Prenatal and puerperal care and indicators of severity: A study about the information available on pregnant women’s card

Abstract

Objectives: To identify and to discuss the frequency of the prenatal and puerperal care of pregnant women from the eastern zone of São Paulo city, São Paulo State, Brazil, categorizing it according to the Kessner Index modified in 1993 by Takeda. We used the data available on the card of pregnant woman and the discharge summaries, correlating the results with the indicators of severity in childbirth. Methods: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional quantitative study based on the analysis of the variables of the pregnant woman's card and the diagnoses identified in the discharge summaries. Data were collected through a field survey conducted in the Eastern zone of the city of São Paulo city, São Paulo State, Brazil. A statistical analysis was used to identify associations between the categorization and the severity indicators listed in the discharge summaries. Results: It was observed that prenatal care in the Eastern zone of São Paulo city, São Paulo State, Brazil was classified as intermediate (56.9%) in the majority of women. Regarding this categorization with the severity indicators, there is a higher incidence of risks for inappropriate categorization (8.89%) when compared to the appropriate (1.67%) and the intermediate (4.44%) ones. Conclusions: It was possible to conclude that the more adequate prenatal care, the lower the chances of unfavorable outcomes and incidence of risks.