Intimate partner violence and growth outcomes through infancy: A longitudinal investigation of multiple mediators in a South African birth cohort
Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been linked to poor fetal and infant growth. However, factors underlying this relationship are not well understood, particularly in the postnatal time period. In a South African cohort, we investigated (1) associations between IPV in pregnancy and growth at birth as well as postnatal IPV and child growth at 12 […]
Survival and health of children who are HIV-exposed uninfected: study protocol for the CHERISH (Children HIV-Exposed Uninfected – Research to Inform Survival and Health) dynamic, prospective, maternal-child cohort study
INTRODUCTION: CHERISH is designed to establish a long-term sustainable system for measurement of in utero and postnatal exposures and outcomes in children who are HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) and HIV-unexposed to compare survival, hospitalisation, growth and neurodevelopment in the Western Cape, South Africa. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: During 2022-2025, the CHERISH dynamic cohort is prospectively enrolling pregnant […]
Association between maternal psychological adversity and lung function in South African infants: A birth cohort study
Objective: The association of perinatal psychological adversity (ie, stressors and distress) with infant lung function (ILF) and development is not well studied in Africa and elsewhere. We determined the association between maternal perinatal psychological adversity and ILF in African infants. Design: Prospective longitudinal follow up of the Drakenstein Child Health Study birth cohort. Participants: Seven hundred […]
Association Between Obsessive-Compulsive Symptom Dimensions in Mothers and Psychopathology in Their Children
Background: The non-clinical presentation of obsessive–compulsive symptoms (OCS) in women may impact not only their daily lives and well-being but also increase the risk for emotional and behavioral problems in their children. This study aims to investigate the OCS dimension distribution in a large sample of mothers from a cohort of school age children and […]
Prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with early motor, but not language development in a South African cohort
Objective:To investigate the association of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and early neurodevelopment in the first 2 years of life, adjusting for maternal sociodemographic and psychosocial factors, in the Drakenstein Child Health Study (DCHS), a South African birth cohort study.Methods:The DCHS comprises a population-based birth cohort of 1143 children, of which, a subsample completed the Bayley […]
Neurodevelopment of HIV-exposed uninfected children in South Africa: outcomes from an observational birth cohort study
Background: HIV infection is known to cause developmental delay, but the effects of HIV exposure without infection during pregnancy on child development are unclear. We compared the neurodevelopmental outcomes of HIV-exposed uninfected and HIV-unexposed children during their first 2 years of life. Methods: Pregnant women (>18 years of age) at 20–28 weeks’ gestation were enrolled […]
Social vulnerability, parity and food insecurity in urban South African young women: the healthy life trajectories initiative (HeLTI) study
Social vulnerability indices (SVI) can predict communities’ vulnerability and resilience to public health threats such as drought, food insecurity or infectious diseases. Parity has yet to be investigated as an indicator of social vulnerability in young women. We adapted an SVI score, previously used by the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC), and calculated SVI […]
Philani Plus (+): A Mentor Mother Community Health Worker Home Visiting Program to Improve Maternal and Infants’ Outcomes
Pregnant mothers in South African townships face multiple health risks for themselves and their babies. Existing clinic-based services face barriers to access, utilization, and human resource capacities. Home visiting by community health workers (CHW) can mitigate such barriers. The Philani Plus (+) Intervention Program builds upon the original Philani CHW home-visiting intervention program for maternal […]
Common perinatal mental disorders and post-infancy child development in rural Ethiopia: A population-based cohort study
Objective: To investigate whether maternal common mental disorders (CMD) in the postnatal period are prospectively associated with child development at 2.5 and 3.5 years in a rural low-income African setting. Methods: This study was nested within the C-MaMiE (Child outcomes in relation to Maternal Mental health in Ethiopia) population-based cohort in Butajira, Ethiopia, and conducted from […]
In utero exposure to aluminium and other neurotoxic elements in urban coastal south african women at delivery: An emerging concern
Aluminium (Al) is a non-essential neurotoxicant and there is limited information regarding exposure to Al in utero. This study sought to evaluate the in utero exposure to Al in urban South African women, its effects on birth outcomes and possible synergistic effects between Al, essential and neurotoxic elements such as lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and […]
