Community based screening for sickle haemoglobin among pregnant women in Benue State, Nigeria: I-Care-to-Know, a Healthy Beginning Initiative
Background: Haemoglobin genotype screening at prenatal care offers women an opportunity to be aware of their genotype, receive education on sickle cell disease (SCD) and may increase maternal demand for SCD newborn screening. In developed countries, most pregnant women who access prenatal care and deliver at the hospital receive haemoglobin genotype screening. In settings with […]
A cross sectional comparison of postnatal care quality in facilities participating in a maternal health voucher program versus non-voucher facilities in Kenya
Background: Health service fees constitute substantial barriers for women seeking childbirth and postnatal care. In an effort to reduce health inequities, the government of Kenya in 2006 introduced the output-based approach (OBA), or voucher programme, to increase poor women’s access to quality Safe Motherhood services including postnatal care. To help improve service quality, OBA programmes […]
Pills and prayers: a comparative qualitative study of community conceptualisations of pre-eclampsia and pluralistic care in Ethiopia, Haiti and Zimbabwe
Background: Pre-eclampsia is a leading cause of preventable maternal and perinatal deaths globally. While health inequities remain stark, removing financial or structural barriers to care does not necessarily improve uptake of life-saving treatment. Building on existing literature elaborating the sociocultural contexts that shape behaviours around pregnancy and childbirth can identify nuanced influences relating to pre-eclampsia […]
Use of metformin to prolong gestation in preterm pre-eclampsia: Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial
Objective To evaluate whether extended release metformin could be used to prolong gestation in women being expectantly managed for preterm pre-eclampsia. Design Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial. Setting Referral hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. Participants 180 women with preterm pre-eclampsia between 26+0 to 31+6 weeks’ gestation undergoing expectant management: 90 were randomised to […]
Prenatal supplementation with multiple micronutrient supplements or medium-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements has limited effects on child growth up to 24 months in rural Niger: A secondary analysis of a cluster randomized trial
Background: Prenatal multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) and lipid-based nutrient supplementation (LNS) can improve birth outcomes relative to iron-folic acid supplementation (IFA); however, effects on child postnatal growth remain unclear. Objectives: The aim was to compare the effect of prenatal MMS, medium-quantity LNS (MQ-LNS), and IFA on child growth up to 2 y of age. Methods: […]
Prevalence and risk factors of overweight and obesity among children aged 6-59 months in Cameroon: A multistage, stratified cluster sampling nationwide survey
Background: Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children ( 2) and obesity (BMI for age > 3). Regression analyses were performed to investigate risk factors of overweight/obesity. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 8% (1.7% for obesity […]
The association of household and child food insecurity with overweight/obesity in children and adolescents in an urban setting of Ethiopia
Background: Existing evidence on the association between food insecurity and childhood obesity is mixed. In addition, literature from developing countries in general and Ethiopia in particular on the nexus and impact of household and child food insecurity on childhood obesity in the context of urbanization remains limited. The objective of this study was to explore […]
Enhancing Nutrition and Antenatal Infection Treatment (ENAT) study: Protocol of a pragmatic clinical effectiveness study to improve birth outcomes in Ethiopia
Introduction The WHO Nutrition Target aims to reduce the global prevalence of low birth weight by 30% by the year 2025. The Enhancing Nutrition and Antenatal Infection Treatment (ENAT) study will test the impact of packages of pregnancy interventions to enhance maternal nutrition and infection management on birth outcomes in rural Ethiopia. Methods and analysis […]
Time-critical conditions: Assessment of burden and access to care using verbal autopsy in Agincourt, South Africa
Background Time-critical conditions (TCC) are estimated to cause substantial mortality in low and middle-income countries. However, quantification of deaths and identification of contributing factors to those deaths are challenging in settings with poor health records. Aim To use verbal autopsy (VA) data from the Agincourt health and sociodemographic surveillance system in rural South Africa to […]
Implementation of a new program of gestational diabetes screening and management in Morocco: A qualitative exploration of health workers’ perceptions
Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with an increased risk for a future type 2 diabetes mellitus in women and their children. As linkage between maternal health and non-communicable diseases, antenatal care plays a key role in the primary and secondary prevention of GDM associated adverse outcomes. While implementing a locally adapted GDM screening […]
