Author(s)

Neriman Aydin¹, Birgul Ozcirpici^1*, Mithat Temizer²

¹Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey.
²Sahinbey Community Health Center, Gaziantep, Turkey.

As maternal deaths have decreased worldwide, increasing attention has been placed on the study of severe obstetric complications, such as hemorrhage, eclampsia, and obstructed labor, to identify where improvements can be made in maternal health. The objective of this study was to determine pregnancy complications and prenatal care among women aged 15 - 49 in Oğuzeli, Turkey, and to provide data for prevention in the field. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted between February and May 2013 in Oğuzeli distinct, Turkey. The total women registered to family doctors in Oğuzeli was listed and, 470 women were selected using a stratified and simple random sampling technique. Pregnancy complications were asked for the last pregnancy of each women. Of the women, 23.9% (n = 109) declared that they experienced pregnancy complications during their pregnancies. The most frequent problems were anemia (11.1%) hypertension (3.7%) and diabetes mellitus (2.4%) respectively. Women having chronic diseases before their pregnancy were more likely to have pregnancy complications compared to healthy women (p = 0.005). The mean number of prenatal care among women having pregnancy complications was 5.47 ± 3.57, while it was 3.84 ± 3.00 among healthy women (p = 0.000). Women having chronic diseases should be handled carefully and, pregnancy should be delayed until the chronic disease’s remission. Family planning in primary care is the key measure to archive this. Early diagnosis of hypertension among young women is highly important for the women’s and infants’s health during pregnancy, and for the women’s future heath. During prenatal care, women should be trained about correct eating habits and activity.

Pregnancy Complications, Women Aged 15 - 49, Prenatal Care

Aydin, N. , Ozcirpici, B. and Temizer, M. (2016) Prevelance of Pregnancy Complications among Women Aged 15 - 49 in Oğuzeli, Turkey. Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 6, 623-629. doi: 10.4236/ojog.2016.611078.