Factors Influencing Utilisation Of Ultrasound Scan Among Pregnant Mothers Attending Anc At St. Francis Hospital Mutolere, Kisoro District.

Inadequate utilization of ultra sound scan services among pregnant mothers attending ANC
remains a challenge and has led to failure to detect fetal abnormalities, multiple pregnancies
and has increased delivery rate of babies with defects, fresh still birth and macerated still birth.
This study was aimed at identifying “factors influencing utilization of ultrasound scan among
mothers attending ANC at St. Francis Hospital Mutolere, Kisoro district”. The study was
descriptive in nature involving 40 respondents who were health workers and pregnant mothers.
Respondents were recruited in the study using purposive and simple random sampling
procedures. Data was collected using pre-tested questionnaires and then analyzed using
Microsoft excel and SPSS software. The results were presented using frequency tables, graphs
and pie charts.
It was found that 54.3 % of pregnant mothers never utilized ultrasound scan during ANC and this
was due to; not having trained midwives to perform ultrasound scanning (100%), absence of
qualified ultrasonographer at the hospital (100%), poverty (80%), high cost of that service
(71%), misconceptions about ultrasound scan use during pregnancy (68.6%), prolonged waiting
time (60%) and inadequate knowledge about ultrasound scan during pregnancy(48.6%)
From the above findings, the researcher concluded that many pregnant mothers never utilized
ultrasound scan during ANC and this was due to; not having trained midwives to perform
ultrasound scanning, prolonged waiting time, poverty, high cost of that service, misconceptions
about ultrasound scan use during pregnancy and inadequate knowledge about ultrasound scan
during pregnancy. The study recommended health educating mothers on importance of
ultrasound scan during pregnancy, encourage mothers to do some income earning projects to
increase their house hold income and also enhancing male involvement during ANC, employ
qualified ultrasonographer and train midwives on how to operate ultrasound scan machine.