DECIDE: A cluster-randomized controlled trial to reduce unnecessary caesarean deliveries in Burkina Faso

Background: In Burkina Faso, facility-based caesarean delivery rates have markedly increased since the national subsidy policy for deliveries and emergency obstetric care was implemented in 2006. Effective and safe strategies are needed to prevent unnecessary caesarean deliveries. Methods: We conducted a cluster-randomized controlled trial of a multifaceted intervention at 22 referral hospitals in Burkina Faso. […]

Evaluation of a custom-developed computer game to improve executive functioning in 4- To 6-year-old children exposed to alcohol in utero: Protocol for a feasibility randomized controlled trial

Background: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is one of the most common causes of preventable intellectual disability, and the key associated deficits are in executive function (EF). Aspects of EF can be improved using cognitive training interventions. The highest prevalence of FASD globally (at a rate of 135.1 per 1000) has been found in a […]

Delivery of iron-fortified yoghurt, through a dairy value chain program, increases hemoglobin concentration among children 24 to 59 months old in Northern Senegal: A cluster-randomized control trial

Background Innovative strategies are needed to enhance the nutritional impact of agriculture. Value chain approaches, which use supply chains to add value (usually economic) to products as they move from producers to consumers, can be used to increase access to nutritious foods and improve nutritional status. This study tested whether a dairy value chain could […]

Hand-Washing at Critical Times and Associated Factors Among Mothers/Caregivers of Under-Five Year Children in Nefas Silk Lafto Sub-City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background: Hand washing is the simplest, most affordable, and most effective means of limiting the spread of infections. Despite increasing efforts to improve hand washing at critical times (after defecation, after handling child/adult feces or cleaning child’s bottom, after cleaning the environment, before preparing food, and before eating food), mothers/caregivers of under-five children fail to […]

Pooled prevalence and determinants of informed choice of contraceptive methods among reproductive age women in Sub-Saharan Africa: A multilevel analysis

Background: Despite the commitments of the government to minimize unintended pregnancy, abortion, and unmet need for contraceptives, as per our search of the literature, there is no study on the pooled prevalence and determinants of informed choice of contraceptive methods in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the pooled prevalence and determinants of […]

The extent of maternal nutritional knowledge and practice during lactation in Kombolcha Town, South Wollo Zone, Ethiopia: A mixed study design

Objective: The study aimed to assess nutritional practice and its associated factors among lactating mothers in Kombolcha Town, South Wollo Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia, 2017. Design and Setting: A community-based cross-sectional study design supplemented with qualitative research was conducted at Kombolcha Town from October 23 to November 10, 2017. A systematic sampling technique was used […]

Family and provider perceptions of quality of care in the management of sick young infants in primary healthcare settings in four counties of Kenya

Background Understanding the perceptions of quality of care given to sick young infants in primary healthcare settings is key for developing strategies for effective uptake and utilisation of possible severe bacterial infection guidelines. The purpose of this study is to assess families and providers’ perceptions of care given to sick young infants at primary healthcare […]

Malaria-associated acute kidney injury in African children: Prevalence, pathophysiology, impact, and management challenges

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is emerging as a complication of increasing clinical importance associated with substantial morbidity and mortality in African children with severe malaria. Using the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria to define AKI, an estimated 24–59% of African children with severe malaria have AKI with most AKI community-acquired. AKI is a […]

Perception and practice of breastfeeding among HIV positive mothers receiving care for prevention of mother to child transmission in South-East, Nigeria

Background: Although the risk of HIV transmission through breastfeeding is reduced considerably with the use of antiretroviral therapy, infant feeding by HIV positive mothers remains controversial. Weighing risks against benefits generates intense debate among policymakers, program managers and service providers in sub-Saharan Africa, considering that the major causes of infant death of malnutrition and infectious […]

Adolescent pregnancy and parenting: Perceptions of healthcare providers

Background: Adverse maternal and child health outcomes due to adolescent pregnancy are central to public health research and practice. In addition, public health has emphasised that the care rendered by healthcare providers plays a pivotal role in the health and well-being of pregnant and parenting adolescents. Healthcare providers may differ in the ways they interpret […]