Antenatal Care in Family Medicine and Its Impact on Birth Outcomes

RESUMO

Elsadig Shiekedien*, Samar Aljohani, Mansuor A Alanazi, Mehad DafaAlla Elhadi, Nourah Obaid Mohammed Alsubaie, Abdulrahman Mohammed Almatrafi, Zyad Abdulrahman Algolkhof, Mohammed Abed Alsehli, Nourah Sameer Hassan Mufti, Afnan Othman Abdelrahman Sayed Ahmed, Rawan Abdullah Jarah, Mohammed Mubarak Alqahtani, Basmah Mohammed Sherbini, Asma Saeed AlSaeed

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) is a vital component of maternal and child health, aimed at ensuring the well-being of both mother and baby during pregnancy. Family medicine, with its holistic and patient-centered approach, plays a significant role in providing ANC by offering continuous, comprehensive care. This study examines the impact of ANC delivered in family medicine settings on maternal and neonatal birth outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using medical records of 320 women who received ANC in family medicine clinics and delivered between January 2023 and December 2024. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, ANC utilization patterns (timing of first visit, frequency of visits, lifestyle counselling), and birth outcomes (gestational age, birth weight, mode of delivery, Apgar scores) were collected and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including chi-square tests and logistic regression.

Results: The majority of participants (76.9%) initiated ANC in the first trimester, and 58.8% attended eight or more visits. Nearly all (94.4%) received lifestyle counselling. Favourable birth outcomes were observed: 86.9% of deliveries occurred at term, 86.3% of new-borns had normal birth weight, and 95.6% achieved Apgar scores ≥7 at 5 minutes. The cesarean delivery rate was 34.4%, lower than comparable hospital-based cohorts.

Conclusion: ANC provided in family medicine settings is associated with positive maternal and neonatal outcomes, attributed to early initiation, adequate visit frequency, and comprehensive care. The study highlights the importance of integrating ANC into family medicine to enhance accessibility, continuity, and holistic support for expectant mothers. Recommendations include strengthening early ANC initiation, promoting health education, and expanding family medicine-based ANC services, particularly in underserved areas