The unbooked patient. Part II. Outcome of pregnancy in unbooked coloured patients.

The fetal outcome was compared in 200 unbooked pregnancies and in 310 pregnancies in which the mothers had booked before 22 weeks' gestation. Of the babies born to the unbooked mothers 36% weighed less than 2,500 g compared with only 12.5% in the booked group. Among the unbooked patients the neonatal mortality rate was three times higher than among booked cases. Maternal intrinsic factors, including parity and socio-economic status, made a major contribution to the incidence of low-birth-weight babies. The need for improved attendance at clinics and for education about antenatal care in the coloured population under review is well documented. The introduction of peripheral clinics and free antenatal care could play a major role in improving fetal outcome.