Survival of neonates in rural Southern Tanzania: Does place of delivery or continuum of care matter?
Background: The concept of continuum of care has recently been highlighted as a core principle of maternal, newborn and child health initiatives, and as a means to save lives. However, evidence has consistently revealed that access to care during and post delivery (intra and postpartum) remains a challenge in the continuum of care framework. In […]
Abnormal birth weight in urban Nigeria: An examination of related factors
There is a knowledge gap on abnormal birth weight in urban Nigeria where specific community contexts can have a significant impact on a child’s health. Abnormal birth weight, classified into low birth weight and high birth weight, is often associated with adverse health outcomes and a leading risk for neonatal morbidity and mortality. The study […]
Validation of maternal report of early childhood caries status in Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Background: To determine the validity of maternal reports of the presence of early childhood caries (ECC), and to identify maternal variables that increase the accuracy of the reports. Methods: This secondary data analysis included 1155 mother–child dyads, recruited through a multi-stage sampling household approach in Ile-Ife Nigeria. Survey data included maternal characteristics (age, monthly income, […]
Adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes in adolescent pregnancies: The Global Network’s Maternal Newborn Health Registry study
Background: Adolescent girls between 15 and 19 years give birth to around 16 million babies each year, around 11% of births worldwide. We sought to determine whether adolescent mothers are at higher risk of maternal and perinatal adverse outcomes compared with mothers aged 20-24 years in a prospective, population-based observational study of newborn outcomes in […]
Audit of antenatal care in a rural district of KZN, South Africa
Background: Maternal and perinatal mortality remain a big challenge in developing countries, including South Africa, where the figures are amongst the highest in the world. Provision of adequate antenatal care is regarded as a cornerstone of maternal and perinatal health care and is expected to have a considerable impact on achieving the Millennium Development Goals. […]
Maternal HIV infection and other factors associated with growth outcomes of HIV-uninfected infants in Entebbe, Uganda
Objective To assess the associations between maternal HIV infection and growth outcomes of HIV-exposed but uninfected infants and to identify other predictors for poor growth among this population. Design Within a trial of de-worming during pregnancy, the cohort of offspring was followed from birth. HIV status of the mothers and their children was investigated and […]
Inequities and their determinants in coverage of maternal health services in Burkina Faso
Background: Poor and marginalized segments of society often display the worst health status due to limited access to health enhancing interventions. It follows that in order to enhance the health status of entire populations, inequities in access to health care services need to be addressed as an inherent element of any effort targeting Universal Health […]
Predictors of preconception health knowledge among Canadian women: A nationwide cross-sectional study
Background: Optimising preconception health—that is the health of women and men prior to a potential pregnancy—is increasingly recognised as fundamental to improving maternal and infant health outcomes. To date, limited research has been conducted examining preconception knowledge and studies focusing on preconception health behaviours have targeted certain behaviours, while overlooking others, with limited attention given […]
Integration of water, sanitation, hygiene and nutrition programming is associated with lower prevalence of child stunting and fever in Oromia, Ethiopia
The difference in prevalence of undernutrition and two-week disease history in women and children in Oromia, Ethiopia was compared between two intervention groups: nutrition only (comparison group) and integrated water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and nutrition (integrated group). In both groups, health care workers were trained in community management of acute malnutrition and infant and […]
Ethiopian orthodox fasting and lactating mothers: Longitudinal study on dietary pattern and nutritional status in rural tigray, Ethiopia
About half of Ethiopians belong to the Orthodox Tewahedo religion. Annually, more than 200 days are dedicated to religious fasting, which includes abstaining from all types of food, animal source foods, and water. However, the association of fasting with undernutrition remains unknown in Ethiopia. Therefore, dietary pattern and nutritional status of lactating women during lent […]
