The prevalence of under nutrition and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care service in public hospitals of western Ethiopia
Background Pregnancy is a time when the body is under a lot of stress, which increases your dietary needs. Under nutrition is a worldwide health issue, especially among pregnant women. Malnutrition during pregnancy can result in miscarriages, fetal deaths during pregnancy, preterm delivery, and maternal mortality for both the mother and her fetus. Therefore, this […]
Determinants and impact of Giardia infection in the first 2 years of life in the MAL-ED birth cohort
Background. Giardia are among the most common enteropathogens detected in children in low-resource settings. We describe here the epidemiology of infection with Giardia in the first 2 years of life in the Etiology, Risk Factors, and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health and Development Project (MAL-ED), a multisite birth-cohort […]
The international Perinatal Outcomes in the Pandemic (iPOP) study: Protocol
Preterm birth is the leading cause of infant death worldwide, but the causes of preterm birth are largely unknown. During the early COVID-19 lockdowns, dramatic reductions in preterm birth were reported; however, these trends may be offset by increases in stillbirth rates. It is important to study these trends globally as the pandemic continues, and […]
Environmental and behavioural exposure pathways associated with diarrhoea and enteric pathogen detection in 5-month-old, periurban Kenyan infants: a cross-sectional study
Objectives The aim of this study was to test whether household environmental hygiene and behavioural conditions moderated associations between diarrhoea and enteric pathogen detection in infants 5 months of age in Kenya and pathogen sources, including latrine access, domestic animal co-habitation and public food sources. Design Cross-sectional study utilising enrolment survey data of households participating […]
Maternal challenges of exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding in Ghana
Mothers are recommended to exclusively breastfeed their infants for the first six months of their lives. Also, after the sixth month, breastfeeding should continue with added complementary foods to the diets of children. Studies designed to sought the views of mothers on breastfeeding practices are limited. The aim of this study was to explore challenges […]
Use of quantitative molecular diagnostic methods to investigate the effect of enteropathogen infections on linear growth in children in low-resource settings: longitudinal analysis of results from the MAL-ED cohort study
Background: Enteropathogen infections in early childhood not only cause diarrhoea but contribute to poor growth. We used molecular diagnostics to assess whether particular enteropathogens were associated with linear growth across seven low-resource settings. Methods: We used quantitative PCR to detect 29 enteropathogens in diarrhoeal and non-diarrhoeal stools collected from children in the first 2 years […]
The impact of maternal diet fortification with lipid-based nutrient supplements on postpartum depression in rural Malawi: a randomised-controlled trial
Perinatal depression is highly prevalent in low-and-middle-income countries and has been linked to poor child health. Suboptimal maternal nutrition may be a risk factor for perinatal depression. In this randomised-controlled trial conducted in rural Malawi, we set out to test the hypothesis that women taking a fatty acid-rich lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) would have fewer […]
Tubaramure, a Food-Assisted Integrated Health and Nutrition Program, Reduces Child Wasting in Burundi: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Intervention Trial
Background: Little is known about the impact of food-assisted maternal and child health programs (FA-MCHN) on child wasting. Objectives: We assessed the impact of Tubaramure, a FA-MCHN program in Burundi, on child (0 to 24 months) wasting and the differential impacts by socio-economic characteristics and age. The program targeted women and their children during the […]
Sustainable Survival for adolescents living with HIV: Do SDG-aligned provisions reduce potential mortality risk
Introduction: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) present a groundbreaking global development agenda to protect the most vulnerable. Adolescents living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa continue to experience extreme health vulnerabilities, but we know little about the impacts of SDG-aligned provisions on their health. This study tests associations of provisions aligned with five SDGs with potential […]
Strengths and limitations of computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) for nutrition data collection in rural Kenya
Despite progress in fighting undernutrition, Africa has the highest rates of undernutrition globally, exacerbated by drought and conflict. Mobile phones are emerging as a tool for rapid, cost effective data collection at scale in Africa, as mobile phone subscriptions and phone ownership increase at the highest rates globally. To assess the feasibility and biases of […]
