Associations of childhood, maternal and household dietary patterns with childhood stunting in Ethiopia: Proposing an alternative and plausible dietary analysis method to dietary diversity scores
Background: Identifying dietary patterns that consider the overall eating habits, rather than focusing on individual foods or simple counts of consumed foods, better helps to understand the combined effects of dietary components. Therefore, this study aimed to use dietary patterns, as an alternative method to dietary diversity scores (DDSs), and investigate their associations with childhood […]
Nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive factors associated with mid-upper arm circumference as a measure of nutritional status in pregnant Ethiopian women: Implications for programming in the first 1000 days
Poor nutritional status in pregnancy expressed as low mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) is associated with low birth weight. The study aims were to assess the nutritional status of pregnant Ethiopian women using MUAC and examine association with nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive factors, using baseline data of a prospective longitudinal observational birth cohort study conducted in three […]
Maternal morbidity in the first year after childbirth in Mombasa Kenya; a needs assessment
Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, few services specifically address the needs of women in the first year after childbirth. By assessing the health status of women in this period, key interventions to improve maternal health could be identified. There is an underutilised opportunity to include these interventions within the package of services provided for woman-child pairs […]
Unintended pregnancy, contraceptive use, and childbearing desires among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women in Botswana: Across-sectional study
Background: Little is known about the impact of knowledge of HIV serostatus on pregnancy intention and contraceptive use in high-HIV-burden southern African settings in the era of widespread antiretroviral treatment availability. Methods: We analyzed interview data collected among 473 HIV-uninfected and 468 HIV-infected pregnant and recently postpartum women at two sites in southern Botswana. Participants […]
Maternal and foetal medical conditions during pregnancy as determinants of intrapartum stillbirth in public health facilities of addis ababa: A case-control study
Introduction: globally, intrapartum stillbirth accounts for 1 million deaths of babies annually, representing approximately one-third of global stillbirth toll. Intrapartum stillbirth occurs due to causes ranging from maternal medical and obstetric conditions; access to quality obstetric care services during pregnancy; and types, timing and quality of intrapartum care. Different medical conditions including hypertensive & metabolic […]
The phone is my boss and my helper’ – A gender analysis of an mHealth intervention with Health Extension Workers in Southern Ethiopia
Background There is considerable optimism in mHealth’s potential to overcome health system deficiencies, yet gender inequalities can weaken attempts to scale-up mHealth initiatives. We report on the gendered experiences of an mHealth intervention, in Southern Ethiopia, realised by the all-female cadre of Health Extension Workers (HEWs). Methodology Following the introduction of the mHealth intervention, in-depth […]
Infant and young child feeding practices among adolescent mothers and associated factors in India
Adequate infant and young child feeding (IYCF) improve child survival and growth. Globally, about 18 million babies are born to mothers aged 18 years or less and have a higher likelihood of adverse birth outcomes in India due to insufficient knowledge of child growth. This paper examined factors associated with IYCF practices among adolescent Indian […]
Prevalence and predictors of primary postpartum hemorrhage: An implication for designing effective intervention at selected hospitals, Southern Ethiopia
Background Primary postpartum hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. Ethiopia has made significant progress in maternal health care services. Despite this, primary postpartum hemorrhage continues to remain the leading cause of maternal mortality in Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and predictors of primary postpartum hemorrhage among mothers who gave […]
Socio-economic and cultural determinants of mothers and fathers for low birth weight newborns in the region of Marrakech (Morocco): A case-control study
Background Low birth weight (LBW) is defined as a birth weight less than 2500 g. It is an important predictor of early neonatal mortality, morbidity, and long-term health outcomes. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for low birth weight in Marrakech Morocco. Methods A retrospective based case-control study was conducted from […]
Birth preparedness and complication readiness among pregnant women admitted in a rural hospital in Rwanda
Background: With an aim to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes, ‘birth preparedness and complication readiness’ (BP/CR) promotes timely access to skilled maternal and neonatal services. Objective of this study was to assess implementation of BP/CR among pregnant women admitted with obstetric emergencies in rural Rwanda. Methods: A cross-sectional study among pregnant women who were referred to […]
