Factors associated with the timing of the first prenatal ultrasound in Canada
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the factors associated with the timing of the first prenatal ultrasound in Canada. 68.4% of Canadian women received an optimally timed first prenatal ultrasound, 27.4% received early ultrasounds and 4.3% received late ultrasound. Only 68% of Canadian women received an optimally timed prenatal ultrasound which was influenced by several factors including province of prenatal care, maternal age and country of birth, and an interaction effect between prenatal care provider and history of miscarriage. These findings establish a baseline of factors influencing the timing of prenatal ultrasound in Canada, which can be built upon by future studies.
Notes
Community organizations
NA
Gaps identified
NA
Key populations
Women
Key recommendations
Adjusting the optimal timing of the first ultrasound
Key findings
The results of this study indicate that only about 68% of Canadian women received an optimally timed prenatal ultrasound. Around 27% of Canadian women received early ultrasounds and this was influenced by a number of factors including: being younger, underweight, born outside of Canada, having a high household income and receiving prenatal care in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta or British Columbia when compared with residing in Quebec. On the other hand, late ultrasound was performed in around 4% of Canadian women and was influenced by: being born outside of Canada, receiving prenatal care in Manitoba or the Territories and having an unintended pregnancy.
Location
Across Canada
Integration timeline
At what point during the integration process the study was conducted?
NA
Open-access – Yes
https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-019-2309-4