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Impact of health education during pregnancy on behavior and utilization of health resources. Latin American Network for Perinatal and Reproductive Research.

OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to assess whether an intervention in the education of the mother and the support person involves a change in health-related behavior and use of health facilities.


STUDY DESIGN
A randomized, controlled trial was conducted in four cities of Latin America on pregnant women at risk. Half of them (n = 1115) received a home intervention of four to six visits dealing with psychosocial support and education about health-related habits, alarm signs, hospital facilities, antismoking and antialcohol programs, and a reinforcement of adequate health services utilization for the pregnant woman and a support person. The control group (n = 1120) received routine prenatal care.


RESULTS
The distribution of risk factors and demographic, obstetric, and psychologic characteristics at baseline was similar in both groups. Women in the intervention group showed a statistically significant better knowledge of seven of the nine alarm signs considered and of two of the three labor-onset signs required. No differences between groups were observed in improvement on diet, cigarette and alcohol consumption, maternal physical strain, lactation at 40 days postpartum, and utilization of health facilities.


CONCLUSIONS
An intervention of psychosocial support and health education during pregnancy failed to show any benefit on perinatal outcome, health-related behavior, or utilization of health facilities.