Equity in antenatal care quality: an analysis of 91 national household surveys
Background: Emerging data show that many low-income and middle-income country (LMIC) health systems struggle to consistently provide good-quality care. Although monitoring of inequalities in access to health services has been the focus of major international efforts, inequalities in health-care quality have not been systematically examined. Methods: Using the most recent (2007–16) Demographic and Health Surveys […]
High severity of abortion complications in fragile and conflict-affected settings: a cross-sectional study in two referral hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa (AMoCo study)
Background: Abortion-related complications are one of the five main causes of maternal mortality. However, research about abortion is very limited in fragile and conflict-affected settings. Our study aims to describe the magnitude and severity of abortion-related complications in two referral hospitals supported by Médecins Sans Frontières and located in such settings in northern Nigeria and […]
Operational effectiveness of single-dose nevirapine in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV
Objective: To determine the operational effectiveness of the South African programme for preventing mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV in reducing rates of early transmission of infection. Methods: Participants were mother-infant pairs who participated in the South African PMTCT programme between October 2002 and November 2004. This was a prospective cohort study. Three sites in different […]
The impact of implementing the 2016 WHO Recommendations on Antenatal Care for a Positive Pregnancy Experience on perinatal deaths: An interrupted time-series analysis in Mpumalanga province, South Africa
Objectives To investigate if the implementation of the 2016 WHO Recommendations for a Positive Pregnancy Experience reduced perinatal mortality in a South African province. The recommendations were implemented which included increasing the number of contacts and also the content of the contacts. Methods Retrospective interrupted time-series analysis was conducted for all women accessing a minimum […]
Antenatal iron supplementation, FGF23, and bone metabolism in Kenyan women and their offspring: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial
Background: Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) regulates body phosphate homeostasis primarily by increasing phosphaturia. It also acts as a vitamin D-regulating hormone. Maternal iron deficiency is associated with perturbed expression and/or regulation of FGF23 and hence might be implicated in the pathogenesis of hypophosphatemia-driven rickets in their offspring. Objectives: We aimed to determine the effect of […]
International values for haemoglobin distributions in healthy pregnant women
Background: Anaemia in pregnancy is a global health problem with associated morbidity and mortality. Methods: A secondary analysis of prospective, population-based study from 2009 to 2016 to generate maternal haemoglobin normative centiles in uncomplicated pregnancies in women receiving optimal antenatal care. Pregnant women were enrolled
Mobile consulting as an option for delivering healthcare services in low-resource settings in low- and middle-income countries: A mixed-methods study
Objective: Remote or mobile consulting is being promoted to strengthen health systems, deliver universal health coverage and facilitate safe clinical communication during coronavirus disease 2019 and beyond. We explored whether mobile consulting is a viable option for communities with minimal resources in low- and middle-income countries. Methods: We reviewed evidence published since 2018 about mobile […]
Can the Non-pneumatic Anti-Shock Garment (NASG) reduce adverse maternal outcomes from postpartum hemorrhage? Evidence from Egypt and Nigeria
Background. Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the leading cause of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity. The Non-pneumatic Anti-Shock Garment (NASG), a first-aid lower-body compression device, may decrease adverse outcomes from obstetric hemorrhage. This article is the first to report the effect of the NASG for PPH. Methods. This pre-intervention/NASG study of 854 women was conducted […]
Early Antibiotic Exposure in Low-resource Settings Is Associated with Increased Weight in the First Two Years of Life
Objectives: The potential growth-promoting effects of antibiotics are not well understood among undernourished children in environments with high pathogen exposure. We aimed to assess whether early antibiotic exposure duration and class were associated with growth to 2 years of age across 8 low-resource sites in the MAL-ED birth cohort study. Methods: We followed 1954 children […]
Description of maternal morbidities amongst 1000 women during pregnancy in ambanja, madagascar – opportunities and challenges of using an mhealth system
Background: The estimated burden of maternal morbidities in lower-income countries, such as Madagascar, is high. However, there is still a lack of data on maternal morbidities, in part due to an absence of standardized assessment tools. This cross-sectional study aims to report maternal morbidities among 1015 women in the district of Ambanja, Madagascar, and to […]
