Prevalence, predictors of low birth weight and its association with maternal iron status using serum ferritin concentration in rural Eastern Ethiopia: a prospective cohort study
Introduction: Low birth weight (LBW) is one of the major predictors of perinatal survival, infant morbidity, and mortality, as well as the risk of developmental disabilities and illnesses in future lives. The effect of the nutritional status of pregnant women on birth outcomes is becoming a common research agenda, but evidence on the level of […]
Natural simian immunodeficiency virus transmission in mandrills: A family affair?
Understanding how pathogens spread and persist in the ecosystem is critical for deciphering the epidemiology of diseases of significance for global health and the fundamental mechanisms involved in the evolution of virulence and host resistance. Combining long-term behavioural and epidemiological data collected in a naturally infected mandrill population and a Bayesian framework, the present study […]
Decomposing socio-economic inequalities in antenatal care utilisation in 12 Southern African Development Community countries
Although many countries are making progress towards achieving the global sustainable development goals, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) lags behind. SSA bears a relatively higher burden of maternal morbidity and mortality than other regions despite existing cost-effective interventions. This paper assesses antenatal care (ANC) service utilisation among women in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, one […]
Is the decline in neonatal mortality in northern Ghana, 1996-2012, associated with the decline in the age of BCG vaccination? An ecological study
Objective To examine the association between early Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination and neonatal mortality in northern Ghana Methods This ecological study used vaccination and mortality data from the Navrongo Health and Demographic Surveillance System First, we assessed and compared changes in neonatal mortality rates (NMRs) and median BCG vaccination age from 1996 to 2012 Second, […]
‘People have started to deliver in the facility these days’: A qualitative exploration of factors affecting facility delivery in Ethiopia
Objectives To understand the recent rise in facility deliveries in Ethiopia. Design A qualitative study. Setting Four rural communities in two regions of Ethiopia. Participants 12 narrative, 12 in-depth interviews and four focus group discussions with recently delivered women; and four focus group discussions with each of grandmothers, fathers and community health workers. Results We […]
Understanding accelerators to improve SDG-related outcomes for adolescents—An investigation into the nature and quantum of additive effects of protective factors to guide policy making
Recent evidence has shown support for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) accelerator concept, which highlights the need to identify interventions or programmatic areas that can affect multiple sustainable development goals (SDGs) at once to boost their achievement. These data have also clearly shown enhanced effects when interventions are used in combination, above and beyond […]
Adequacy of antenatal care services utilisation and its effect on anaemia in pregnancy
Anaemia in pregnancy remains a critical public health concern in many countries including Ghana and it poses severe consequences in the short to long-term for women and their unborn babies. Although antenatal care (ANC) is largely provided for pregnant women, the extent its utilisation protects against anaemia in pregnancy remains largely understudied. The study assessed […]
Association between probable postnatal depression and increased infant mortality and morbidity: Findings from the DON population-based cohort study in rural Ghana
Objectives: To assess the impact of probable depression in the immediate postnatal period on subsequent infant mortality and morbidity. Design: Cohort study nested within 4 weekly surveillance of all women of reproductive age to identify pregnancies and collect data on births and deaths. Setting: Rural/periurban communities within the Kintampo Health Research Centre study area of […]
Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between household food security and child anthropometry at ages 5 and 8 years in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam
Background: Poor childhood nutritional status has lifetime effects and food insecurity is associated with dietary practices that can impair nutritional status. Objectives: We assessed concurrent and subsequent associations between food insecurity and height-for-age z scores (HAZs) and body mass index-for-age z scores (BMI-Zs); evaluated associations with transitory and chronic food insecurity; and tested whether dietary […]
White matter microstructural integrity and neurobehavioral outcome of hiv-exposed uninfected neonates
The successful implementation of prevention programs for mother-To-child human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission has dramatically reduced the prevalence of infants infected with HIV while increasing that of HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) children. Neuropsychological assessments indicate that HEU children may exhibit differences in neurodevelopment compared to unexposed children (HUU). Pathological mechanisms leading to such neurodevelopmental delays are […]
