Home » Publications » Association of maternal age with utilization of antenatal care services and knowledge of child development in rural Limpopo, South Africa
- Early pregnancy access to prenatal care is essential.
- Research has linked a lack of antenatal services to a risk of maternal mortality.
- Younger women typically share traits such as low socioeconomic position, lack of spousal support, work obligations, and unexpected pregnancies.
- In South Africa more than a third of births occur in young mothers aged <24 years.
- The influence of early maternal age and caregiving knowledge on pregnancy, birth, and early childhood outcomes is important.
- We assessed two key behavioural outcomes for successful maternal care:
- Uptake and utilization of antenatal services; and
- Maternal knowledge of childhood development and early childhood developmental caregiving practices