Effect of frequency of prenatal care visits on perinatal outcome among low-risk women

Reducing stillbirths: behavioural and nutritional interventions before and during pregnancy

“…A systematic review of 7 RCTs (N = 57,418 women) conducted by WHO [ 57 ] (Additional file 2 ) evaluated the effectiveness of different models of ANC and found that reduced numbers of visits were as effective as standard models of ANC in terms of impact on LBW and PMR. Five randomised trials (two individual-randomised and three cluster-randomised) [ 58 - 62 ] in the WHO meta-analysis reported perinatal mortality, but found no statistically significant differences between intervention and control groups (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.82–1.36) [LOE: 1++] . A more recent RCT from rural Zimbabwe [ 63 ] that tested five focused ANC visits with standard ANC found non-significant differences in stillbirth and perinatal mortality rates [LOE: 1+] .…”

“…Using country comparisons, Goldenberg et al [ 6 ] found that for each 1% increase in the percentage of women with ≥ 4 antenatal visits, the intrapartum stillbirth rate decreased by a modest 0.16 per 1,000 births (P < 0.0001) [LOE: 3] , in line with findings from a similar analysis by McClure et al [ 64 ] [LOE: 3] . A study by McDuffie et al [ 62 ] in Denver, USA, clearly indicated that birth outcomes and perinatal mortality were comparable in pregnant women receiving 4 ANC visits versus a more frequent visitation schedule [LOE: 1++] . However, other trials from developed countries suggest that women may feel less satisfied with the reduced number of visits or feel that their expectations with care are not fulfilled [ 58 ].…”

What is the place of the new WHO antenatal care model in a teaching hospital setting?

“…3,8 Delay in service purchase is another reason, especially in centres where there is acute understaffing and a large number of clients. 9 Where resources and service providers are limited there is urgent need for the proper allocation of resources according to the needs of the client rather than according to access or demand. Triaging of the antenatal clients into various risk status categories would therefore enable the optimal allocation and utilization of these resources.…”

The benefits of prenatal care: evidence from the PAT bus strike

“…In all four studies, there were few statistically significant negative impacts of fewer prenatal care visits. In a sample of 2764 mothers from the US, McDuffie et al (1996) found no difference in outcomes (preeclampsia, cesarean delivery, low birth weight and patient's satisfaction with care) between women randomly assigned a standard regimen of prenatal care versus one with fewer visits. In this study, the treatment group had an average of 2.7 fewer visits than the control sample.…”