'Routine' antenatal care.
The concept of antenatal care is a good model of preventive health targeted towards primary and secondary prevention of diseases and pathological conditions during pregnancy and delivery. A critical evaluation of antenatal care programs demonstrated that these are generally associated with a wide range of positive effects, although the type of care provider is not. However, research methodological limitations such as the selection bias (more care is received by healthier women who will have better outcomes anyway), cannot be ruled out as an explanation for the positive results.
Villar
J
J
Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
Garcia
P
P
Walker
G
G
D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D017146:Models, Organizational; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010686:Philosophy, Medical; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012307:Risk Factors; D015983:Selection Bias