Knowledge of Warning Signs in Pregnancy

The indicator assesses the proportion of women of reproductive age aware of at least four warning signs during pregnancy – a key pre-condition for seeking timely and appropriate care.

Collect the following data by conducting individual interviews with a representative sample of women of reproductive age:

RECOMMENDED SURVEY QUESTIONS (Q) AND POSSIBLE ANSWERS (A)

Q1: During pregnancy, woman may encounter severe problems or illnesses which require her to go or be taken immediately to a health facility. What types of symptoms would cause you to go immediately to a health facility for a medical examination?  

A1:

1) vaginal bleeding

2) fast/ difficult breathing

3) high fever

4) severe abdominal pain

5) headache/ blurred vision

6) convulsions

7) foul smelling discharge/ fluid from vagina

8) baby stops moving

9) leaking brownish/ greenish fluid from the vagina

10) swelling of face, hands or feet 

Note: If less than four signs are stated, keep probing: “Are there any other warning signs you know?”

To calculate the indicator’s value, divide the respondents aware of at least four of the pre-defined warning signs by the total number of respondents. Multiply the result by 100 to convert it to a percentage.

Disaggregate the data by the number of pregnancies the women had.

1) In addition to using this indicator, also consider using a slightly revised indicator for assessing the knowledge important family members have. For example, mothers-in-law, mothers or husbands.