Impact of Antenatal Care on Perinatal Outcomes in New South Wales, Australia: A Decade-Long Regional Perspective

Pramesh Raj Ghimire (), Gretchen Buck, Jackie Jackson, Emma Woolley, Rebekah Bowman, Louise Fox, Shirlena Gallagher, Malindey Sorrell and Lorraine Dubois
Additional contact information
Pramesh Raj Ghimire: Priority Populations, Southern New South Wales Local Health District, Queanbeyan, NSW 2620, Australia
Gretchen Buck: Priority Populations, Southern New South Wales Local Health District, Queanbeyan, NSW 2620, Australia
Jackie Jackson: Aboriginal Health, Southern New South Wales Local Health District, Batemans Bay, NSW 2536, Australia
Emma Woolley: Priority Populations, Southern New South Wales Local Health District, Queanbeyan, NSW 2620, Australia
Rebekah Bowman: Nursing and Midwifery, Southern New South Wales Local Health District, Queanbeyan, NSW 2620, Australia
Louise Fox: Integrated Care and Allied Health, Southern New South Wales Local Health District, Queanbeyan, NSW 2620, Australia
Shirlena Gallagher: People and Wellbeing, Southern New South Wales Local Health District, Batemans Bay, NSW 2536, Australia
Malindey Sorrell: The Family Place, Moruya, NSW 2537, Australia
Lorraine Dubois: Priority Populations, Southern New South Wales Local Health District, Queanbeyan, NSW 2620, Australia

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 2, 1-15

Abstract: Low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth are adverse perinatal outcomes that pose a significant risk to a child’s healthy beginning. While antenatal care (ANC) is an established intervention for pregnancy care, little is understood about how the number and timing of ANC visits can impact these adverse health outcomes. This study aimed to examine the impact of the number and timing of ANC visits on LBW and preterm birth in a regional setting. A decade-long perinatal dataset related to singleton live births that took place in the Southern New South Wales Local Health District (SNSWLHD) was utilized. The outcomes of interest were LBW and preterm birth, and the exposure variables were based on the Australian pregnancy guidelines on the number and timing of ANC visits. A multivariable logistic regression was performed to measure the association between outcome and exposure while adjusting for potential confounders. A greater level of protection against LBW and preterm birth was observed among mothers who had an adequate number of visits, with early entry (first trimester) into ANC. The protective effect of an adequate number of ANC visits against LBW and preterm birth among mothers with late entry into ANC (third trimester) was found to be statistically non-significant.

Keywords: antenatal care; perinatal care; low birth weight; preterm birth; adverse pregnancy outcome; New South Wales; Australia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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