Antenatal care in southern Sweden. A population-based prospective study describing the diagnostic panorama of pregnancy.

All pregnant women from the catchment areas of three health centres in southern Sweden, registered for antenatal care during the calendar year 1986, were included in the study population. Four hundred and nine women could be prospectively followed throughout pregnancy. By 15 completed weeks, 95% of the women were registered at an antenatal clinic. Only 2 women had no antenatal care at all. During the course of pregnancy the 409 women made altogether 6,058 (mean 14.8) visits to the health and medical services, most of them (95%) were to an antenatal clinic. Common obstetrical problems were vaginitis, symphysiolysis, threat of preterm labour, and vaginal bleeding; and common non-obstetrical problems were low back pain and respiratory tract infections. During pregnancy 42% of the women were prescribed some sort of medication, and 53% were sicklisted on one or more occasions. The outcome of pregnancy was comparable to figures for all Sweden.