In Latin America and the Caribbean, most women report at least four antenatal visits, with levels particularly high in Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala. Indeed, in this region the median number of antenatal visits is 6 and substantial proportions of pregnant women report 10 or more antenatal visits. While this situation is most striking in Latin America and the Caribbean, sizeable proportions of pregnant women in the other developing regions also report 9 or more visits. Whereas this may be necessary in complicated pregnancies, it raises the question whether limited resources are being used

efficiently and effectively for the antenatal care of women with normal pregnancies. Moreover, where women have to travel long distances and wait long hours for antenatal care, there are substantial financial and opportunity costs to the women in such frequent attendance.