Reducing the number of antenatal care visits in low-risk pregnancies increases perinatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries; women in all settings prefer the standard visit schedule
- Department of Nursing, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Correspondence to Adejoke B Ayoola
3201 Burton Street, SE Grand Rapids, MI, 49546, USA; aba3{at}calvin.edu
Commentary
Antenatal (prenatal) care is an agelong preventive public health intervention designed to promote maternal and infant health worldwide. Various studies have examined the effectiveness of antenatal care in promoting positive birth outcomes.1,–,3 There had been recommendations both for and against reducing the number of antenatal visits among low-risk women.4 This analysis of interventions on alternative packages of antenatal care provides additional evidence-based information to guide health professionals and policy makers in making decisions on whether to make changes in their prenatal programs.
Reduced antenatal visits and clinical outcomes
Dowswell and colleagues compared the clinical outcomes of reduced visits versus standard antenatal care for …
