Dietary cyanogen exposure and early child neurodevelopment: An observational study from the Democratic Republic of Congo

Background Dietary cyanogen exposure from ingesting bitter (toxic) cassava as a main source of food in sub-Saharan Africa is related to neurological impairments in sub-Saharan Africa. We explored possible association with early child neurodevelopmental outcomes. Methods We undertook a cross-sectional neurodevelopmental assessment of 12–48 month-old children using the Mullen Scale of Early Learning (MSEL) and […]

Provision of essential evidence-based interventions during facility-based childbirth: Cross-sectional observations of births in northeast Nigeria

Objectives To measure the provision of evidence-based preventive and promotive interventions to women, and subsequently their newborns, during childbirth in a high-mortality setting. Design and participants Cross-sectional observations of care provided to women, and their newborns during the intrapartum and immediate postpartum period using a standardised checklist capturing healthcare worker behaviours regarding lifesaving and respectful […]

Factors associated with maternity waiting home use among women in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia: A multilevel cross-sectional analysis

Objective To identify individual-, household- and community-level factors associated with maternity waiting home (MWH) use in Ethiopia. Design Cross-sectional analysis of baseline household survey data from an ongoing cluster-randomised controlled trial using multilevel analyses. Setting Twenty-four rural primary care facility catchment areas in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia. Participants 3784 women who had a pregnancy outcome (live […]

How do community health committees contribute to capacity building for maternal and child health? A realist evaluation protocol

Introduction: The proposed research is part of ongoing operations research within World Vision’s Access: Infant and Maternal Health Programme. This study aims to identify key context features and underlying mechanisms through which community health committees build community capacity within the field of maternal and child health. This may help to improve programme implementation by providing […]

Assessing program coverage of two approaches to distributing a complementary feeding supplement to infants and young children in Ghana

The work reported here assesses the coverage achieved by two sales-based approaches to distributing a complementary food supplement (KOKO Plus™) to infants and young children in Ghana. Delivery Model 1 was conducted in the Northern Region of Ghana and used a mixture of health extension workers (delivering behavior change communications and demand creation activities at […]

Provision of medical supply kits to improve quality of antenatal care in Mozambique: a stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial

Background High levels of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity remain a daunting reality in many low-income countries. Several interventions delivered during antenatal care have been shown to improve maternal and newborn outcomes, but stockouts of medical supplies at point of care can prevent implementation of these services. We aimed to evaluate whether a supply […]

Integrating nutrition into health systems at community level: Impact evaluation of the community-based maternal and neonatal health and nutrition projects in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Senegal

Maternal undernutrition and mortality remain high in several African countries. Key nutrition and health interventions improve maternal and birth outcomes. Evidence is scarce on how to strengthen health systems to ensure pregnant women and newborns are reached with these interventions. We conducted three quasi-experimental nonrandomized Community Based Maternal and Neonatal Health and Nutrition projects in […]

The impacts of quality improvement on maternal and newborn health: Preliminary findings from a health system integrated intervention in four Ethiopian regions

Background: Quality improvement (QI) methods are effective in improving healthcare delivery using sustainable, collaborative, and cost-effective approaches. Systems-integrated interventions offer promise in terms of producing sustainable impacts on service quality and coverage, but can also improve important data quality and information systems at scale. Methods: This study assesses the preliminary impacts of a first phase, […]

Can the timed and targeted counseling model improve the quality of maternal and newborn health care? A process analysis in the rural hoima district in Uganda

Each year, more than half a million women die worldwide from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, and nearly 4 million newborns die within 28 days of birth. In Uganda, 15 women die every single day from pregnancy and childbirth-related causes, 94 babies are stillborn, and 81 newborn babies die. Cost-effective solutions for the continuum […]

Nutrition during pregnancy and early development (NuPED) in urban South Africa: A study protocol for a prospective cohort

Background: Adequate nutrition during pregnancy is important to ensure optimal birth outcomes, maternal health and offspring development. However, little is known about the dietary intake and nutritional status of pregnant women residing in urban South Africa. Therefore, the Nutrition during Pregnancy and Early Development (NuPED) cohort study was initiated to assess early nutrition-related exposures predictive […]