Relationship between maternal body composition during pregnancy and infant’s birth weight in Nairobi informal settlements, Kenya
Background Maternal nutrition depletion during pregnancy compromises fetal programming, and is a cause of adverse birth outcomes. Maternal body composition measurement using direct body composition assessment methods such as the deuterium dilution technique provides better prediction of birth outcomes as compared with commonly used techniques like anthropometry. This study assessed body composition of pregnant mothers […]
Lifesaving emergency obstetric services are inadequate in south-west Ethiopia: A formidable challenge to reducing maternal mortality in Ethiopia
Background: Most maternal deaths take place during labour and within a few weeks after delivery. The availability and utilization of emergency obstetric care facilities is a key factor in reducing maternal mortality; however, there is limited evidence about how these institutions perform and how many people use emergency obstetric care facilities in rural Ethiopia. We […]
Shock index thresholds to predict adverse outcomes in maternal hemorrhage and sepsis: A prospective cohort study
Introduction: Shock index (SI) is a predictor of hemodynamic compromise in obstetric patients. The SI threshold for action is not well understood. We aimed to evaluate SI thresholds as predictors of outcomes in obstetric patients. Material and methods: We undertook a prospective cohort study at three South African hospitals of women with postpartum hemorrhage (n = 283) […]
Loss to follow up of pregnant women with HIV and infant HIV outcomes in the prevention of maternal to child transmission of HIV programme in two high-burden provinces in Papua New Guinea: A retrospective clinical audit
Introduction Despite early adoption of the WHO guidelines to deliver lifelong antiretroviral (ARV) regimen to pregnant women on HIV diagnosis, the HIV prevention of mother to child transmission programme in Papua New Guinea remains suboptimal. An unacceptable number of babies are infected with HIV and mothers not retained in treatment. This study aimed to describe […]
Maternal mortality in the informal settlements of Nairobi city: What do we know?
Background. Current estimates of maternal mortality ratios in Kenya are at least as high as 560 deaths per 100,000 live births. Given the pervasive poverty and lack of quality health services in slum areas, the maternal mortality situation in this setting can only be expected to be worse. With a functioning health care system, most […]
Can we achieve an AIDS-free generation? Perspectives on the global campaign to eliminate new pediatric HIV infections
Efforts to prevent the mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV infection have encountered remarkable successes and considerable challenges around the globe. The reductions in vertical HIV transmission observed in Europe and North America have helped raise the possibility of the virtual elimination of new pediatric HIV infections and in turn an “AIDS-free generation”. Yet in many […]
Global surgery for pediatric hydrocephalus in the developing world: A review of the history, challenges, and future directions
Objective Pediatric hydrocephalus is one of the most common neurosurgical conditions and is a major contributor to the global burden of surgically treatable diseases. Significant health disparities exist for the treatment of hydrocephalus in developing nations due to a combination of medical, environmental, and socioeconomic factors. This review aims to provide the international neurosurgery community […]
Factors associated with mother to child transmission of HIV despite overall low transmission rates in HIV-exposed infants in rural Kenya
Despite the availability of efficacious prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) interventions and improved access to preventive services in many developing countries, vertical HIV transmission persists. A matched case–control study of HIV-exposed infants between January and June 2012 was conducted at 20 clinics in Kenya. Cases were HIV-infected infants and controls were exposed, uninfected infants. Conditional […]
Barriers to formal emergency obstetric care services’ utilization
Access to appropriate health care including skilled birth attendance at delivery and timely referrals to emergency obstetric care services can greatly reduce maternal deaths and disabilities, yet women in sub-Saharan Africa continue to face limited access to skilled delivery services. This study relies on qualitative data collected from residents of two slums in Nairobi, Kenya […]
Sensitivity of hospital-based surveillance for severe disease: A geographic information system analysis of access to care in Kilifi district, Kenya
Objective To explore the relationship between homestead distance to hospital and access to care and to estimate the sensitivity of hospital-based surveillance in Kilifi district, Kenya. Methods In 2002-2006, clinical information was obtained from all children admitted to Kilifi District Hospital and linked to demographic surveillance data. Travel times to the hospital were calculated using […]
