Home pregnancy test kits facilitate better prenatal care
POSTED February 12, 2009 - 11:46 | POSTED BY Neharika Sabharwal
Last edited by Shikha Patial on February 12, 2009 - 12:04
Michigan, February 11: A Michigan State University has come up with a novel way of influencing women to be more aware of potential pregnancy. According to them, providing women with home pregnancy-kits could have a positive effect on newborn infants.
Researchers discovered that women who had pregnancy test-kits at home not only could suspect pregnancy on time but also took tests more frequently.
Mary Nettleman, chairwoman of the College of Human Medicine said, “The top reason women do not seek prenatal care is they do not realize they are pregnant. Women who do not realize they are pregnant will not change harmful behaviors such as drinking and smoking, which can lead to developmental problems in newborns.”
The method of home pregnancy kits may prove beneficial for women indulging in unprotected sex to keep track of potential pregnancy. This may in turn lead to better prenatal care.
Nettleman stated, “This simple intervention was able to do what no other study has done. Influence women to be more vigilant about potential pregnancy.”
The study participants were the low-income women who had been indulging in unprotected sex and not trying to conceive. Women in the intervention group were given free home-pregnancy tests. It was observed that these women suspected a potential pregnancy two times more than those in the control group, leading them to undertake the test frequently. Once pregnancy was suspected, 93 percent of the women in the intervention group had a pregnancy test, compared to 64 percent in the control group.
The researchers believed that knowledge of pregnancy enables women to manage her reproductive health care. Most women are unaware of a prospective pregnancy in the initial weeks and may sometimes unknowingly harm the unborn infant.
Nettleman revealed that "Telling a woman she is pregnant will often cause her to immediately stop or cut down on smoking, drinking and other behaviors that can hurt the baby. The problem is that many women do not recognize they are pregnant for several weeks, which is all it takes for the heart and brain to form. Earlier pregnancy recognition could have a huge impact on the health of newborns in this country.”
The study appears in the current edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
