In northern Ghana’s Tamale Metropolis, a significant rise in chronic diseases among women of reproductive age has triggered concerns about maternal and neonatal health. This region, already grappling with high rates of adverse birth outcomes, now faces additional challenges due to the increasing prevalence of conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and sickle cell disease among expectant mothers.
Study Overview and Methodology
A facility-based cross-sectional study was performed, involving 420 postpartum women randomly selected from five public health facilities in Tamale Metropolis. Data collection included participants’ self-reported chronic conditions prior to their last pregnancy and recorded details on gestational age and birth weight. Using regression modeling, researchers assessed the risk of adverse newborn outcomes, specifically preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW), and the combination of both, among women with preexisting chronic conditions.
Key Findings
Chronic diseases were identified in 31.2% of the study participants, with 28.6% having a single chronic condition and 2.6% presenting with comorbidities. The study revealed that 24.0% of the births were preterm, 27.6% of newborns had low birth weight, and 17.4% of pregnancies resulted in both PTB and LBW. Women with chronic conditions before conception faced significantly higher risks of adverse outcomes compared to those without such conditions.
The study’s results underscored a critical gap in the quality of prenatal care available to these women. This gap poses a substantial barrier to market access for effective maternal health interventions and underscores the need for improved healthcare infrastructure and services.
Inferences on Market Access
– The high prevalence of chronic diseases among pregnant women in northern Ghana indicates a substantial market need for specialized prenatal care services.
– Addressing preexisting conditions through preconception care could enhance maternal and neonatal health outcomes, highlighting a potential area for healthcare investment.
– Effective management of chronic diseases prior to pregnancy can reduce the incidence of PTB and LBW, opening avenues for market growth in maternal healthcare solutions.
– The study points to the necessity of integrating comprehensive chronic disease management programs into existing maternal health services to improve care quality and access.
Original Article:
Matern Health Neonatol Perinatol. 2024 Sep 3;10(1):18. doi: 10.1186/s40748-024-00188-2.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The incidence of chronic diseases, which are significant contributors to maternal deaths and adverse new-born outcomes, is increasing among women of reproductive age in northern Ghana. This emerging health issue raises serious concerns about the potential exacerbation of adverse birth outcomes in this setting, given that it is one of the regions in the country with a high incidence of such outcomes. We investigated the risks of preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW), and concurrent PTB and LBW among women with preexisting chronic conditions prior to conception in the Tamale Metropolis of northern Ghana.
METHODS: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 420 postpartum women randomly selected from five public health facilities. Information was collected electronically on participants’ self-reported experience of chronic conditions, namely, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and sickle cell disease, prior to their most recent pregnancy. Information on gestational age at delivery and birth weight was also collected. Regression modeling was used to quantify the risk of adverse newborn outcomes among women who reported preexisting chronic conditions prior to pregnancy.
RESULTS: Chronic diseases affected 31.2% of our sample. Of these, 28.6% had a single chronic condition, while 2.6% had comorbid chronic conditions. The prevalence of PTB was 24.0% (95% CI: 20.2, 28.4), 27.6% (95% CI: 23.5, 32.1) of the newborns were born LBW, and 17.4% (95% CI: 14.0, 21.3) of the pregnancies resulted in both PTB and LBW. Compared with those without chronic conditions, women with chronic conditions prior to conception had a greater risk of PTB (aOR = 6.78, 95% CI: 3.36, 13.68), LBW (aOR = 5.75, 95% CI: 2.96, 11.18), and the co-occurrence of PTB and LBW (aOR = 7.55, 95% CI: 3.32, 17.18).
CONCLUSIONS: We observed significant rates of PTB, LBW, and the co-occurrence of PTB and LBW among women who were already aware that they had preexisting chronic conditions prior to conception. Our findings highlight a potential gap in the quality of prenatal care provided to these women before delivery. Preconception care may offer an opportunity to address preexisting chronic conditions in women before pregnancy and potentially improve maternal and newborn health outcomes.
PMID:39223642 | DOI:10.1186/s40748-024-00188-2
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