Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42126525›Full record

SynthesisMaternal and child health journal2026

The Economics of Group Antenatal Care: A Systematic Review and Narrative Analysis.

M Elske van den Akker-van Marle, Nathalie Leister, Ashna D Hindori-Mohangoo, Ilir Hoxha, Marlies E Rijnders, Christine McCourt

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Maternal and child health journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

M Elske van den Akker-van MarleDepartment of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. m.e.van_den_akker-van_marle@lumc.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5269-509X
Nathalie LeisterSchool of Health & Medical Sciences, Centre for Maternal &Child Health Research, City St George's, University of Londen, London, UK.
Ashna D Hindori-MohangooFoundation for Perinatal Interventions and Research in Suriname (Perisur), Paramaribo, Suriname.
Ilir HoxhaAction for Mother and Children, Prishtina, Kosovo.
Marlies E RijndersThe Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Christine McCourtSchool of Health & Medical Sciences, Centre for Maternal &Child Health Research, City St George's, University of Londen, London, UK.

Funding

Horizon 2020 848147
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionGroup antenatal care (GANC) is an alternative to traditional individual antenatal care (IANC), which combines health assessment, interactive learning, and community building in group sessions. GANC has been associated with positive health outcomes. To scale up GANC, more evidence is needed on the financial implications of its initial implementation and (long-term) cost-effectiveness. This study aims to review and synthesise the available evidence on the economics of GANC.

methodsWe searched for observational and experimental studies assessing the cost aspects of implementing and running GANC with or without comparison with IANC. INFORMATION SOURCES: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Ovid Emcare up to 22 August 2024 using keywords and controlled vocabulary without restriction by year of publication. QUALITY ASSESSMENT: CASP Economic Evaluation Checklist. DATA SYNTHESIS: Narrative synthesis.

resultsA limited number of studies (n = 9) addressing the costs and/or benefits of GANC were eligible to be included in the review. These studies varied considerably in setting, design, quality, type of cost data, cost categories included and perspective used.

conclusionEvidence on the costs of GANC is sparse. Future studies of the lifetime costs and health outcomes of GANC compared with IANC are needed to gain insight into the cost implications and cost-effectiveness of GANC and to scale up its implementation.

trial registrationPROSPERO 2023 CRD42023454379.

Indexed as

Prenatal CareCost-Benefit AnalysisCost-Effectiveness AnalysisFemaleHumansPregnancyAntenatal careCostsEconomicsGroup careKeywordsPregnancy

Identifiers

PMID42126525
PMCPMC13275586

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.