Antenatal Care is the care a woman receives throughout her pregnancy
It provides an opportunity to reach pregnant women with multiple interventions, including:
- Immunisations
- Healthy nutrition and micronutrient supplementation
- Improved hygiene practices
- Identification and management of obstetric complications
- Identification and management of infections
- Promote healthy behaviours such as breastfeeding, early postnatal care and family planning
Four antenatal visits must be ensured during pregnancy
This is according to a new approach established by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2002, called focused antenatal care (FANC):
| First visit |
Beyond 16 weeks of pregnancy |
| Second visit |
Between 24 and 28 weeks |
| Third visit |
Between 30 and 32 weeks |
| Fourth visit |
Between 36 and 40 weeks. |