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Does reducing the frequency of routine antenatal visits have long term effects? Follow up of participants in a randomised controlled trial
Author(s) -
Clement Sarah,
Candy Bridget,
Sikorski Jim,
Wilson Jenny,
Smeeton Nigel
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1999.tb08276.x
Subject(s) - medicine , schedule , term (time) , family medicine , pediatrics , physics , quantum mechanics , computer science , operating system
1117 low risk women, who had been randomly allocated to either the traditional schedule of 13 antenatal visits or a reduced schedule of six to seven visits, were followed up 2–7 years after their delivery. Follow up was by means of a postal questionnaire (assessing the mother‐child relationship, maternal psychological wellbeing, health service use, health‐related behaviour and health beliefs), and patient record data on the frequency of contacts in general practice. There was no evidence of differences between the two groups for any of the outcomes examined. Offering a reduced schedule of routine antenatal visits to low risk women does not appear to have any long term effects.