OBJECTIVE: To determine prenatal care influence on maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Arzobixpo Loayza National hospital, Lima, Peru, a teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Four hundred and fifty-five pregnant women hospitalized until delivery between August 1st and October 30th, 2005. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were divided in 4 groups according to the number of prenatal care visits: no prenatal visits (n= 30), 1 to 4 visits (n= 85), 5 to 8 (n= 216) and 9 or more (n= 124). Kessner’s index was used to determine the quality of prenatal care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: According to Kessner’s index 115 pregnant women (25,3%) had inadequate prenatal care and 340 (74,7%) intermediate or adequate prenatal care. Those with inadequate prenatal care presented 6 times higher risk of having a prematur...

OBJECTIVE: To determine prenatal care influence on maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Arzobixpo Loayza National hospital, Lima, Peru, a teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Four hundred and fifty-five pregnant women hospitalized until delivery between August 1st and October 30th, 2005. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were divided in 4 groups according to the number of prenatal care visits: no prenatal visits (n= 30), 1 to 4 visits (n= 85), 5 to 8 (n= 216) and 9 or more (n= 124). Kessner’s index was used to determine the quality of prenatal care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: According to Kessner’s index 115 pregnant women (25,3%) had inadequate prenatal care and 340 (74,7%) intermediate or adequate prenatal care. Those with inadequate prenatal care presented 6 times higher risk of having a prematur...