Objetive:

To evaluate the quality of prenatal care during the outbreak of Zika virus infection in endemic and non-endemic vector-borne regions in Colombia.

Materials and methods:

A descriptive study of prenatal care supplemented by interviews to explore personal experiences during the epidemic. A total of 40 pregnant women in endemic areas and 44 in nonendemic areas participated. Information collected included previous pregnancies, reasons for starting prenatal care, information about Zika, prenatal care (activities of doctors, nurses, laboratories, and images), and perceptions of quality. Then, 8 interviews were conducted with pregnant women diagnosed with Zika. Questioned about knowledge of Zika and the quality of medical care services.

Results:

Problems with laboratories and diagnostic images were found in both regions and dehumanizing treatment in the endemic region. Women from the endemic region received news and communications about the effects of Zika during pregnancy, causing anxiety and fear among some women. The quality of health care was not what the women expected and they thought they would receive more care from doctors and nurses.

Discussion:

Our findings show deficiencies in education provided in health institutions. The experience during prenatal control in the endemic regions was imprecise and the information came from other sources, different from the health sector. Adittionally, support and follow-up was deficient as well. It's possible that health professionals have few knowledge about information management, which generated confusion, fear and uncertainty among the pregnant women about the adverse effects on the newborns.

Conclusions:

Findings suggest deficiencies in the technical quality of the prenatal care provided, particularly in the region that was endemic for vector-borne diseases. Reproductive health services and the technical quality of prenatal care need to be strengthened, especially during a sanitary crisis.