Developmental Disorder Probability Scores at 6–18 Years Old in Relation to In-Utero/Peripartum Antiretroviral Drug Exposure among Ugandan Children
(1) We examined the hypothesis that in utero/peripartum antiretroviral (IPA) exposure may affect the likelihood of developmental disorders—i.e., attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and functional impairment (FI). (2) Children and their primary caregivers were enrolled and followed for 12 months. The sample included 250 children perinatally HIV-infected (CPHIV), 250 children […]
Socioecological predictors of breastfeeding practices in rural eastern Ethiopia
Background: Estimates by the World Health Organization indicate that over 800,000 global neonatal deaths each year are attributed to deviations from recommended best practices in infant feeding. Identifying factors promoting ideal breastfeeding practices may facilitate efforts to decrease neonatal and infant death rates and progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals set for 2030. Though […]
Engaging mothers on the growth of school-age children in a rural south african health and demographic site: A qualitative insight
A qualitative study was conducted to explore mothers’ insights on the growth of schoolage children in a rural Health and Demographic site of Limpopo Province, in South Africa. The participants were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected from seven focus group discussions, which were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. NVivo10 was used to analyse interview […]
“We Are Having a Huge Problem with Compliance”: Exploring Preconception Care Utilization in South Africa
Background: Preconception care (PCC), a policy directive from the World Health Organ-isation (WHO), comprises all the health interventions offered to women and couples before con-ception and is intended to improve their overall health status and the pregnancy outcomes. Alt-hough PCC should be an essential part of maternal and child health services in most African coun-tries, […]
Hierarchical disentanglement of contextual from compositional risk factors of diarrhoea among under-five children in low- and middle-income countries
Several studies have documented the burden and risk factors associated with diarrhoea in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). To the best of our knowledge, the contextual and compositional factors associated with diarrhoea across LMIC were poorly operationalized, explored and understood in these studies. We investigated multilevel risk factors associated with diarrhoea among under-five children in […]
Serotype distribution and antimicrobial sensitivity profile of Streptococcus pneumoniae carried in healthy toddlers before PCV13 introduction in Niamey, Niger
Background To mitigate the burden of pneumococcal infections in Niger, a 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine, PCV13, was introduced for routine child vaccination in July 2014. In order to provide pre-vaccine baseline data and allow appreciation of changes on carriage due to vaccination, we analyzed retrospectively pneumococcal isolates obtained from healthy, 0 to 2 year old children […]
Cessation of exclusive breastfeeding and seasonality, but not small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, are associated with environmental enteric dysfunction: A birth cohort study amongst infants in rural Kenya
Background: Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (EED) is a chronic intestinal inflammatory disorder of unclear aetiology prevalent amongst children in low-income settings and associated with stunting. We aimed to characterise development of EED and its putative risk factors amongst rural Kenyan infants. Methods: In a birth cohort study in Junju, rural coastal Kenya, between August 2015 and […]
Effect of oral prophylactic measures on the occurrence of pre-eclampsia (OP-PE) in high-risk pregnant women: A cluster randomized controlled trial
Pre-eclampsia (PE), a pregnancy-specific hypertensive disorder, characterized by the development of placental endothelial dysfunction, remains a major source of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, especially in low-and middle-income settings. Periodontal disorders during pregnancy, and particularly periodontal pathogens, may be related to the risk of PE. Standard oral hygiene methods, based mainly on the joint […]
Equality in maternal and newborn health: Modelling geographic disparities in utilisation of care in five East African countries
Background: Geographic accessibility to health facilities represents a fundamental barrier to utilisation of maternal and newborn health (MNH) services, driving historically hidden spatial pockets of localized inequalities. Here, we examine utilisation of MNH care as an emergent property of accessibility, highlighting high-resolution spatial heterogeneity and sub-national inequalities in receiving care before, during, and after delivery […]
Assessing Very Early Infant Diagnosis Turnaround Times: Findings from a Birth Testing Pilot in Lesotho
Very early infant diagnosis (VEID) (testing within two weeks of life), combined with rapid treatment initiation, could reduce early infant mortality. Our study evaluated turnaround time (TAT) to receipt of infants’ HIV test results and ART initiation if HIV-infected, with and without birth testing availability. Data from facility records and national databases were collected for […]
