Group antenatal care versus standard antenatal care and effect on mean gestational age at birth in Rwanda: protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Group antenatal care has demonstrated promise as a service delivery model that may result in improved outcomes compared to standard antenatal care in socio-demographic populations at disparately high risk for poor perinatal outcomes. Intrigued by results from the United States showing lower preterm birth rates among high-risk women who participate in group antenatal care, partners working together as the Preterm Birth Initiative - Rwanda designed a trial to assess the impact of group antenatal care on gestational age at birth. This study is a pair-matched cluster randomized controlled trial with four arms.