Encouraging Pregnant Women to Use Skilled Birth Attendants and Its Effects on Maternal and Newborn Health in Rural Bangladesh

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether encouraging pregnant women in rural Bangladesh to use a skilled birth attendant during childbirth can improve the health of mothers and newborns. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does the encouragement increase the use of skilled birth attendants during childbirth? Does childbirth assisted by a skilled birth attendant lower health complications among mothers and newborns? Researchers randomly assigned pregnant women to an encouragement group or a comparison group. Women in the encouragement group received a flyer with information about childbirth facilities, skilled birth attendants, and ambulance contact details. Researchers collected information after childbirth to assess maternal and newborn health complications.

Inclusion Criteria: * Pregnant women residing in the selected study areas in rural Bangladesh * Pregnant women approximately 5-7 months pregnant at enrollment * Expected to give birth during the study follow-up period * Provided informed consent to participate Exclusion Criteria: \- No specific exclusion criteria were applied.