{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T02:36:05Z","timestamp":1792031765436,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,8]],"date-time":"2023-06-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1686182400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Children born with adverse birth outcomes (ABOs) have a greater risk of mortality, stunting, and poor cognitive development. In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended at least eight antenatal care (ANC) contacts before delivery for a healthy mother and baby. We examined the association between compliance with this recommendation and the risk of ABOs, such as low birthweight (LBW) and preterm birth (PTB), in the Tamale Metropolitan Area of the northern region of Ghana.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>We conducted a cross-sectional study in the Tamale Metropolis of the northern region of Ghana. We analysed a systematic random sample of 402 postnatal women aged 15\u201349 drawn from five public health facilities. We gathered information electronically on their birth outcomes, specifically their birthweight and gestation at delivery, using a structured questionnaire. Information on women\u2019s background characteristics, including the number of ANC contacts made before delivery, was also collected. The association between the number of ANC contacts and ABOs was investigated using regression models.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>We found that 37.6% (95% CI: 32.9, 42.4) of our sample had at least eight ANC contacts before delivery. We estimated that 18.9% of babies were born prematurely and 9.0% were born LBW. ABOs were found in 22.9% (95% CI: 19.0, 27.3) of babies. A minimum of eight ANC contacts before delivery reduced the risk of ABOs (adjusted IRR = 0.43; 95% CI: 0.25, 0.73), PTB (AOR = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.14, 0.58), and LBW (AOR = 0.36; 95% CI: 0.14, 0.91).<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>In the current study\u2019s setting, about a quarter of newborns have ABOs, jeopardising their survival, health, and development. Compliance with at least eight ANC contacts prior to birth was associated with a reduced incidence rate ratio of ABOs. However, less than four out of every ten pregnant women make at least eight ANC contacts before delivery. Efforts are needed to increase coverage of eight contacts among pregnant women before delivery to reduce the risk of ABOs in the study setting.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0285621","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,8]],"date-time":"2023-06-08T17:43:40Z","timestamp":1686246220000},"page":"e0285621","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Compliance with the World Health Organization\u2019s 2016 prenatal care contact recommendation reduces the incidence rate of adverse birth outcomes among pregnant women in northern Ghana"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Leticia Achangebe","family":"Akum","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eunice Amina","family":"Offei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mary Rachael","family":"Kpordoxah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daudi","family":"Yeboah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdul-Nasir","family":"Issah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5660-2292","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Michael","family":"Boah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0285621.ref001","unstructured":"World Health Organization. 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