Articles

Decision-to-delivery interval of emergency cesarean section in Uganda: a retrospective cohort study

In many low and medium human development index countries, the rate of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality is high. One factor which may influence this is the decision-to-delivery interval of emergenc...

Authors: Noemi J. Hughes, Imelda Namagembe, Annettee Nakimuli, Musa Sekikubo, Ashley Moffett, Charlotte J. Patient and Catherine E. Aiken

The risk of eating disorder relapse during pregnancy and after delivery and postpartum depression among women recovered from eating disorders

Studies have shown that women of reproductive age develop eating disorders (EDs). Few studies have examined EDs in women by performing long-term follow-ups during pregnancy and after delivery. Our study aimed ...

Authors: Mariko Makino, Mitsuo Yasushi and Sueharu Tsutsui

Effectiveness of a therapeutic multiple-lifestyle intervention taking into account the periconceptional environment in the management of infertile couples: study design of a randomized controlled trial – the PEPCI study

Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after 12 months of unprotected intercourse. It affects approximately one in six couples seeking pregnancy in France or western countries. Many lifestyle fact...

Authors: Charlotte Dupont, Philippe Aegerter, Aude-Marie Foucaut, Aymeric Reyre, François J. Lhuissier, Marie Bourgain, Nathalie Chabbert-Buffet, Isabelle Cédrin-Durnerin, Lise Selleret, Emmanuel Cosson and Rachel Lévy

The provision of epidural analgesia during labor according to maternal birthplace: a Norwegian register study

The provision of epidural analgesia during labor is ideally a shared decision between the woman and her health care provider. However, immigrant characteristics such as maternal birthplace could affect decisio...

Authors: Åsa Henning Waldum, Anne Flem Jacobsen, Mirjam Lukasse, Anne Cathrine Staff, Ragnhild Sørum Falk, Siri Vangen and Ingvil Krarup Sørbye

Pregnancy outcomes in asylum seekers in the North of the Netherlands: a retrospective documentary analysis

With more than 20,000 asylum seekers arriving every year, healthcare for this population has become an important issue. Pregnant asylum seekers seem to be at risk of poor pregnancy outcomes. This study aimed t...

Authors: A. E. H. Verschuuren, I. R. Postma, Z. M. Riksen, R. L. Nott, E. I. Feijen-de Jong and J. Stekelenburg

The effect of high dietary fiber intake on gestational weight gain, fat accrual, and postpartum weight retention: a randomized clinical trial

Interventions to prevent excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) have had limited success This pilot study examined the effectiveness of a single goal (SG) high dietary fiber intervention to prevent excessive ...

Authors: Holly R. Hull, Amy Herman, Heather Gibbs, Byron Gajewski, Kelli Krase, Susan E. Carlson, Debra K. Sullivan and Jeannine Goetz

The burden of adolescent motherhood and health consequences in Nepal

Annually, 18 million babies are born to mothers 18 years or less. Two thirds of these births take place in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Due to social and biological factors, adolescent mothers have a hig...

Authors: Rejina Gurung, Mats Målqvist, Zhou Hong, Pragya Gautam Poudel, Avinash K. Sunny, Srijana Sharma, Sangeeta Mishra, Nisso Nurova and Ashish KC

A cluster-randomized, non-inferiority trial comparing use of misoprostol for universal prophylaxis vs. secondary prevention of postpartum hemorrhage among community level births in Egypt

Previous community-based research shows that secondary prevention of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) with misoprostol only given to women with above-average measured blood loss produces similar clinical outcomes c...

Authors: Holly A. Anger, Rasha Dabash, Nevine Hassanein, Emad Darwish, Mohamed Cherine Ramadan, Medhat Nawar, Dyanna Charles, Miral Breebaart and Beverly Winikoff

Interventions to improve adherence to antenatal and postnatal care regimens among pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

Pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa tend to have low adherence to antenatal and postnatal care regimens, contributing to high infant and child mortality rates. Despite low adherence figures and the high retur...

Authors: Kristina Esopo, Lilly Derby and Johannes Haushofer

Implementation of a new program of gestational diabetes screening and management in Morocco: a qualitative exploration of health workers’ perceptions

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with an increased risk for a future type 2 diabetes mellitus in women and their children. As linkage between maternal health and non-communicable diseases, ant...

Authors: Bettina Utz, Bouchra Assarag, Touria Lekhal, Wim Van Damme and Vincent De Brouwere

Environmental tobacco smoke exposure during pregnancy affects complications and birth outcomes in women with and without asthma

It is known that environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has adverse effects on pregnancy and birth outcomes. We aimed to assess the impact of ETS in pregnant women with and without asthma.

Authors: Nasrin Fazel, Michael Kundi, Asghar Kazemzadeh, Habibollah Esmaily, Roya Akbarzadeh and Raheleh Ahmadi

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in a frozen-thawed embryo transfer pregnancy: a rare case report

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is an iatrogenic complication of ovarian stimulation. Prevention and early recognition of OHSS are important to ensure patient safety.

Authors: Lihua Yang, Rong Wang, Fang Wang, Feifeng Wang and Libo Zou

Getting into the water: a prospective observational study of water immersion for labour and birth at a New Zealand District Health Board

Authors: Robyn M. Maude and Mikyung Kim

Prevalence of surgical site infection and its associated factors after cesarean section in Ethiopia: systematic review and meta-analysis

Surgical site infection (SSI) affects nearly one third of patients who have undergone a surgical procedure. It is a significant and substantial cause of surgical patient morbidity and mortality later with huma...

Authors: Temesgen Getaneh, Ayenew Negesse and Getenet Dessie

Does growth hormone supplementation improve oocyte competence and IVF outcomes in patients with poor embryonic development? A randomized controlled trial

Many studies have demonstrated the benefits of the addition of growth hormone (GH) to the controlled ovarian stimulation protocol in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles in poor-respond patients, but the effect of...

Authors: Jingyu Li, Qiaoli Chen, Jiang Wang, Guoning Huang and Hong Ye

Why women chose unassisted home birth in Malaysia: a qualitative study

Incidences of unassisted home birthing practices have been increasing in Malaysia despite the accessibility to safe and affordable child birthing facilities. We aimed to explore the reasons for women to make s...

Authors: Nur Amani Natasha Ahmad Tajuddin, Julia Suhaimi, Siti Nurkamilla Ramdzan, Khasnur Abd Malek, Ilham Ameera Ismail, Nurainul Hana Shamsuddin, Ahmad Ihsan Abu Bakar and Sajaratulnisah Othman

Andersen’s model on determining the factors associated with antenatal care services in Nepal: an evidence-based analysis of Nepal demographic and health survey 2016

With the formulation of the National Safe Motherhood Policy in 1998, safe motherhood has forever been a priority program in Nepal. Under the safe motherhood program, every woman is provided with essential mate...

Authors: Bidusha Neupane, Sujan Rijal, Srijana G.C. and Til Bahadur Basnet

Paternal violent criminality and preterm birth: a Swedish national cohort study

Fathers may affect expectant mothers’ daily living situations, which in turn might influence pregnancy outcomes. We investigated the association between paternal violent criminality and risk of preterm birth (...

Authors: Can Liu, Niklas Långström, Cecilia Ekéus, Thomas Frisell, Sven Cnattingius and Anders Hjern

Correction to: Postnatal care service utilization and associated factors among women who gave birth in Debretabour town, North West Ethiopia: a community- based cross-sectional study

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Authors: Kihinetu Gelaye Wudineh, Azezu Asres Nigusie, Shumiye Shiferaw Gesese, Azimeraw Arega Tesfu and Fentahun Yenealem Beyene

Postnatal home visits by health extension workers in rural areas of Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study design

In low-income countries like Ethiopia, where families have poor access to or do not utilize the services of formal health care systems, community health workers provide postnatal care services through home vis...

Authors: Yemane Berhane Tesfau, Alemayehu Bayray Kahsay, Tesfay Gebregzabher Gebrehiwot, Araya Abrha Medhanyie and Hagos Godefay

The characteristics of compassionate care during childbirth according to midwives: a qualitative descriptive inquiry

Although compassion is considered to be of prime importance in nursing and midwifery, there is no clear understanding of what compassionate care in childbirth entails, and how midwives perceive compassionate c...

Authors: Samantha Salome Krausé, Catharina Susanna Minnie and Siedine Knobloch Coetzee

Mother’s satisfaction with the existing labor and delivery care services at public health facilities in West Shewa zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia

Mothers’ satisfaction with care during childbirth is indicators of the quality care which affects skilled birth attendance. Negative client’s experiences at health facilities cause them to delay or avoid seeki...

Authors: Gizachew Abdissa Bulto, Dereje Bayissa Demissie, Tefera Likasa Tasu and Getu Alemu Demisse

Association between risk of preeclampsia and maternal plasma trimethylamine-N-oxide in second trimester and at the time of delivery

The data on the association between the microbiota-dependent metabolite trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) during pregnancy and risk of preeclampsia (PE) is limited.

Authors: Xin Huang, Zuodong Li, Zhou Gao, Dapeng Wang, Xiaohui Li, Ying Li, Chunmei Mi and Jun Lei

Maternal near miss and mortality attributable to hypertensive disorders in a tertiary hospital, Tanzania; a cross-sectional study

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy is the second most common direct cause of maternal deaths accounting for 14% of maternal deaths worldwide. Severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are among the hypertensive diso...

Authors: Jane R. Manyahi, Hans Mgaya and Ali Said

Correction to: Obstetric fistulas in Uganda: scoping review using a determinant of health approach to provide a framework for health policy improvement

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Authors: Geerte C. den Hollander and Erica W. M. Janszen

Factors affecting infant mortality in the general population: evidence from the 2016 Ethiopian demographic and health survey (EDHS); a multilevel analysis

Infant mortality is one of the leading public health problems globally; the problem is even more staggering in low-income countries. In Ethiopia seven in ten child deaths occurred during infancy in 2016. Even ...

Authors: Adhanom Gebreegziabher Baraki, Temesgen Yihunie Akalu, Haileab Fekadu Wolde, Ayenew Molla Lakew and Kedir Abdela Gonete

Perinatal outcomes of babies delivered by second-stage Caesarean section versus vacuum extraction in a resource-poor setting, Nigeria – a retrospective analysis

To evaluate the perinatal status of neonates delivered by assisted vaginal delivery (AVD) versus second-stage caesarean birth (CS).

Authors: Paul Eze, Lucky Osaheni Lawani, Raphael Ugochukwu Chikezie, Chukwuemeka Ikechi Ukaegbe and Chukwuemeka Anthony Iyoke

Risk factors for postpartum sepsis: a nested case-control study

The Majority (99%) of maternal deaths occur in low and middle-income countries. The three most important causes of maternal deaths in these regions are postpartum hemorrhage, pre-eclampsia and puerperal sepsis...

Authors: Samina Bakhtawar, Sana Sheikh, Rahat Qureshi, Zahra Hoodbhoy, Beth Payne, Iqbal Azam, Peter von Dadelszen and Laura Magee

Factors influencing women’s access to the maternity waiting home in rural Southwest Ethiopia: a qualitative exploration

Maternity Waiting Homes (MWHs) have been advocated to improve the utilization of skilled birth attendants. Nevertheless, delivery attended by skilled personnel is low in Ethiopia and may indicate that the util...

Authors: Kindie Mitiku Kebede and Kebadnew Mulatu Mihrete

Psychometric properties of the Malay version of the Women’s Views of Birth Labour Satisfaction Questionnaire using the Rasch measurement model: a cross sectional study

Birth satisfaction represents a complex construct of implicit and profound relevance to a woman’s perceived birth experience. It correlates with the childbearing woman’s experience of the quality of care recei...

Authors: Mohd Noor Norhayati, Adnan Fatin Imtithal and Mat Junoh Nor Akma

Stigma and utilization of treatment for adolescent perinatal depression in Ibadan Nigeria

Depression is a common and severe disorder among low-income adolescent mothers in low-and middle-income countries where resources for treatment are limited. We wished to identify factors influencing health ser...

Authors: Lola Kola, Ian M. Bennett, Amritha Bhat, Olatunde O. Ayinde, Bibilola D. Oladeji, Dolapo Abiona, Jibril Abdumalik, Neda Faregh, Pamela Y. Collins and Oye Gureje

Psychometric testing of the support and control in birth scale

The Support and Control in Birth (SCIB) scale primarily measures the perceived support and control of expectant mothers during childbirth, thereby obtaining an understanding of their birth experiences. The adv...

Authors: Shu-Yu Liu, Yu-Ying Lu, Meei-Ling Gau and Chieh-Yu Liu

Journey of vulnerability: a mixed-methods study to understand intrapartum transfers in Tanzania and Zambia

Timely intrapartum referral between facilities is pivotal in reducing maternal/neonatal mortality and morbidity but is distressing to women, resource-intensive and likely to cause delays in care provision. We ...

Authors: Tina Lavender, Carol Bedwell, Kieran Blaikie, Valentina Actis Danna, Chris Sutton, Chowa Tembo Kasengele, Sabina Wakasiaka, Bellington Vwalika and Rose Laisser

The effect of hyoscine n- butylbromide on labor progress: A systematic review

The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effectiveness of hyoscine n-butylbromide in labor progress.

Authors: Zaynab Mohaghegh, Parvin Abedi, Shahla Faal, Shayesteh Jahanfar, Alayna Surdock, Foruzan Sharifipour and Maryam Zahedian

Repeated successful vaginal delivery in a pregnant woman with unrepaired ectopia vesicae and split pelvis: a case study

Ectopia vesicae, or bladder exstrophy, is a rare malformation, more frequently found in males. Very few cases of pregnancy with unrepaired ectopia vesicae have been reported in literature. The majority of thes...

Authors: Shaohua Liu, Xinhua Qu, Linlin Song, Ning Li and Aiqun Xu

Assessing capacity of health facilities to provide routine maternal and newborn care in low-income settings: what proportions are ready to provide good-quality care, and what proportions of women receive it?

Good quality maternal and newborn care at primary health facilities is essential, but in settings with high maternal and newborn mortality the evidence for the protective effect of facility delivery is inconsi...

Authors: Keith Tomlin, Della Berhanu, Meenakshi Gautham, Nasir Umar, Joanna Schellenberg, Deepthi Wickremasinghe and Tanya Marchant

Promoting positive maternal, newborn, and child health behaviors through a group-based health education and microfinance program: a prospective matched cohort study in western Kenya

Chamas for Change (Chamas) is a group-based health education and microfinance program for pregnant and postpartum women that aims to address inequities contributing to high rates of maternal and infant mortality ...

Authors: Lauren Y. Maldonado, Julia J. Songok, John W. Snelgrove, Christian B. Ochieng, Sheilah Chelagat, Justus E. Ikemeri, Monica A. Okwanyi, Donald C. Cole, Laura J. Ruhl and Astrid Christoffersen-Deb

Geographical accessibility in assessing bypassing behaviour for inpatient neonatal care, Bungoma County-Kenya

Neonatal mortality rate in Kenya continues to be unacceptably high. In reducing newborn deaths, inequality in access to care and quality care have been identified as current barriers. Contributing to these bar...

Authors: Ian A. Ocholla, Nathan O. Agutu, Paul O. Ouma, Daniel Gatungu, Felistas O. Makokha and Jesse Gitaka

Experiences of maternity care in New South Wales among women with mental health conditions

High quality maternity care is increasingly understood to represent a continuum of care. As well as ensuring a positive experience for mothers and families, integrated maternity care is responsive to mental he...

Authors: L. Corscadden, E. J. Callander, S. M. Topp and D. E. Watson

Prevalence and factors associated with early initiation of breastfeeding among women in Moshi municipal, northern Tanzania

Early initiation of breastfeeding (EIBF) is a predetermining factor for exclusive breastfeeding, and thus a foundation for optimal breastfeeding practices. Rates of EIBF are low globally (42%) and in Tanzania ...

Authors: Hadija Y. Lyellu, Tamara H. Hussein, Margareta Wandel, Babill Stray-Pedersen, Melina Mgongo and Sia E. Msuya

Gut microbiota in early pregnancy among women with Hyperglycaemia vs. Normal blood glucose

Recent studies suggest that there is a link between the gut microbiota and glucose metabolism. This study aimed to compare the gut microbiota during early pregnancy of women with hyperglycymia to those with no...

Authors: Beibei Gao, Mengdan Zhong, Qiong Shen, Ying Wu, Mengdie Cao, Songwen Ju and Lei Chen

Healing architecture and Snoezelen in delivery room design: a qualitative study of women’s birth experiences and patient-centeredness of care

The physical place and environment has a profound influence on experiences, health and wellbeing of birthing women. An alternatively designed delivery room, inspired by the principles of healing architecture a...

Authors: Jane Hyldgaard Nielsen and Charlotte Overgaard

Pregnancy outcomes of patients with acute fatty liver of pregnancy: a case control study

Limited data exists regarding the pregnancy and infant outcomes of Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy (AFLP).

Authors: Lingzhi Chang, Ming Wang, Haixia Liu, Qinghua Meng, Hongwei Yu, Yu-mei Wu and Yunxia Zhu

Intentions to use maternity waiting homes and associated factors in Northwest Ethiopia

Maternity Waiting Homes (MWHs) are residential facilities located within hospitals or health centers to accommodate women in their final weeks of pregnancy to bridge the geographical gap in obstetric care. Lit...

Authors: Mekonen Endayehu, Mezgebu Yitayal and Ayal Debie

Defining preconception: exploring the concept of a preconception population

Health prior to conception can significantly impact offspring health, however, a clear definition of the attributes of the preconception population is currently lacking. We aimed to use existing literature to ...

Authors: Briony Hill, Jennifer Hall, Helen Skouteris and Sinéad Currie

General methods for measuring and comparing medical interventions in childbirth: a framework

The continue increase of interventions during labour in low risk population is a controversial issue of the current obstetric literature, given the lack of evidence demonstrating the benefits of unnecessary in...

Authors: Alessandro Svelato, Antonio Ragusa and Piero Manfredi

Postpartum visits in the gynecological emergency room: How can we improve?

The attendance to the gynecological-emergency-room (GER) of women only a few weeks following previous discharge after birth comprises a medical as well as social problem. The objective of the study was to char...

Authors: Alina Weissmann-Brenner, Ishai Heusler, Renana Manteka, Mordechai Dulitzky and Micha Baum

Persistent barriers to the use of maternal, newborn and child health services in Garissa sub-county, Kenya: a qualitative study

North Eastern Kenya has persistently had poor maternal, new-born and child health (MNCH) indicators. Barriers to access and utilisation of MNCH services are structural, individual and community-level factors r...

Authors: Isaac Kisiangani, Mohamed Elmi, Pauline Bakibinga, Shukri F. Mohamed, Lyagamula Kisia, Peter M. Kibe, Peter Otieno, Naïm Afeich, Amina Abdullahi Nyaga, Ngugi Njoroge, Rumana Noor and Abdhalah Kasiira Ziraba

Management of a pregnant patient with chylomicronemia from a novel mutation in GPIHBP1: a case report

Familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS) is a rare autosomal recessive lipid disorder often associated with recurrent episodes of pancreatitis. It is documented in most cases with FCS due to the mutations of ke...

Authors: Min-Huan Lin, Xiao-Hui Tian, Xiu-Lan Hao, Hui Fei, Jian-Lan Yin, Dan-Dan Yan and Tian Li

Maternal and neonatal outcome of births planned in alongside midwifery units: a cohort study from a tertiary center in Germany

For healthy women entering birth after uneventful pregnancy, midwife-led models of care have the potential to reduce interventions and increase the vaginal birth rate. In Germany, 98.4% of women are giving bir...

Authors: Waltraut M. Merz, Laura Tascon-Padron, Marie-Therese Puth, Andrea Heep, Sophia L. Tietjen, Matthias Schmid and Ulrich Gembruch