Background
Antenatal care is provided to women during pregnancy by skilled healthcare professionals, and is recognised as an effective way of promoting positive health outcomes for mothers and babies. Timely and optimal antenatal care helps in the early identification of risks, management of pregnancy-related complications and prevention of maternal and perinatal mortality. Despite these benefits, disparities in antenatal care uptake persist.
This research aims to implement and evaluate a tailored community-based intervention, co-produced with women and maternity care providers, in ethnically diverse, socially disadvantaged areas in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes. In doing so, we will seek the perspectives and experiences of women regarding the factors that contribute to delayed or insufficient access to antenatal care and what could be done to improve early engagement and adequate use of these services.
This research is supported by the BLMK Integrated Care System Research & Innovation Hub