OBJECTIVES: to compare ratios of pregnant women seen in public health clinics and private health clinics according to social, demographic and medical variables. METHODS: a cross-sectional study was performed with 590 mothers who visited the Health Clinic of Guaratinguetá, for routine vaccination of the last child. RESULTS: analysis of the survey demonstrated higher statistically significant ratios of mothers with a shorter period of time between pregnancies, smokers, less educated, aged 19 or less, unemployed, who had normal deliveries with less medical visits during prenatal care, with reports of urinary infection during prenatal care and who did not have the assistance of a Pediatrician at the time of delivery, whose newborns did not stay with them in the room and had low birth weights, among the mothers whose prenatal care was provided in public clinics. CONCLUSIONS: the inclusion of one item related to prenatal care provision in the "Born Alive Report" of the Ministry of Health would enable routine analysis of the services provided to mothers in public and private clinics.
Pregnancy; Services evaluation; Maternal health services; Prenatal care
