Aim To evaluate the quality of antenatal care (ANC) in HebeiProvince and compare it between the public and privatesector and within the public sector.Methods We conducted a Maternal, Newborn and ChildHealth Household Survey in 2010 using a two-stage samplingprocedure and included 1079 mothers. The qualityof ANC was assessed on the basis of the number of ANCvisits, the time of the first ANC visit, 16 different ANC procedures,owning a maternal health care booklet, and thetype of service provider.Results Almost all women (98%) received ANC services atleast once, 80% at least four times, and 54% at least fivetimes. About half of the women (46%) visited ANC facilitywithin their first trimester. Neither public nor private sectorprovided all 16 standardized services, but significantlymore women in public sector received ANC procedures.Most women received ANC in county or higher-level hospitals(75%) and very few in township hospitals (8%). Significantlyfewer women were weighed and tested for HIV/AIDS in township than in county or higher-level hospitals.Conclusion The quality of ANC in Hebei was poorer thanrequired by China’s national and World Health Organizationnorms. Although the public sector performed betterthan the private sector, the utilization and quality of careof ANC services in this sector varied and women generallyvisited county or higher-level health facilities.
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