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Table 1 Recommended timing and content of antenatal visits

From: Mobile phones improve antenatal care attendance in Zanzibar: a cluster randomized controlled trial

 

First visit

Second visit

Third visit

Fourth visit

 

<16 weeks

20–24 weeks

28–32 weeks

36–40 weeks

Goal

Confirm pregnancy and expected date of delivery

Assess maternal and fetal well-being

Assess maternal and fetal well-being

Assess maternal and fetal well-being

 

Classify women for basic ANC or more specialized care

Exclude PIH and anaemia

Exclude PIH and anaemia and multiple pregnancies

Exclude PIH, anaemia, multiple pregnancies and malpresentation

 

Screen, treat and give preventive measures

Give preventive measures

Give preventive measures

Give preventive measures

 

Develop a birth and emergency plan

Review and modify birth and emergency plan

Review and modify birth and emergency plan

Review and modify birth and emergency plan

 

Advice and counsel

Advice and counsel

Advice and counsel

Advice and counsel

Screening and test

Blood pressure

Blood pressure

Blood pressure

Blood pressure

 

Haemoglobin

Haemoglobin

Haemoglobin

Haemoglobin

 

Protenuria*

Protenuria*

Protenuria*

Protenuria*

 

Bacteriuria**

Bacteriuria**

Bacteriuria**

Bacteriuria**

 

HIV

   
 

Syphilis

   
 

Blood/Rh group**

   

Preventive measures

Tetanus toxoid***

 

Tetanus toxoid***

 
 

Iron and folate

Iron and folate

Iron and folate

Iron and folate

  

IPTp****

IPTp****

 
  

ARV if eligible

ARV if eligible

ARV if eligible

  1. *Only nulliparous women, women with previous pre-eclampsia and women with diastolic blood pressure above 90. **Additional intervention for use in referral centres but not recommended as routine for resource-limited settings. *** TT1 at first antenatal care visit, TT2 at least four weeks after, TT3 at least six months later, TT4 at least 1 year later, TT5 at least one year later. Five doses are considered to give protection during the rest of the childbearing years. ****1 st dose gestational week 16–28, 2 nd dose gestational week 28–40. There should be at least four weeks between doses. ANC = antenatal care, PIH = Pregnancy Induced Hypertension, IPTp = Intermittent Preventive Treatment in pregnancy.