Use of a novel supplementary food and measures to control inflammation in malnourished pregnant women in Sierra Leone to improve birth outcomes: Study protocol for a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical effectiveness trial

Background: The negative synergy between poor nutritional status and infectious diseases is doubly detrimental in pregnancy. In Sierra Leone, maternal malnutrition is amongst the highest in the world, while maternal mortality is high at 1320/100,000 live births and stunting in under-five is 37.9%, ranked 110/132 worldwide. Maternal malnutrition has been associated with preterm birth, small-for-gestational […]

A priori and a posteriori dietary patterns among pregnant women in johannesburg, south africa: The nuped study

Dietary pattern analyses allow assessment of the diet as a whole. Limited studies include both a priori and a posteriori dietary pattern analyses. This study aimed to explore the diet of pregnant women in urban South Africa through both a priori and a posteriori dietary pattern analyses and associated maternal and household factors. Dietary data […]

Effects of an mHealth voice message service (mMitra) on maternal health knowledge and practices of low-income women in India: Findings from a pseudo-randomized controlled trial

Background: Mobile Health (mHealth) is becoming an important tool to improve health outcomes in maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH). Studies of mHealth interventions, have demonstrated their effectiveness in improving uptake of recommended maternal services such as antenatal visits. However, evidence of impact on maternal health outcomes is still limited. Methods: A pseudo-randomized controlled trial […]

Socio-demographic profiles and anthropometric status of 0- to 71-month-old children and their caregivers in rural districts of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa

Objectives: To determine the nutritional status of 0- to 71-month-old children and their caregivers, as welt as their socio-demographics, in two provinces in South Africa. Design: Cross-sectional baseline survey. Setting: OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo districts in the Eastern Cape (EC), and Umkhanyakude and Zululand (Nongoma and Pongola subdistricts) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa. Subjects: […]

Genetics of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism and meat eating quality in Tattykeel Australian white lambs

Meat eating quality with a healthy composition hinges on intramuscular fat (IMF), fat melting point (FMP), tenderness, juiciness, flavour and omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA) content. These health-beneficial n-3 LC-PUFA play significant roles in optimal cardiovascular, retinal, maternal and childhood brain functions, and include alpha linolenic (ALA), eicosapentaenoic (EPA), docosahexaenoic (DHA) and docosapentaenoic […]

Factors associated with inadequate prenatal care service utilization in Ethiopia according to the WHO recommended standard guidelines

Background: Adequate maternal health care could prevent 54% of maternal deaths in low- and middle-income countries. In Ethiopia, the maternal mortality rate was reduced from 817 to 412 deaths per 100,000 live births between 2000 and 2016. Thus, the current study focuses on the adequacy of prenatal care (PNC) services rather than the mere prenatal […]

Detection and initial management of gestational diabetes through primary health care services in Morocco: An effectiveness-implementation trial

Background Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) testing and management in Morocco is associated with delays resulting in late commencement of treatment. To reduce delays and to increase access of women to GDM care, a country-adapted intervention targeting primary health care providers was designed to test the hypothesis that detection and initial management of GDM at the […]

Experiences of a dedicated Heart and Maternal Health Service providing multidisciplinary care to pregnant women with cardiac disease in a tertiary centre in Namibia

Objectives: First, to describe the implementation process, benefits and challenges of a multidisciplinary service for pregnant women with cardiac disease in Namibia. Second, to assess pregnancy outcomes in this population. Methods: In a tertiary hospital in Namibia, a multidisciplinary service was implemented by staff of obstetric and cardiology departments and included preconception counselling, provision of […]

Prodromal symptoms, health care seeking in response to symptoms and associated factors in eclamptic patients

Background: Eclampsia is one of the leading causes of maternal death worldwide. Maternal catastrophe is made worse in developing countries by the high incidence coupled with delayed presentation of patients and health facility constraints in effective management of eclampsia and its complications. Methods: A prospective study of all 93 eclamptic women admitted to a general […]

A protocol for an observational cohort study of heat strain and its effect on fetal wellbeing in pregnant farmers in The Gambia

Introduction: Climate change predictions indicate that global temperatures are likely to exceed those seen in the last 200,000 years, rising by around 4°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100 (without effective mitigation of current emission rates). In regions of the world set to experience extreme temperatures, women often work outside in agriculture even during pregnancy. The […]