Father involvement, maternal depression and child nutritional outcomes in Soweto, South Africa
Father involvement in South Africa is low, despite evidence that it can improve maternal and child health and wellbeing. Within a larger randomised controlled trial, we assessed whether father involvement during and after pregnancy increased birth weight and exclusive breastfeeding through improved maternal mental health. At 6-week postnatal, mothers completed questionnaires on birth, feeding practices, […]
Effect of integrated nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific intervention package on maternal malnutrition among pregnant women in Rwanda
Maternal undernutrition remains a major public health concern in Rwanda despite significant gains and progress. An integration of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions was implemented in five districts of Rwanda to improve maternal and child nutrition. The package included nutrition education and counselling, promotion of agricultural productivity, promotion of financial literacy/economic resilience and provision of Water, Hygiene and […]
Health and socio-demographic profile of women of reproductive age in rural communities of southern Mozambique
Reliable statistics on maternal morbidity and mortality are scarce in low and middle-income countries, especially in rural areas. This is the case in Mozambique where many births happen at home. Furthermore, a sizeable number of facility births have inadequate registration. Such information is crucial for developing effective national and global health policies for maternal and […]
Inequities in maternal health services utilization in Ethiopia 2000-2016: Magnitude, trends, and determinants
Background: Inequities in maternal health services utilization constitute a major challenge in maternal mortality reduction in Ethiopia. We sought to assess magnitude, trends, and determinants of inequities in maternal health services utilization in Ethiopia from 2000 to 2016. Methods: The study utilized data from the 2000 and 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys, which were […]
‘We saw she was in danger, but couldn’t do anything’: Missed opportunities and health worker disempowerment during birth care in rural Burkina Faso
Background: Facility-based births have been promoted as the main strategy to reduce maternal and neonatal death risks at global scale. To improve birth outcomes, it is critical that health facilities provide quality care. Using a framework to assess quality of care, this paper examines health workers’ perceptions about access to facility birth; the effectiveness of […]
Knowledge on birth preparedness and complication readiness among expecting couples in rural Tanzania: Differences by sex cross-sectional study
Background Inadequate knowledge of birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) among expecting couples delays timely access to maternal emergency services. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge on birth preparedness and complication readiness and how men and women differ” among expecting couples in a rural setting of Rukwa Region, Tanzania. Methods A community-based […]
Prevalence and factors associated with preterm birth at kenyatta national hospital
Background: The World Health Organization estimates the prevalence of preterm birth to be 5-18% across 184 countries of the world. Statistics from countries with reliable data show that preterm birth is on the rise. About a third of neonatal deaths are directly attributed to prematurity and this has hindered the achievement of Millennium Development Goal-4 […]
Causes of perinatal death at a tertiary care hospital in Northern Tanzania 2000-2010: A registry based study
Background: Perinatal mortality reflects maternal health as well as antenatal, intrapartum and newborn care, and is an important health indicator. This study aimed at classifying causes of perinatal death in order to identify categories of potentially preventable deaths.Methods: We studied a total of 1958 stillbirths and early neonatal deaths above 500 g between July 2000 […]
Maternal and newborn health services utilization in Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia: A community based cross-sectional study
Background: Majority of causes of maternal and newborn mortalities are preventable. However, poor access to and low utilization of health services remain major barriers to optimum health of the mothers and newborns. The objectives of this study were to assess maternal and newborn health services utilization and factors affecting mothers’ health service utilization. Methods: A […]
The impact of an mHealth monitoring system on health care utilization by mothers and children: An evaluation using routine health information in Rwanda
Maternal and child mortality rates remain unacceptably high globally, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. A popular approach to counter these high rates is interventions delivered using mobile phones (mHealth). However, few mHealth interventions have been implemented nationwide and there has been little evaluation of their effectiveness, particularly at scale. Therefore, we evaluated the Rwanda RapidSMS programme […]
