Viability of diagnostic decision support for antenatal care in rural settings: Findings from the Bliss4Midwives Intervention in Northern Ghana
Background Antenatal screening is useful for early identification and management of high-risk pregnancies. In low-resource settings, provision of the full complement of tests is limited and diagnostic referrals incure additional costs for pregnant women. We assessed the viability of Bliss4Midwives (B4M) – a point-of-care diagnostic decision support device for decentralized screening of pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes […]
Knowledge, attitudes and practices of men in a South African rural community in relation to exclusive breastfeeding
Background: Several lifelong maternal, child and societal health benefits have been associated with exclusive breastfeeding (EBF). However, despite all the potential advantages, EBF rates have been consistently low in developing countries, including South Africa. It has been suggested that the knowledge, attitudes and practices of male partners in relation to EBF are amongst the important […]
Home birth without skilled attendants despite millennium villages project intervention in Ghana: Insight from a survey of women’s perceptions of skilled obstetric care
Background: Skilled birth attendance from a trained health professional during labour and delivery can prevent up to 75 % of maternal deaths. However, in low- and middle-income rural communities, lack of basic medical infrastructure and limited number of skilled birth attendants are significant barriers to timely obstetric care. Through analysis of self-reported data, this study […]
‘Birds of the same feathers fly together’: Midwives’ experiences with pregnant women and FGM/C complications – A grounded theory study in Liberia
Background: In Liberia, approximately 70% of the women of the North-Central and North-Western regions could have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in their childhood during a traditional ceremony marking their entrance into Sande, a secret female society. Little is known about FGM/C from Liberian women’s perspective. This study aimed to understand the health implications of […]
Impact of traffic, poverty and facility ownership on travel time to emergency care in Nairobi, Kenya
Background: In many low and middle-income countries (LMICs), timely access to emergency healthcare services is limited. In urban settings, traffic can have a significant impact on travel time, leading to life-threatening delays for time-sensitive injuries and medical emergencies. In this study, we examined travel times to hospitals in Nairobi, Kenya, one of the largest and […]
Key determinants of induced abortion in women seeking postabortion care in hospital facilities in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Introduction: Despite the universal recognition of unsafe abortion as a major public health problem, very little research has been conducted to document its precipitating factors in Burkina Faso. Our aim was to investigate the key determinants of induced abortion in a sample of women who sought postabortion care. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional household survey […]
Where there is no toilet: Water and sanitation environments of domestic and facility births in Tanzania
Background: Inadequate water and sanitation during childbirth are likely to lead to poor maternal and newborn outcomes. This paper uses existing data sources to assess the water and sanitation (WATSAN) environment surrounding births in Tanzania in order to interrogate whether such estimates could be useful for guiding research, policy and monitoring initiatives.Methods: We used the […]
Improving the Quality of Adult Mortality Data Collected in Demographic Surveys: Validation Study of a New Siblings’ Survival Questionnaire in Niakhar, Senegal
Background:In countries with limited vital registration, adult mortality is frequently estimated using siblings’ survival histories (SSHs) collected during Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). These data are affected by reporting errors. We developed a new SSH questionnaire, the siblings’ survival calendar (SSC). It incorporates supplementary interviewing techniques to limit omissions of siblings and uses an event […]
Theory-based nutrition education intervention through male involvement improves the dietary diversity practice and nutritional status of pregnant women in rural Illu Aba Bor Zone, Southwest Ethiopia: A quasi-experimental study
Maternal undernutrition is a major public health problem that disproportionately affects women in low-income countries. Despite attempts to address maternal nutritional needs, Ethiopia still has a high rate of undernutrition. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of theory-based nutrition education through male engagement on dietary practice and the nutritional status of pregnant women. […]
Fortified balanced energy–protein supplementation during pregnancy and lactation and infant growth in rural Burkina Faso: A 2 × 2 factorial individually randomized controlled trial
Background Optimal: nutrition is crucial during the critical period of the first : 1,000 days from conception to 2 years after birth. Prenatal and postnatal supplementation of mothers with multimicronutrient-fortified balanced energy–protein (BEP) supplements is a potential nutritional intervention. However, evidence on the long-term effects of BEP supplementation on child growth is inconsistent. We evaluated […]
