BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles via MedWorm.com

Factors associated with utilization of long acting and permanent contraceptive methods among married women of reproductive age in Mekelle town,Tigray region north Ethiopia

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: A significant amount of the participants had low knowledge on permanent contraceptive particularly vasectomy. More than half (53.6%) of married women had negative attitude towards practicing of LAMPs. Few of married women use implants and IUCD, none use of female or male sterilization. Positive knowledge of LAMPs, women who had two and above pregnancies and women who do not want to have additional child were significantly associated. Information education communication should focus on alleviating factors hinder from practicing of LAPMs. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Scaling up community mobilisation through women's groups for maternal and neonatal health: experiences from rural Bangladesh

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Examination and documentation of how scaling-up was successfully initiated, led, managed and monitored in rural Bangladesh provide a deeper knowledge base and valuable lessons.Strong operational capabilities and institutional knowledge of the implementing organisation were critical to the success of scale-up. It was possible to increase community engagement with the intervention without financial incentives and without an increase in managerial staff. Monitoring and feedback systems that allow for periodic programme corrections and continued innovation are central to successful scale-up and require programmatic and operational flexibility. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

How many births in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia will not be attended by a skilled birth attendant between 2011 and 2015?

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Over the next five years, many millions of women within South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa will give birth without an SBA. Efforts to improve access to skilled attendance should be accompanied by interventions to improve the safety of non-attended deliveries. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Poor birth weight recovery among low birth weight/preterm infants following hospital discharge in Kampala, Uganda

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Failure to regain birth weight among LBW infants by 21 days of age is a common problem in Mulago Hospital occurring in almost half of the neonates attending the Kangaroo clinic. Currently, the burden of morbidity in this group of high-risk infants is undetected and unaddressed in many developing countries. Measures for consideration to improve care of these infants would include; discharge after regaining birth weight and use of total parenteral nutrition. However, due to the pressure of space, keeping the baby and mother is not feasible at the moment hence the need for a strong community system to boost care of the infant. Close networking with support groups within the child's environment could help alleviate this problem. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articl...

Cocaine use during pregnancy assessed by hair analysis in a Canary Islands cohort

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The results of the study demonstrate significant cocaine use by pregnant women in Canary Islands. The data should be used for the purpose of preventive health and policy strategies aimed to detect and possibly to avoid in the future prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Limiting the Caesarean Section rate in low risk pregnancies is key to lowering the trend of increased abdominal deliveries: an observational study

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: In order to turn back the current CS trend, we should focus on lowrisk primiparae. Avoiding unnecessary abdominal deliveries in this group will also have a long - term effect, in that the number of repeat CS will be reduced in the future. For the purpose of selfevaluation, peer discussion on the necessity of CS, as well as accurate registration of the main indication for CS are recommended. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Diabetes in pregnancy among indigenous women in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States: a method for systematic review of studies with different designs

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

DiscussionThis will be the first systematic review of all the published literature on diabetes in pregnancy among indigenous women. The method provides a pragmatic approach for synthesizing relevant evidence from a range of study designs to inform the current policy discussion. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Effect of physical activity intervention based on a pedometer on physical activity level and anthropometric measures after childbirth: a randomized controlled trial

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: A physical activity intervention based on pedometer is an effective means to increase physical activity; reducing retention of weight gained during pregnancy and can improve anthropometric measures in postpartum women.Trial registration: IRCT201105026362N1 (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Maternal mortality in Kassala State - eastern Sudan: community-based study using Reproductive age mortality survey (RAMOS)

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Maternal mortality rates and ratios were found to be high, with a wide variation between urban and rural populations. Direct causes of maternal death were similar to those in developing countries. To reduce this high maternal mortality rate we recommend improving provision of emergency obstetric care (Emoc) in all health facilities, expanding midwifery training and coverage especially in rural areas. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Effects of chronic carbon monoxide exposure on fetal growth and development in mice.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

In this study, we hypothesized that carbon monoxide (CO) would be embryotoxic, and we sought to determine at what level of chronic CO exposure in pregnancy embryo/ fetotoxic effects are observed. Methods: Pregnant CD1 mice were exposed to continuous levels of CO (0 to 400ppm) from conception to gestation day 17. The effect on fetal/ placental growth and development, and fetal/ maternal CO concentrations were determined. Results: Maternal and fetal CO blood concentrations ranged from 1.12- 15.6 percent carboxyhemoglobin (%COHb) and 1.0- 28.6 %COHb, respectively. No significant difference was observed in placental histological morphology or in placental mass with any CO exposure. At 400ppm CO vs. control, decreased litter size and fetal mass (p (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest ...

Food choices and practices during pregnancy of immigrant and Aboriginal women in Canada: a study protocol

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

DiscussionThe findings of this study will provide practitioners with an understanding of the cultural differences that affect women's dietary choices during maternity. We expect that the developed resources will be of immediate use within the women's units and will enhance counseling efforts. Wide dissemination of outputs may have a greater long term impact in the primary and secondary prevention of these high risk conditions. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Perception and practice of Kangaroo Mother Care after discharge from hospital in Kumasi, Ghana: A longitudinal study.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

This study aimed to evaluate its in-hospital and continued practice in the community among mothers of low birth weight (LBW) infants discharged from two hospitals in Kumasi, Ghana. Methods: A longitudinal study of 202 mothers and their inpatient LBW neonates was conducted from November 2009 to May 2010. Mothers were interviewed at recruitment to ascertain their knowledge of KMC, and then oriented on its practice. After discharge, the mothers reported at weekly intervals for four follow up visits where data about their perceptions, attitudes and practices of KMC were recorded. A repeated measure logistic regression analysis was done to assess variability in the binary responses at the various reviews visits. Results: At recruitment 23 (11.4%, 95%CI: 7.4 to 16.6%) mothers knew about KMC. At ...

Informal support to first-parents after childbirth: a qualitative study in low-income suburbs of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Strong and authoritative informal support networks appear to persist. However, poverty and non-adherence to social norms was understood as resulting in less support. Family health in this context would be improved by capitalising on existing informal support networks while discouraging norms promoting harmful practices and attending to the poorest. Upholding stereotypic notions of femininity and masculinity implies great burden of care for the women and delimited male involvement. Men's involvement in reproductive and child health programmes has the potential for improving family health after childbirth. The discourses conveyed contradicting messages that may be a source of worry and confusion for the new parents. Recognition, respect and raising awareness for different social...

Inability to predict postpartum hemorrhage: Insights from Egyptian intervention data

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The predictive probability of ante-partum and intra-partum risk factors for PPH is very low. Prevention of PPH to all women is highly recommended. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Risk of placenta previa in second birth after first birth cesarean section: a population-based study and meta-analysis

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: There is an increased risk of placenta previa in the subsequent pregnancy after CS delivery at first birth, but the risk is lower than previously estimated. Given the placenta previa rate in England and the adjusted effect of previous CS, 359 deliveries by CS at first birth would result in one additional case of placenta previa in the next pregnancy. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Overweight and obesity knowledge prior to pregnancy: a survey study

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Background: Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk for pregnancy complications. Knowledge about increased risks in overweight and obese women could contribute to successful prevention strategies and the aim of this study is to assess current levels of knowledge in a pregnant population. Methods: Cross sectional survey of 412 consecutive unselected women in early pregnancy in Brisbane, Australia: 255 public women attending their first antenatal clinic visit and 157 women at private maternal fetal medicine clinics undergoing a routine ultrasound evaluation prior to 20 weeks gestation. The cohort was stratified according to pre pregnancy BMI ( (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Using audit to enhance quality of maternity care in resource limited countries: lessons learnt from rural Tanzania

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Our findings indicate that audit can be implemented in rural resource limited settings and suggest that the vast majority of maternal mortalities and severe morbidities can be averted even where resources are limited if strategic interventions are implemented. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Lesser than diabetes hyperglycemia in pregnancy is related to perinatal mortality: a cohort study in Brazil

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Background: Gestational diabetes related morbidity increases along the continuum of the glycemic spectrum. Perinatal mortality, as a complication of gestational diabetes, has been little investigated. In early studies, an association was found, but in more recent ones it has not been confirmed. The Brazilian Study of Gestational Diabetes, a cohort of untreated pregnant women enrolled in the early 1990's, offers a unique opportunity to investigate this question. Thus, our objective is to evaluate whether perinatal mortality increases in a continuum across the maternal glycemic spectrum. Methods: We prospectively enrolled and followed 4401 pregnant women attending general prenatal care clinics in six Brazilian state capitals, without history of diabetes outside of pregnancy, through to birth...

Smoking in preeclamptic women is associated with higher birthweight for gestational age and lower soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 levels: a nested case control study

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Background: Smoking paradoxically increases the risk of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth but protects against preeclampsia. Some studies have reported a "U-shaped" distribution of fetal growth in preeclamptic pregnancies, but reasons for this are unknown. We investigated whether cigarette smoking interacts with preeclampsia to affect fetal growth, and compared levels of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), a circulating anti-angiogenic protein, in preeclamptic smokers and non-smokers. Methods: From a multicenter cohort of 5337 pregnant women, we prospectively identified 113 women who developed preeclampsia (cases) and 443 controls. Smoking exposure was assessed by self-report and maternal hair nicotine levels. Fetal growth was assessed as z-score of birthweight for gestational...

Factors associated with antenatal mental disorder in West Africa: A cross-sectional survey

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Rates of mental disorder found in our study were lower than those previously observed internationally and in Africa, perhaps reflecting stigma about disclosing symptoms. The predictive nature of violence on mental disorder is in keeping with international evidence. Our study demonstrated that exposure to inter personal violence within the last 12 months and increasing numbers of female children predict the presence of mental illness in a sample of pregnant Nigerian women. Training and education for primary health care and obstetric health workers should highlight these areas. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Polymorphisms of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) gene in preeclampsia: a candidate-gene association study

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Given the limitations of the candidate-gene approach in investigating complex traits, the evidence of our study does not support the major contributory role of these common NOS3 variants in preeclampsia. Future larger studies may help in elucidating the genetics of preeclampsia further. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Maternal exposure to air pollution before and during pregnancy related to changes in newborn's cord blood lymphocyte subpopulations. The EDEN Study Cohort.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: These data suggest that maternal exposure to air pollution before and during pregnancy may alter the immune competence in offspring thus increasing the child's risk of developing health conditions later in life, including asthma and allergies. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

The association between parity, infant gender, higher level of paternal education and preterm birth in Pakistan: a cohort study

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Preterm birth was associated with higher parity, past delivery of a male infant, and higher levels of paternal education. There was no relationship between stress, and depression, cortisol and preterm birth. There were high rates of stress and depression among this sample suggesting that there are missed opportunities to address mental health needs in the prenatal period. Improved methods of measurement are required to better understand the psychobiological basis of preterm birth. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Accuracy of physical activity assessment during pregnancy: an observational study

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Compared to the reference standard, time spent in MVPA obtained from the PAR or SWA overestimated the prevalence of women meeting prenatal exercise recommendations. The most accurate predictor of women meeting current prenatal exercise guidelines was identified by using the PAR and SWA collectively. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Comparison of midwife-led and consultant-led care of healthy women at low risk of childbirth complications in the Republic of Ireland: a randomised trial

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Background: No midwifery-led units existed in Ireland before 2004. The aim of this study was to compare midwife-led (MLU) versus consultant-led (CLU) care for healthy, pregnant women without risk factors for labour and delivery. Methods: An unblinded, pragmatic randomised trial was designed, funded by the Health Service Executive (Dublin North-East). Following ethical approval, all women booking prior to 24 weeks of pregnancy at two maternity hospitals with 1,300-3,200 births annually in Ireland were assessed for trial eligibility.1,653 consenting women were centrally randomised on a 2:1 ratio to MLU or CLU care, (1101:552). 'Intention-to-treat' analysis was used to compare 9 key neonatal and maternal outcomes. Results: No statistically significant difference was found between MLU and CLU ...

Congenital anomalies in newborns to women employed in jobs with frequent exposure to organic solvents - a register-based prospective study

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: There appeared to be a higher risk of malformations of the circulatory system and genital organs at birth among newborns to women in occupations with organic solvent exposure during early pregnancy (predominantly employed as painters). However, the findings were not statistically conclusive. Considering that these two categories of malformations are not readily diagnosed perinatally, the difference in overall prevalence between the exposed and unexposed may have been underestimated. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Methods of induction of labour: a systematic review

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Research is needed to determine benefits and harms of many induction methods. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Limiting weight gain in overweight and obese women during pregnancy to improve health outcomes: the LIMIT randomised controlled trial

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

DiscussionThis is a protocol for a randomised trial. The findings will contribute to the development of evidence based clinical practice guidelines.Trial Registration: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12607000161426 (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Development of the Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale: the TPDS

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The TPDS constitutes a valid and user friendly instrument to assess pregnancy distress. In addition to its proven ability to pick up pregnancy specific negative affect it also includes an important sub-scale measuring perceived partner involvement. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Systematic review of clinical trials on dietary interventions to prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy among normal weight, overweight and obese women

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Dietary advice during pregnancy appears effective in decreasing total GWG and long-term postpartum weight retention, but so far there is limited evidence for further benefits on infant and maternal health. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

A randomised controlled trial of caseload midwifery care: M@NGO (Midwives @ New Group practice Options).

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

DiscussionData will be collected at recruitment, 36 weeks antenatally, six weeks and six months postpartum by web based or postal survey. With 750 women or more in each of the intervention and control arms the study is powered (based on 80% power; alpha 0.05) to detect a difference in caesarean section rates of 29.4 to 22.9%; instrumental birth rates from 11.0% to 6.8%; and rates of admission to neonatal intensive care of all neonates from 9.9% to 5.8% (requires 721 in each arm). The study is not powered to detect infant or maternal mortality, however all deaths will be reported. Other significant findings will be reported, including a comprehensive process and economic evaluation.Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12609000349246 (Source: BMC Pregnancy...

Preventing preterm birth with progesterone: costs and effects of screening low risk women with a singleton pregnancy for short cervical length, the Triple P study

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

This study will provide evidence for the usefulness and cost-effectiveness of screening for short cervical length at the 18-22 weeks and subsequent progesterone treatment among low risk women.Trial registration Netherlands Trial Register: NTR207 (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Mothers' satisfaction with referral hospital delivery service in Amhara Region, Ethiopia

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The overall satisfaction of hospital delivery services in this study is found to be suboptimal. The study strongly suggests that more could be done to assure that services provided are more patient centered. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Waiting for attention and care: birthing accounts of women in rural Tanzania who developed obstetric fistula as an outcome of labour

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: This study reveals major gaps in access to and provision of emergency obstetric care. It illustrates how poor quality of care at health facilities contributes to delays that lead to severe birth injuries, highlighting the need to ensure women's rights to accessible, acceptable and adequate quality services during labour and delivery. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Accounts of Severe Acute Obstetric Complications in Rural Bangladesh

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Strategies to increase timely and appropriate care seeking for severe obstetric complications may consider targeting of non-certified providers for strengthening of referral linkages between patients and certified facility-based providers. Future research may characterize the treatments and appropriateness of emergency care provided by ubiquitous village doctors and other non-certified treatment providers in rural, South Asian settings. In addition, future studies may explore the use of mobile phones in decreasing delays to certified medical care during obstetric emergencies. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Identification of a Myometrial Molecular Profile for Dystocic Labor

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: These findings suggest an underlying molecular basis for dystocia in nulliparous women in spontaneous labor. Differentially expressed genes suggest an important role for the immune response in dystocic labor and may provide important indicators for new diagnostic assays and potential intrapartum therapeutic targets. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Individual and health facility factors and the risk for obstructed labour and its adverse outcomes in south-western Uganda

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Individual socio-demographic and health system factors are strongly associated with obstructed labour and its adverse outcome in south-western Uganda. Our study provides baseline information which may be used by policy makers and implementers to improve implementation of safe motherhood programmes. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

An integrated systems biology approach to the study of preterm birth using "-omic" technology - a guideline for research

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal mortality and perinatal morbidity. The etiology of preterm is multi-factorial and still unclear. As evidence increases for a genetic contribution to PTB, so does the need to explore genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics in its study. This review suggests research guidelines for the conduct of high throughput systems biology investigations into preterm birth with the expectation that this will facilitate the sharing of samples and data internationally through consortia, generating the power needed to study preterm birth using integrated "-omics" technologies. The issues to be addressed include: (1) integrated "-omics" approaches, (2) phenotyping, (3) sample collection, (4) data management-integrative databases, (5) internationa...

Providers' perspectives on the vaginal birth after cesarean guidelines in Florida, United States: a qualitative study

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The current ACOG VBAC guidelines limit US obstetricians' and midwives' ability to provide care for women with a previous cesarean, particularly in community and rural hospitals. Although ACOG has proposed that women be allowed to accept "higher levels of risk" in order to be able to attempt a trial of labor in some settings, access to VBAC is unlikely to increase in Florida as long as systemic barriers and liability risks remain high. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Maternal and Foetal Outcomes among Pregnant Women Hospitalised due to Interpersonal Violence: A Population based study in Western Australia, 2002-2008.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Background: Interpersonal violence is responsible for more ill-health and premature death in women under the age of 45 than other preventable health conditions, but findings concerning the effects of violence during pregnancy on both maternal and foetal health have been inconsistent. Methods: A retrospective population-based cohort study was undertaken using linked data from the Hospital Morbidity Data Collection and the Western Australian Midwives' Notification System from 2002 to 2008. The aim was to determine the association between exposure to interpersonal violence during pregnancy and adverse maternal and foetal health outcomes at the population level. Results: A total of 468 pregnant women were hospitalised for an incident of interpersonal violence during the study period, and 3,744...

Association between maternal comorbidity and preterm birth by severity and clinical subtype: retrospective cohort study

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Background: Preterm birth (PTB) is a major cause of infant morbidity and mortality, but the relationship between comorbidity and PTB by clinical subtype and severity of gestational age remains poorly understood. We evaluated associations between maternal comorbidities and PTB by clinical subtype and gestational age. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 1,329,737 singleton births delivered in hospitals in the province of Quebec, Canada, 1989-2006. PTB was classified by clinical subtype (medically indicated, preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), spontaneous preterm labour) and gestational age (2.0). At the population level, several major comorbidities (placental abruption, chorioamnionitis, oliogohydramnios, structural abnormality, cervical incompetence) were key c...

Transfer of newborns to neonatal care unit: a registry based study in Northern Tanzania

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: In addition to strong associations between neonatal transfer and classical neonatal risk factors for morbidity and mortality, some pregnancy-related and demographic factors were predictors of neonatal transfer. Overall, transfer was more likely for babies with signs of poor health status or a complicated pregnancy. Except for a possibly reduced use of transfer for babies of non-educated fathers and a high transfer rate for first born babies, there were no signs that transfer was based on non-medical indications. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Exercise in pregnant women and birth weight: a randomized controlled trial

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Background: Birth weight plays an important role in infant mortality and morbidity, childhood development, and adult health. To date there are contradictory results regarding the role of physical activity on birth weight. In addition, it is questioned whether exercise during second and third trimesters of pregnancy might affect gestational age and increase the risk of preterm delivery. Hence, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a supervised exercise-program on birth weight, gestational age at delivery and Apgar-score. Methods: Sedentary, nulliparous pregnant women (N=105), mean age 30.7 +/- 4.0 years, pre-pregnancy BMI 23.8 +/- 4.3 were randomized to either an exercise group (EG, n=52) or a control group (CG, n=53). The exercise program consisted of supervised aerobic da...

Systematic review of the magnitude and case fatality ratio for severe maternal morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa between 1995 and 2010

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: This systematic review shows that different terminologies were used by different studies to describe women with severe acute maternal morbidity from complications of pregnancy, childbirth or the puerperium. Different studies used different definitions of the maternal near miss. The studies collected and reported information on maternal near miss in dissimilar ways. Few studies report on the specific causes of morbidity. The incidence/prevalence ratio and case fatality ratio of maternal near misses are very high in studies from sub-Saharan Africa, and large differences exist between countries on the prevalence/incidence of maternal near misses. Future research on maternal near misses should adopt the WHO recommendation on classification and reporting of maternal morbidity and mo...

How much time is available for antenatal care consultations? Assessment of the quality of care in rural Tanzania

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Background: Many women in Sub-Saharan African countries do not receive key recommended interventions during routine antenatal care (ANC) including information on pregnancy, related complications, and importance of skilled delivery attendance. We undertook a process evaluation of a successful cluster randomized trial testing the effectiveness of birth plans in increasing utilization of skilled delivery and postnatal care in Ngorongoro district, rural Tanzania, to document the time spent by health care providers on providing the recommended components of ANC. Methods: The study was conducted in 16 health units (eight units in each arm of the trial). We observed, timed, and audio-recorded ANC consultations to assess the total time providers spent with each woman and the time spent for the del...

Stillbirth differences according to regions of origin: an analysis of the German perinatal database, 2004-2007

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: We found differences in risk of stillbirth among women from Middle East/North Africa, especially in association with low SES and low birthweight for gestational age. Our findings suggest a need for developing and evaluating socially and culturally sensitive health promotion and prevention programmes for this group. The findings should also stimulate discussion about the quality and appropriateness of antenatal and perinatal care of pregnant women and newborns with migrant backgrounds.Keywords stillbirth, region of origin, relative differences, risk factors (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Associations of maternal prepregnancy obesity and excess pregnancy weight gains with adverse pregnancy outcomes and length of hospital stay

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Pre-pregnancy obesity or excessive GWG are associated with greater risk of pregnancy complications, caesarean delivery and greater birth and placenta weight. Excess GWG is associated with a longer stay in hospital after delivery, independent of pre-pregnancy BMI, pregnancy complications and caesarean delivery. In addition to pre-pregnancy obesity, it is vital that clinical practice considers excess GWG as another indicator of adverse pregnancy outcomes. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Utilisation of malaria preventive measures during pregnancy and birth outcomes in Ibadan, Nigeria

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: There is a need for improved utilisation of IPTsp as well as discouraging the use of herbal medications in pregnancy in order to reduce pregnancy outcome measures of low birth weight and preterm deliveries in this environment. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

High Lifetime Pregnancy and Low Contraceptive Usage Among Sex Workers Who Use Drugs - An Unmet Reproductive Health Need

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: These findings demonstrate high levels of unwanted pregnancy in the context of low utilization of effective contraceptives and suggest a need to improve the accessibility and utilization of reproductive health services, including family planning, which are appropriately targeted and tailored for FSWs in Vancouver. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Patients' perceptions of safety and quality of maternity clinical handover

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100