Rethinking the role of the risk approach and antenatal care in maternal mortality reduction.

In developing countries where most women are not delivered in health facilities, screening for obstetric risk is neither a cost-effective nor efficient strategy for maternal mortality reduction. Antenatal care can contribute to preventing such deaths when used for identifying early obstetric complications, educating women to identify obstetric danger signs, and motivating them and their families to seek appropriate referral care.