Background
COMPLICATIONS
Early antenatal care (ANC) attendance (within the first trimester) is associated with fewer complications during pregnancy and delivery, reduced maternal and infant mortality, and better life course outcomes for children [The Gambia is one nation in SSA which has made recent substantial progress in improving maternal and childhood survival rates, now sitting in the mid-range of maternal mortality rates for the region. Active interventions in the nation are aimed at further encouraging ANC uptake and increasing total contacts between women and healthcare workers across the duration of a pregnancy [Previous analysis of Gambian women’s feeling toward ANC showed that women generally prefer to book for early ANC and understood benefits of doing so, although there are frequent practical barriers to doing so [