Recent maternal mortality rates in Nigeria have been on a decline but remain high compared to other African countries. Maternal care facilities (MCFs) are critical for improving outcomes, yet their effectiveness varies significantly across different regions. Participants were randomly allocated into three groups: Group A received traditional MCF services, Group B received improved MCF services with additional support staff, and Group C was offered advanced MCF services including telemedicine consultations. Data collection involved standardised surveys for both mothers and newborns at postpartum visits. Neonatal mortality rates were significantly lower in the advanced MCF service group (Group C) compared to traditional (Group A) and improved (Group B) groups, with a reduction of approximately 20% (95% CI: -18. 3%, -24. 7%). The randomized field trial demonstrated that enhanced maternal care facilities significantly reduced neonatal mortality rates. Public health authorities should prioritise the expansion and improvement of advanced MCF services to further reduce neonatal mortality in Nigeria. Treatment effect was estimated with logit (pᵢ) =₀+^ Xᵢ, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.
Knight et al. (Wed,) studied this question.