Trust me! Parental embodied mentalizing predicts infant cognitive and language development in longitudinal follow-up
Children’s cognitive and language development is a central aspect of human development and has wide and long-standing impact. The parent-infant relationship is the chief arena for the infant to learn about the world. Studies reveal associations between quality of parental care and children’s cognitive and language development when the former is measured as maternal sensitivity. […]
Effects of a four-year health systems intervention on the use of maternal and infant health services: results from a programme evaluation in two districts of rural Chad
Background: Attendance of maternal and infant care services in rural Chad are consistently low. Our study aimed to assess the use of antenatal (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC) services, health facility delivery and infant health services after 4 years of a health systems intervention for improving the infrastructure, supplies, training and sensitization for maternal and […]
Responding to the challenge of Adolescent Perinatal Depression (RAPiD): Protocol for a cluster randomized hybrid trial of psychosocial intervention in primary maternal care
Background: Adolescent pregnancy is a pressing public health issue globally, and particularly in low and middle-income countries. Depression occurring in the perinatal period is common among women and more so among adolescent mothers. Effective treatments for the condition have been demonstrated in adults but the needs of adolescents are often unique, making such treatments unlikely […]
Maternal depression and child psychopathology among Attendees at a Child Neuropsychiatric Clinic in Abeokuta, Nigeria: A cross sectional study
Background: Children with recognized, diagnosable mental and neurological disorders are in addition prone to emotional and behavioral problems which transcend their specific diagnostic labels. In accessing care, these children are almost invariably accompanied by caregivers (usually mothers) who may also have mental health problems, notably depression. The relationship between child and maternal psychopathology has however […]
Healthcare access and quality of birth care: Narratives of women living with obstetric fistula in rural Tanzania
Background: Increasing births with skilled attendants and increasing health facilities with Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC) can reduce maternal mortality and are considered critical interventions for ensuring safe motherhood. Despite Tanzania’s policy to support women to give birth with the assistance of skilled personnel, some women do not access this care. This article uses women’s stories […]
The NSPCC UK Minding the Baby® (MTB) home-visiting programme, supporting young mothers (aged 14-25) in the first 2 years of their baby’s life: Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Background: Young mothers living in low-income urban settings often are exposed to significant and chronic environmental difficulties including poverty, social isolation and poor education and typically also have to cope with personal histories of abuse and depression. Minding the Baby® (MTB) is an interdisciplinary home-visiting programme developed to support first-time young mothers, which integrates primary […]
The effect of supervision on community health workers’ effectiveness with households in rural South Africa: A cluster randomized controlled trial
Background Community health workers (CHWs) can supplement professional medical providers, especially in rural settings where resources are particularly scarce. Yet, outcomes of studies evaluating CHWs effectiveness have been highly variable and lack impact when scaled nationally. This study examines if child and maternal outcomes are better when existing government CHWs, who are perinatal home visitors, […]
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Option B+ for HIV Prevention and Treatment of Mothers and Children in Malawi
Background: The Ministry of Health in Malawi is implementing a pragmatic and innovative approach for the management of all HIV-infected pregnant women, termed Option B+, which consists of providing life-long antiretroviral treatment, regardless of their CD4 count or clinical stage. Our objective was to determine if Option B+ represents a cost-effective option. Methods: A decision […]
Prevalence and Determinants of Rural-Urban Utilization of Skilled Delivery Services in Northern Ghana
Background. There are wide differences in the uptake of skilled delivery services between urban and rural women in the northern region of Ghana. This study assessed the rural-urban differences in the prevalence of and factors associated with uptake of skilled delivery in the northern region of Ghana. Methods. The study population comprised postpartum women who […]
Longitudinal Assessment of Prenatal, Perinatal, and Early-Life Aflatoxin B1Exposure in 828 Mother-Child Dyads from Bangladesh and Malawi
Background: In utero or early-life exposure to aflatoxin, which contaminates staple crops in disadvantaged settings, may compromise pregnancy and infant outcomes, but investigations into the extent, persistence, and determinants of aflatoxin exposure at these life stages have lacked longitudinal data collection and broad geographic representation. Objectives: Aflatoxin exposure and selected determinants thereof were characterized in […]
