Role Of Physical Therapy In Antenatal Care As Perceived By The Clients - A Cross Sectional Survey On Pregnant Females Attending Antenatal OPD

ABSTRACT Background: Antenatal care is an essential pillar of safe motherhood. The aim is to give optimal care to the mother so that she can endure the nine months of pregnancy without any complications. A proper exercise plan further helps in achieving appropriate care. The aim of the study is to determine the role of physical therapy in antenatal care as perceivedbytheclients. Methods: It was a was cross sectional study and females in their nine months of pregnancy aged between 18 to 40 years were inducted in the study. A total of 375 participants were selected through purposive sampling technique. Data entry was done on SPSS version 20 and frequencies and percentages were taken as descriptive statistics for categorical variables. ‘ Results: There were 375 patients among which 81.9% were housewives, 15.5% were working women while 2.7 % were students. 83.7% of the women were aware of physical therapy out of which 95.2% women agreed that physiotherapy has positive role in antenatal care yet only 42% actually attended physiotherapy sessions and 36% were currently following exercise programme. Conclusion: The perception and knowledge of women regarding physical therapy (exercise) during pregnancy is reasonable but a small numberof subjects exercise during pregnancy. Key Words: Pregnant Females, Antenatal Care, Physical Therapy.