) and 208(48.7%) in primiparous and multiparous respectively. Knowledge was associated with age (p<0.05), education (p<0.05) and number of anomaly-USS done (p<0.01). Similarly, good perception was connected to previous congenital anomaly (p<0.01) and anomaly-USS awareness (p<0.001). Hence, the level of education and awareness of fetal anomaly ultrasound increased good perception.

Conclusion: The awareness and knowledge of fetal anomaly ultrasound will improve the perception and uptake among pregnant women. Awareness should be improved through counselling and health education on fetal anomaly ultrasound scan in the antenatal clinic.