Association between probable postnatal depression and increased infant mortality and morbidity: Findings from the DON population-based cohort study in rural Ghana
Objectives: To assess the impact of probable depression in the immediate postnatal period on subsequent infant mortality and morbidity. Design: Cohort study nested within 4 weekly surveillance of all women of reproductive age to identify pregnancies and collect data on births and deaths. Setting: Rural/periurban communities within the Kintampo Health Research Centre study area of […]
Effect of Flexible Sacrum Position on Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes in Public Health Facilities, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia: A Quasi-Experimental Study
Restricting women giving birth in health care facilities from choosing the most comfortable position during labor and birth is a global problem. This study was aimed to examine the effect of flexible sacrum birth positions on maternal and neonatal outcomes in public health facilities in Ethiopia’s Amhara Region. A non-equivalent control group post-test-only design was […]
Influence of the timing of malaria infection during pregnancy on birth weight and on maternal anemia in Benin
Although consequences of malaria in pregnancy are well known, the period of pregnancy in which infection has the highest impact is still unclear. In Benin, we followed up a cohort of 1,037 women through pregnancy until delivery. The objective was to evaluate the relationship between the timing of infection and birth weight, and maternal anemia […]
Infant Nutritional Status and Markers of Environmental Enteric Dysfunction are Associated with Midchildhood Anthropometry and Blood Pressure in Tanzania
Objective To assess whether growth and biomarkers of environmental enteric dysfunction in infancy are related to health outcomes in midchildhood in Tanzania. Study design Children who participated in 2 randomized trials of micronutrient supplements in infancy were followed up in midchildhood (4.6-9.8 years of age). Anthropometry was measured at age 6 and 52 weeks in […]
White matter microstructural integrity and neurobehavioral outcome of hiv-exposed uninfected neonates
The successful implementation of prevention programs for mother-To-child human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission has dramatically reduced the prevalence of infants infected with HIV while increasing that of HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) children. Neuropsychological assessments indicate that HEU children may exhibit differences in neurodevelopment compared to unexposed children (HUU). Pathological mechanisms leading to such neurodevelopmental delays are […]
Spatial clusters distribution and modelling of health care autonomy among reproductive‐age women in Ethiopia: spatial and mixed‐effect logistic regression analysis
Background: While millions of women in many African countries have little autonomy in health care decision-making, in most low and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia, it has been poorly studied. Hence, it is important to have evidence on the factors associated with women’s health care decision making autonomy and the spatial distribution across the country. Therefore, […]
A mixed-methods study of maternal health care utilisation in six referral hospitals in four sub-Saharan African countries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Introduction In sub-Saharan Africa, referral hospitals are important sources of key maternal health services, especially during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study prospectively assessed the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal health service utilisation in six large referral hospitals in Guinea, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda during the first year of the […]
Determinants of the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets in pregnant women: a mixed-methods study in Ghana
BACKGROUND: Malaria in pregnancy remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, affecting the highly endemic countries of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) are effective for malaria prevention. However, poor adherence in SSA remains a challenge. METHODS: We conducted a standard questionnaire survey among 710 pregnant women from 37 primary care clinics in the […]
Time to early initiation of postnatal care service utilization and its predictors among women who gave births in the last 2 years in Ethiopia: a shared frailty model
Background: Most maternal and infant deaths occurred within the first month after birth. Nearly half of the maternal deaths and more than a million newborn deaths occurred within the first day of life but these were preventable through early initiation of postnatal care (PNC) services. However, the available evidence on the level of early initiation […]
Lockdown-associated hunger may be affecting breastfeeding: Findings from a large sms survey in South Africa
The impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had, and will continue to have, on food security and child health is especially concerning. A rapid, Short Message Service (SMS) Maternal and Child Health survey was conducted in South Africa in June 2020 (n = 3140), with a follow-up in July 2020 (n = 2287). This was […]
