A mobile health app may improve maternal and child health knowledge and practices among rural women with limited education in Uganda: a pilot randomized controlled trial
Objective: This article describes the impact of a mobile health app (MatHealth App) on maternal and child health knowledge and practices among women with limited education. Materials and methods: Pregnant women initiating antenatal care (ANC) were randomized (1:1) to the MatHealth App versus routine care. Participants were followed until 6 weeks after delivery. Questionnaires for […]
The Impact of COVID-19 on Maternal Mental Health during Pregnancy: A Comparison between Canada and China within the CONCEPTION Cohort
The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mental health has been described in Canada and China but no study has compared the two countries using the same standardized and validated instruments. In this study, we aimed to evaluate and compare the impact of COVID-19 public health policies on maternal mental health between Canada and […]
Female clients’ gender preferences for frontline health workers who provide maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) services at primary health care level in Nigeria
Background: In Nigeria, anecdotes abound that female clients, particularly within northern Nigeria, have gender-based preferences for frontline health workers (FLHWs) who provide healthcare services. This may adversely affect uptake of maternal newborn and child health services, especially at primary healthcare level in Nigeria, where a huge proportion of the Nigerian population and rural community members […]
Exploring maternal health care-seeking behavior of married adolescent girls in Bangladesh: A social-ecological approach
Background The huge proportion of child marriage contributes to high rates of pregnancies among adolescent girls in Bangladesh. Despite substantial progress in reducing maternal mortality in the last two decades, the rate of adolescent pregnancy remains high. The use of skilled maternal health services is still low in Bangladesh. Several quantitative studies described the use […]
Health Extension Workers’ Knowledge and Knowledge-Sharing Effectiveness of Optimal Infant and Young Child Feeding Are Associated with Mothers’ Knowledge and Child Stunting in Rural Ethiopia
Background: Little is known about how the knowledge and the knowledge-sharing effectiveness (KSE) of health extension workers (HEWs) affect maternal knowledge of optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) and their child’s nutritional status. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate mothers’ and HEWs’ knowledge of key IYCF practices and to investigate whether […]
A healthy mother and baby through optimal timing and spacing of pregnancy
One of the strategies that can assist to improve maternal and newborn outcomes in Malawi is the provision of preconception care. Most of the problems that affect the neonates and their mothers occur before pregnancy and during organogenesis. Men and women of childbearing age need appropriate advice and healthcare to assist them to have healthy […]
Prenatal development in rural South Africa: Relationship between birth weight and access to fathers and grandparents
Birth weight is an indicator of prenatal development associated with health in infancy and childhood, and may be affected by the family environment experienced by the mother during pregnancy. Using data from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, we explore the importance of the mother’s access to the father and grandparents of the child during pregnancy. Controlling for […]
Accessibility of pregnancy-related point-of-care diagnostic tests for maternal healthcare in rural primary healthcare facilities in Northern Ghana: A cross-sectional survey
Background: Improving access to maternal healthcare in resource-limited settings plays a critical role in improving maternal health outcomes and reducing maternal deaths. However, barriers and challenges may exist in rural clinics and could affect successful implementation. This study assessed the current accessibility of pregnancy-related point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tests for maternal healthcare in rural primary healthcare […]
Risk factors for maternal mortality in a Tertiary Hospital in Kenya: A case control study
Background: Maternal mortality is high in Africa, especially in Kenya where there is evidence of insufficient progress towards Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Five, which is to reduce the global maternal mortality rate by three quarters and provide universal access to reproductive health by 2015. This study aims to identify risk factors associated with maternal mortality […]
Barriers to providing quality emergency obstetric care in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Healthcare providers’ perspectives on training, referrals and supervision, a mixed methods study
Background: Increasing women’s access to and use of facilities for childbirth is a critical national strategy to improve maternal health outcomes in Ethiopia; however coverage alone is not enough as the quality of emergency obstetric services affects maternal mortality and morbidity. Addis Ababa has a much higher proportion of facility-based births (82%) than the national […]
