Consumer opinion of when to attend for hospital antenatal care.

Between May 1985 and June 1986 a case control study of late and early antenatal bookings took place in two South Wales hospitals, one urban and one rural. The study examined respondents' opinions on the importance of early hospital antenatal care and the optimum time for a booking visit. Respondents were asked to state the major influence on their opinions regarding antenatal care. It was found that the majority of both late and early attenders thought that early hospital antenatal care was important, but of these many, particularly late attenders, had no accurate idea of the advisable gestation for first attendance. The most frequently mentioned influence on the respondents' opinions was health service literature provided during antenatal care. Some of these booklets gave no specific advice on when the first hospital visit should take place.