Building forward better—An exploration of nutrition practices, food choice, and coping behaviors among Kenyan adolescents during COVID-19: Experiences and program implications
This implementation research study sought to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent nutrition practices and related behaviors in Nairobi and Uasin Gishu Counties, Kenya. Eight focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with adolescents 10–19 years of age, in-depth interviews with 10 health facility providers, and a combination of FGDs (n-4) and key […]
Prevalence and correlates of anemia among children aged 6-23 months in Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia
Background Anemia, the world’s most common micro-nutrient deficiency disorder, can affect a person at any time and at all stages of life. Though all members of the community may face the problem, children aged 6-23 months are particularly at higher risk. If left untreated, it adversely affects the health, cognitive development, school achievement, and work […]
Four delays of child mortality in Rwanda: A mixed methods analysis of verbal social autopsies
Objectives We sought to understand healthcare-seeking patterns and delays in obtaining effective treatment for rural Rwandan children aged 1-5 years by analysing verbal and social autopsies (VSA). Factors in the home, related to transport and to quality of care in the formal health sector (FHS) were thought to contribute to delays. Design We collected quantitative […]
Trust of community health workers influences the acceptance of community-based maternal and child health services
Background: Community health workers (CHWs) are a component of the health system in many countries, providing effective community-based services to mothers and infants. However, implementation of CHW programmes at scale has been challenging in many settings. Aim: To explore the acceptability of CHWs conducting household visits to mothers and infants during pregnancy and after delivery, […]
Prelacteal feeding among infants within the first week of birth in eastern Uganda: evidence from a health facility-based cross-sectional study
Background: Prelacteal feeding hinders early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding but is understudied in Uganda. We examined the prevalence and factors associated with prelacteal feeding among postpartum mothers in Kamuli district in rural eastern Uganda. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study between December 2020 and January 2021 at four large healthcare facilities and randomly […]
Dual profile of environmental enrichment and autistic-like behaviors in the maternal separated model in rats
Background: Environmental Enrichment (EE) has been suggested as a possible therapeutic intervention for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. Although the benefits of this therapeutic method have been reported in some animal models and human studies, the unknown pathophysiology of autism as well as number of conflicting results, urge for further examination of the therapeutic potential […]
Maternal cortisol and stress are associated with birth outcomes, but are not affected by lipid-based nutrient supplements during pregnancy: An analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial in rural Malawi
Background: Prenatal micronutrient supplements have been found to increase birth weight, but mechanisms for increased growth are poorly understood. Our hypotheses were that 1) women who receive lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) during pregnancy would have lower mean salivary cortisol concentration at 28 wk and 36 wk gestation compared to the multiple micronutrient (MMN) and iron-folic […]
Explaining changes in child health inequality in the run up to the 2015 millennium development goals (MDGs): The case of Zambia
Background Child health interventions were drastically scaled up in the period leading up to 2015 as countries aimed at meeting the 2015 target of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). MDGs were defined in terms of achieving improvements in average health. Significant improvements in average child health are documented, but evidence also points to rising inequality. […]
Characteristics of successful integrated family planning and maternal and child health services: Findings from a mixed-method, descriptive evaluation
Background: Most postpartum women in low- and middle-income countries want to delay or avoid future pregnancies but are not using modern contraception. One promising strategy for increasing the use of postpartum family planning (PPFP) is integration with maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) services. However, there is limited evidence on effective service integration strategies. We […]
Comprehensive review of the evidence regarding the effectiveness of community-based primary health care in improving maternal, neonatal and child health: 6. strategies used by effective projects
Background As part of our review of the evidence of the effectiveness of community-based primary health care (CBPHC) in improving maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH), we summarize here the common delivery strategies of projects, programs and field research studies (collectively referred to as projects) that have demonstrated effectiveness in improving child mortality. Other articles […]
