Use of outpatient health services by postpartum women and newborns: data from the Birth in Brazil study

This study aims to estimate postpartum use of outpatient health services and verify the demographic, socioeconomic, and obstetric factors associated with use. A nationwide hospital-based study in 2011-2012 interviewed 23,894 women. Point estimates and respective confidence intervals were calculated for eight indicators of health services use, with performance assessed as “satisfactory” (75%-100%); “partial” (50%-74%), or “unsatisfactory” (< 50%). Multiple logistic regression was performed to verify the association between women’s characteristics and each target indicator. Four indicators (“visit to health service for postpartum follow-up” (73.9%; 95%CI: 72.4-75.3), “visit to health service for neonatal follow-up” (91.6%; 95%CI: 90.6-92.5), “BCG vaccination” (99%; 95%CI: 98.7-99.2), and “HBV vaccination” (96.8%; 95%CI: 96.0-97.5) were considered satisfactory. “Neonatal screening test in the first week of life” was considered partial (60.1%; 95%CI: 57.6-62.6), while “woman’s consultation in the first 15 days postpartum” (37%; 95%CI: 35.0-39.0), “neonatal consultation in the first seven days of life” (21.8%; 95%CI: 20.2-23.5), and “neonatal screening test result in the first month of life” (29.8%; 95%CI: 27.6-32.2) were considered unsatisfactory. Regional and social inequalities were identified, with worse performance for all the indicators in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil and in more vulnerable women, revealing the need for better organization and supply of services to reduce iniquities.