EDUCATION OF WOMEN ABOUT THE PREVENTION OF PRETERM BIRTH

Objectives: To describe: 1) the education of pregnant women by health care professionals about the prevention of preterm birth; and 2) profe ssionals' views about future initiatives. Background: A population sur vey of health professionals was conducted in Eastern Ontario. The resp onse rate was 73% (608/835). Results: Education materials for women re ceiving prenatal care about the prevention of (preterm birth were avai lable from 10% (12/115) of family physicians, 40% (23/58) of obstetric ians, 19% (57/306) of labour room nurses and 76% (94/124) of the prena tal teachers. Only one third of physicians routinely discussed the sig ns and symptoms of preterm labour prior to 20 weeks. practitioners' fu ture priorities were smoking cessation programs for pregnant women and increased attendance at early prenatal classes. Conclusions: Most wom en are not being educated by anyone in the health care tram about the prevention of preterm birth. There is a need for multidisciplinary gui delines about the timing and type of information for women about risk reduction and the early identification and treatment of preterm labour .