Nairobi Newborn Study: A protocol for an observational study to estimate the gaps in provision and quality of inpatient newborn care in Nairobi City County, Kenya
Introduction Progress has been made in Kenya towards reducing child mortality as part of efforts aligned with the fourth Millennium Development Goal. However, little advancement has been made in reducing mortality among newborns, which now accounts for 45% of all child deaths. The frequently unanticipated nature of neonatal illness, its severity and the high dependency […]
How multiple episodes of exclusive breastfeeding impact estimates of exclusive breastfeeding duration: report from the eight-site MAL-ED birth cohort study
The duration of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is often defined as the time from birth to the first non-breast milk food/liquid fed (EBFLONG), or it is estimated by calculating the proportion of women at a given infant age who EBF in the previous 24 h (EBFDHS). Others have measured the total days or personal prevalence of […]
International values for haemoglobin distributions in healthy pregnant women
Background: Anaemia in pregnancy is a global health problem with associated morbidity and mortality. Methods: A secondary analysis of prospective, population-based study from 2009 to 2016 to generate maternal haemoglobin normative centiles in uncomplicated pregnancies in women receiving optimal antenatal care. Pregnant women were enrolled
Associations of maternal nutrition during pregnancy and post-partum with maternal cognition and caregiving
Pregnant and post-partum women require increased nutrient intake and optimal cognition, which depends on adequate nutrition, to enable reasoning and learning for caregiving. We aimed to assess (a) differences in maternal cognition and caregiving between women in Malawi who received different nutritional supplements, (b) 14 effect modifiers, and (c) associations of cognition and caregiving with […]
Child undernutrition and associated factors among children 6-23 months old in largely food insecure areas of rural Ethiopia
Child malnutrition is the leading public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, resulting in poor health and economic losses. Ethiopia has one of the highest child undernutrition rates in the world that occurs to multifaceted factors, including food insecurity. Thus, we performed a cross-sectional study to assess the prevalence and risk factors for child undernutrition in […]
Leveraging big data for improving the estimation of close to reality travel time to obstetric emergency services in urban low- and middle-income settings
Maternal and perinatal mortality remain huge challenges globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where >98% of these deaths occur. Emergency obstetric care (EmOC) provided by skilled health personnel is an evidence-based package of interventions effective in reducing these deaths associated with pregnancy and childbirth. Until recently, pregnant women residing in urban areas have […]
Knowledge of obstetric fistula and its associated factors among women of reproductive age in Northwestern Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study
Background: Obstetric fistula has been a major maternal health challenges in low and middle-income countries, especially in Ethiopia, due to high child marriage and poor access to healthcare. Obstetric fistula is common among teenage mothers that results in a vast social, economic and cultural sequel. In Ethiopia, there is a paucity of research evidence on […]
The effect of the community midwifery model on maternal and newborn health service utilization and outcomes in Busia County of Kenya: a quasi-experimental study
Background: Poor women in hard-to-reach areas are least likely to receive healthcare and thus carry the burden of maternal and perinatal mortality from complications of childbirth. This study evaluated the effect of an enhanced community midwifery model on skilled attendance during pregnancy/childbirth as well as on maternal and perinatal outcomes against the backdrop of protracted […]
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on antenatal care utilisation in Kenya: A cross-sectional study
Objective The aim of this study was to assess the effects of COVID-19 on antenatal care (ANC) utilisation in Kenya, including women’s reports of COVID-related barriers to ANC and correlates at the individual and household levels. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Six public and private health facilities and associated catchment areas in Nairobi and Kiambu Counties […]
Institutional delivery and associated factors among women in Ghana: Findings from a 2017-2018 multiple indicator cluster survey
Background: Institutional delivery is essential in reducing maternal morbidity and mortality. We investigated the prevalence of institutional delivery and associated factors among women in Ghana. Methods: National representative data from the 2017-2018 Ghana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey was used for the analysis. The study included 3466 women, ages 15-49 y, who had a live birth […]
