Factors associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic and meta-analysis
Background Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are common complications of pregnancy globally, including sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Although it has a high burden of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity, evidence on the risk of the problem is limited. Therefore, the aim of this review was to systematically examine factors associated with HDP among women […]
Time to death and its predictors among neonates who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at tertiary hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Retrospective follow up study
Backgrounds: Neonatal death is the major problem in developing world. Burden and predictors of neonatal mortality vary across countries and even among regions of a country, so understanding the problem concerning these factors is essential to overcome the problem. Therefore, this study aimed to determine time to death and its predictors of neonatal mortality among […]
The social context of adolescent women’s use of modern contraceptives in Zimbabwe: A multilevel analysis
Background: Efforts aimed at reducing maternal mortality as per the Millennium Development Goal 5 (MDG 5) include reducing early childbearing through increased adolescent contraceptive use. Despite a substantial attempt to study factors influencing adolescent contraceptive use in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), few studies have explored the role of community level characteristics on adolescent modern contraceptive use. […]
Prenatal and early postnatal food restrictions cause changes in brain oxidative status and orexigenic/anorexigenic hormones in the offspring of rats: prevention by quercetin and kaempferol
Brain oxidative signaling pathways have been identified as important targets for alleviating food deprivation-induced changes in metabolic gate-ways. Previous studies have shown that prenatal and early postnatal malnutrition alters leptin and ghrelin signaling via oxidative pathways. Thus, it has been hypothesized that agents with antioxidant properties might be beneficial for the mitigation of prenatal and […]
Longitudinal path analysis for the directional association of depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder with their comorbidities and associated factors among postpartum women in Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-lagged autoregressive modelling study
Introduction Vulnerability for depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms due to perceived traumatic birth increase during the postpartum period. Traumatic birth has been defined as an event occurring during labour and birth that may be a serious threat to the life and safety of the mother and/or child. However, the comorbidity and multimorbidity of […]
Effectiveness of maternal referral system in a rural setting: A case study from Rufiji district, Tanzania
Background: The functional referral system is important in backing-up antenatal, labour and delivery, and postnatal services in the primary level of care facilities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the maternal referral system through determining proportion of women reaching the hospitals after referral advice, appropriateness of the referral indications, reasons […]
Development of a clinical prediction model for perinatal deaths in low resource settings
Background: Most pregnancy-related deaths in low and middle income countries occur around the time of birth and are avoidable with timely care. This study aimed to develop a prognostic model to identify women at risk of intrapartum-related perinatal deaths in low-resourced settings, by (1) external validation of an existing prediction model, and subsequently (2) development […]
Limiting adverse birth outcomes in resource-limited settings (LABOR): Protocol of a prospective intrapartum cohort study
Background: Each year, nearly 300,000 women and 5 million fetuses or neonates die during childbirth or shortly thereafter, a burden concentrated disproportionately in low- and middle-income countries. Identifying women and their fetuses at risk for intrapartum-related morbidity and death could facilitate early intervention. Methods: The Limiting Adverse Birth Outcomes in Resource-Limited Settings (LABOR) Study is […]
Maternal separation affects dopamine transporter function in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat: An in vivo electrochemical study
Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. The spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) is a well-characterised model of this disorder and has been shown to exhibit dopamine dysregulation, one of the hypothesised causes of ADHD. Since stress experienced in the early stages of life can have long-lasting […]
Effect of a theory-based nutrition education intervention during pregnancy through male partner involvement on newborns’ birth weights in Southwest Ethiopia. A three-arm community based Quasi-Experimental study
Background Low birth weight is one of the most serious public health issues affecting newborns, with estimates ranging from 15% to 20% of all births worldwide. According to the Ethiopian demographic health survey report, the prevalence of Low Birth Weight rose from 11% in 2011 to 13% in 2016. The high proportion of birth weight […]