Timing and number of antenatal care contacts in low and middle-income countries: Analysis in the Countdown to 2030 priority countries

Abstract

ResultsOverall, 49.9% of women with ANC1+ and 44.3% of all women had timely ANC initiation; 11.3% achieved ANC8+ and 11.2% received no ANC. Women with timely ANC initiation had 5.2 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.0-5.5) and 4.7 (95% CI = 4.4-5.0) times higher odds of receiving four and eight ANC contacts, respectively (P < 0.001), and were more likely to receive a higher content of ANC than women with delayed ANC initiation. Regionally, women in Central and Southern Asia had the best performance of timely ANC initiation; Latin America and Caribbean had the highest proportion of women achieving ANC8+. Women who did not initiate ANC in the first trimester or did not achieve 8 contacts were generally poor, single women, with low education, living in rural areas, larger households, having short birth intervals, higher parity, and not giving birth in a health facility nor with a skilled attendant.Conclusions Timely ANC initiation is likely to be a major driving force towards meeting the 2016 WHO guidelines for a positive pregnancy experience. Electronic supplementary material:The online version of this article contains supplementary material.Antenatal care (ANC) is a platform for the delivery of essential services to prevent pregnancy complications, provide counselling for birth and emergency preparedness [1], and improve health outcomes for children [2]. Timely initiation of antenatal care, defined as the first antenatal care contact occurring within the first trimester of pregnancy, provides an opportunity for early screening of modifiable risk-factors and pre-existing conditions [3].The 2016 WHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience suggest a shift from the focused ANC model with a recommended minimum of four ANC visits (ANC4+) to a more expanded model empha-

Does a Husband's Education Matter in Antenatal Care Visits Involvement?: Study on the Poor in Indonesia

“…However, these efforts have not shown success 6 . Antenatal care (ANC) services have not been accessed as a whole, namely at least four times during pregnancy 7,8 . Research in Pakistan also shows that pregnant women have very little access to ANC services 9 .…”

Manifestation and Associated Factors of Pregnancy-Related Worries in Expectant Fathers

“…Globally, the availability and accessibility of, for example, early standardized antenatal care vary substantially on the regional level and between income groups (133). Further, evidence from middle-and low-income countries indicates an association of fewer antenatal care visits with maternal education and income, being a single parent, living in rural areas, and higher household size and parity (134). On the background of reported associations of antenatal classes and education with parental pregnancy-related concerns, preparation for parenthood, and mental health (29,63,135), less opportunities for antenatal care or education classes might also lead to higher paternal insecurities and concerns.…”

The importance of improving intervention coverage measurement for ensuring all women, children and adolescents are reached with the health care services they need

“…Suggestions are made for addressing the challenge of capturing the timing of intrapartum care compared to a first postnatal care visit. The paper authored by Jiwani et al [5] explores indicators available on the number, timing and content of antenatal care in 54 countries with a Demographic Health Survey or Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey conducted since 2012. Her analysis shows that antenatal care initiation in these countries is a key factor in the total number of visits received and is directly related to key social determinants such as women' s education level and living in rural areas.…”