When do pregnant women attend for antenatal care?

The case records of a representative sample of 313 women from four health districts in the North-east Thames Health Region were reviewed to determine the stage of pregnancy at which they contact antenatal services. Patients seeking care (when a blood specimen was obtained) after 20 weeks' gestation ranged from 6% to 26%. These women were more likely to be of higher parity and immigrants. Appreciable delays in obtaining an early blood specimen, or in referral to a hospital antenatal clinic, were due to delay by hospitals in giving appointments and, to a lesser extent, to slowness of general practitioners in referring patients or taking blood.