Utilization of Maternal Healthcare Services Among Women in Urban Slums of Prayagraj City, India

Maternal healthcare is vital for the well-being of both a mother and her child. Regular maternal healthcare service (MHCS) utilization can reduce maternal deaths. This chapter, therefore, aims to study the utilization of maternal healthcare services in selected slums in Prayagraj city and examine the factors responsible for the same. We utilized primary data, which were collected by using qualitative and quantitative methods. The primary data were collected through face-to-face interviews. The study sample comprised women aged 15–49 years in the urban slums of Prayagraj city. This study found that maternal healthcare services were not utilized properly in most of the slums of Prayagraj city. The majority of the respondents registered their pregnancy in their second trimester and went for only one or two antenatal (ANC) visits. Only 18.2% of women went for three or more ANC visits. About 34% of respondents received two shots of tetanus toxoid (TT) injection, and 57% of respondents did not receive a TT injections during their pregnancy. Only 43% of respondents said that they chose an institutional delivery. Among all pregnant women, 86% of respondents had a vaginal delivery and 14% of women a caesarean delivery. This study shows that the majority of the women in the sample were unaware of maternal healthcare services. That’s why more than half of the population (54%) is not utilizing healthcare facilities. Increasing awareness of and improving access to the utilization of maternal healthcare services are needed for the slum population.