Pediatric Healthcare Implications of Maternal Antenatal Care (ANC) And Postnatal Care (PNC) Services Utilization

Abstract

Learning how access to healthcare for mothers in Pakistan influences the nutritional status of their children is the primary goal of this research. The dependent variables utilized were stunting in children. The variables used for analysis included antenatal care, postnatal care, mother's age, mother's job status, mother's education, father's education, household's wealth status, household's area of residence, household's region, and child's sex. The 2017–18 Pakistan Demographic Health Survey (PDHS) provided the data utilized in this research. Adjusted odds ratios were calculated to investigate the relationship. The study has found that antenatal care use, postnatal care use, child’s mother education, household’s wealth status, household’s region, and sex of child are the main determinants for both dimensions of child nutrition. The study concludes that mother's education continues to be a powerful predictor of a child's nutritional health. As a result, strategies aimed at reducing childhood stunting and wasting should entail educating and empowering women, as well as boosting access to PNC and ANC treatments in Pakistan.