Innovation in prenatal care: a global review of implementing group prenatal care and impacts on women, children, and health care providers.

BACKGROUND

Over the past 15 years, group-based prenatal care - bringing together 8 to 12 pregnant individuals for shared health assessment, interactive learning, and community building - has gained global interest as an alternative to traditional individual prenatal appointments.

OBJECTIVE

This mini-review synthesizes global research on the impact of group prenatal care on women, infants, and health care providers.

METHODS

A narrative approach was used to synthesize peer-reviewed literature of international group prenatal care models and their multiple impacts on women, children, and providers using predefined eligibility criteria and thematic synthesis.

RESULTS

Group prenatal care consistently improved women's empowerment, social support, mental health, health literacy, and care adherence. Women showed lower rates of gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia. Infants benefited through improved maternal behaviors, including breastfeeding initiation and immunization. Providers reported stronger patient relationships, though challenges in facilitation, time management, and workload were noted.

CONCLUSION

Group prenatal care offers clear benefits across diverse global settings. Successful implementation requires adequate resources, facilitation training, and stakeholder buy-in. Longitudinal research on long-term child health outcomes is needed.