First trimester antenatal care visit reduces the risk of miscarriage among women of reproductive age in Ghana

Miscarriage is a common adverse pregnancy outcome in childbearing and an increasing global reproductive health problem. This study explored 1) the national prevalence of the first trimester (<= 12 weeks) miscarriage among women (15-49 years) in Ghana, and 2) the influence of first-trimester antenatal care (ANC) visits on miscarriage risk. A cross-sectional study using the Demographic Health Survey (DHS-2017) on maternal health in Ghana was conducted. We used a nationally representative subsample of (7,846) women with no or early ANC visit of the initial sample (25,062). Women with late ANC visit (>= 12 weeks) and those who were never pregnant or had not given birth at the time of the survey were excluded from this analysis. We performed multivariable Poisson regression to estimate miscarriage risk (RR), its associated risk factors, and national prevalence. The national first-trimester miscarriage prevalence was 19.1%. Increasing maternal age and urban residence were significantly associated with the risk of first-trimester miscarriage (p<0.001) while early ANC visits lower the risk of miscarriage by 43% (p=0.0246). We found that first trimester ANC visit decreases miscarriage risk in Ghana and highlights the important role of early ANC visits in reducing miscarriages.