Tongue test: the pregnant women know what it is?

Abstract

Objective: Determine the knowledge of pregnant women that were monitored at health centers in the interior of Paraíba about such test. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted, with 275 pregnant women ate the age of 15 to 34 years old. The instrument used was a composed questionnaire of ten questions, which was questioned about the age and schooling level, the knowledge of the test or not, what is detected through it, if she was oriented to do it and, if yes, which professional did it, when it should be done, if she considered that important and for what reason. Results: The results showed a high percentage of pregnant women who did not know the test (80%) and who were not guided by any professional to perform it (88.36%), but among the professionals who instructed, the ones who are noteworthy are the dentists (59.37%), followed up by nurses (34.37%). Regarding about when the test should be performed, it was observed that the majority (75%) answered that it should be performed when the child is a baby. Conclusion: There is a need to promote educational and preventive actions through prenatal dentistry so that pregnant women are informed about the tongue test and look for places that perform the same.