Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie is appealing to pregnant women to get early and regular antenatal care to ensure safe and healthy delivery.

She said that too many women are presenting to clinic late, which delays the detection and treatment of conditions that could pose a risk to mother and baby such as poor nutrition and health issues.

The CMO stressed that the care provided at antenatal clinics reduces the likelihood of poor pregnancy outcomes.

“Attendance at our antenatal clinics is of utmost importance, as we can monitor the mother’s health, detect and treat early any problems that they develop, monitor the baby’s growth, provide the supplementation and do investigations to identify high-risk cases,” Dr Bisasor-McKenzie said, while addressing a recent workshop at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in Kingston.

She noted that a great deal has been done in recent years to improve the access and quality of antenatal care and decreasing the likelihood of babies being born premature and with birth defects.

Dr Bisasor-McKenzie said that the ministry has increased screening to address conditions that could pose a risk to mother and baby such as uncontrolled chronic illnesses, improved access to reproductive health services and strengthened the quality of care during and after delivery.