A Randomized Control Trial for Assessing the Use of Mobile Phone for Improvement of Essential Obstetric Care among Antenatal Mothers In ACS

Dr. Preeti Nilesh Shirodkar, Dr. Jikki Kalaiselvi, Dr. Vijayalakshmi Gnanasekaran

Abstract: Cellular networks are growing rapidly and people are using their mobiles more than ever. So health care can be provided in a new way. Health - education applications for mobile phones are particularly needed now. It is a way of making sure new mothers know something about what they should be eating and also getting people more familiar with iron tablets, folic acid supplements and tetanus injections. The research initiative focused on maternal health improvement and better results for mothers and their newborns. The goal was to optimize antenatal, natal and postnatal care services through mobile phone communication between medical staff and rural community members worldwide. The study employed a prospective randomized controlled trial to distribute two hundred pregnant women with personal mobile phones between control and intervention groups. The control group women received their antenatal care instructions through traditional hospital - based verbal communication. The intervention group received mobile phone calls for appointment reminders and text message (SMS) communications about essential antenatal care information at appropriate times. The study tracked three primary outcome measures which consisted of antenatal visit attendance rates for pregnant women and hospital birth rates and postnatal check - up frequencies. The intervention group achieved better maternal health outcomes than the control group according to the study results. Above all antenatal visit numbers increased substantially but the intervention also enhanced the rate of Iron consumption along with tetanus toxoid immunization and postnatal check - up appointments. This research demonstrates compelling evidence through mobile phone intervention services about how to boost the antenatal visit attendance rate among women to its recommended four visits. The study findings support the implementation of mobile - phone health information services to modify post - distribution behavioral patterns. Mobile technology proves essential for women's preventive health care services including antenatal, natal and postnatal care. Mobile technology particularly SMS (short message service) provides dynamic and effective information services to pregnant women according to the research findings.

Keywords: Antenatal care, M - health, Maternal health, Postnatal visits