Effects of maternal education on maternal and perinatal outcomes: An individual participant data meta-analysis of 2 356 402 pregnancies.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Maternal and perinatal mortality remain critical indicators of global health inequity. In 2020, an estimated 287 000 women died from preventable causes related to pregnancy, and in 2021, approximately 2.3 million neonatal deaths occurred within the first 28 days of life. A recently defined risk group, small vulnerable newborns (SVNs, including preterm, low birth weight, and small-for-gestational-age infants), highlights the compounded vulnerability of certain newborns. Maternal education is a key social determinant of health, yet its effect on maternal and perinatal outcomes across global settings remains insufficiently quantified.

Aims

The primary aim of this study was to quantify the association between maternal education level and adverse maternal and perinatal

SUBMITTER: Bello-Alvarez LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12790673 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature