Evaluating the moderating role of accredited social health activists on adverse birth outcomes in rural India

•The prevalence of preterm birth and low birth weight is exceedingly high in rural India.•Community health workers have played a fundamental role in improving access to antenatal care for pregnant women globally. Specifically, in India, the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) program has been shown to increase access to antenatal care and increase maternal utilization of health services.•Women in high-risk SES groups had a higher risk of delivering a preterm or low birth weight baby.•ASHA accompanying women for their antenatal care visits moderated the risk of preterm births among women in high-risk SES groups.