review · Frontiers in Public Health
Antenatal care provides vital screening, prevention, and management of health conditions during pregnancy. A systematic review and meta-analysis synthesised evidence from across Africa to examine how antenatal care affects the likelihood of low birth weight. Analysing seven studies covering 66,690 children, the review evaluated observational and cross-sectional data published up to May 2022. The findings demonstrated a significant association between antenatal care attendance and birth outcomes. Pregnant women who attended at least one antenatal appointment showed a markedly reduced risk of delivering a low birth weight infant compared to those who received no care. The overall pooled odds ratio for low birth weight was 0.46 among attendees. Improving access to quality healthcare services and adequate antenatal care, particularly for women of lower socioeconomic status, represents an essential priority for reducing the incidence of low birth weight across the continent.
Low birth weight is a major contributor to infant mortality and long-term health complications. Understanding the protective effect of basic prenatal visits highlights where maternal health systems should focus resources. Demonstrating that attending at least one antenatal care appointment substantially improves outcomes provides clear evidence to support healthcare initiatives aimed at expanding clinic access for vulnerable mothers across African communities.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Background: Risk identification, as well as the prevention and management of diseases associated with pregnancy or other conditions that may occur concurrently, is the essential component of ANC. Method: The observational follow-up and cross-sectional studies on the effect of antenatal care on low birth weight in Africa were conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Five computerized bibliographic databases: Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Hinari Direct were searched for published studies written in English till May 2022. The risk of bias assessment tools developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute for cross-sectional and observational follow-up research was used, and the caliber of each included study was assessed. Seven papers were included, with a total of 66,690 children participating in the study. Results: Seven studies met the selection criteria. Prenatal care and low birth weight were linked in four of the seven studies included in the review. The pooled odd ratio for low birth weight in the random-effects model was 0.46 (95% CI: 0.39, 0.53). The pooled odds ratio for low birth weight was 0.21 (95% CI: 0.19, 0.22) and 0.21 (95% CI: 0.19, 0.22), respectively, among pregnant women who had no antenatal care follow-up and those who had antenatal care follow up. Conclusion: Women who attended at least one antenatal care appointment were more likely than their counterparts to have a baby of normal weight. Interventions to reduce low birth weight in Africa should focus on providing adequate antenatal care and quality healthcare services to women with low socioeconomic status.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1158809
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
