Articles

Exploring English speaking Muslim women’s first-time maternity experiences: a qualitative longitudinal interview study

Muslim women of child-bearing age make up a fair part of the UK society, however, literature addressing their health needs or experiences of health services have not been extensively researched. The term ‘Musl...

Authors: Shaima Mohamed Hassan, Conan Leavey and Jane S. Rooney

Patient reported outcome measures for use in pregnancy and childbirth: a systematic review

Globally, an increasing number of women give birth in a healthcare facility. Improvement in the quality of care is crucial if preventable maternal mortality and morbidity are to be reduced. A Patient Reported ...

Authors: Fiona Dickinson, Mary McCauley, Helen Smith and Nynke van den Broek

Written narratives from immigrants following a prenatal diagnosis: qualitative exploratory study

Expectant parents often have optimistic expectations of the obstetric ultrasound examination and are unprepared for a diagnosis of foetal anomaly. Research that gives voice to the experiences of immigrants fac...

Authors: Tommy Carlsson, Banaz Balbas and Elisabet Mattsson

Factors influencing the use of reproductive health care services among married adolescent girls in Dang District, Nepal: a qualitative study

Child marriage is associated with adverse reproductive health outcomes, and the practice is still alarmingly common. Together with efforts to end child marriage, it is essential to provide adequate health care...

Authors: Binita Maharjan, Poonam Rishal and Joar Svanemyr

Effect of implementation of the MORE^OB program on adverse maternal and neonatal birth outcomes in Ontario, Canada: a retrospective cohort study

In 2002, the MORE^OB (Managing Obstetrical Risk Efficiently) obstetrical patient safety program was phased-in across hospitals in Ontario, Canada. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effect of the MORE^OB ...

Authors: Deborah Weiss, Deshayne B. Fell, Ann E. Sprague, Mark C. Walker, Sandra Dunn, Jessica Reszel, Wendy E. Peterson, Doug Coyle and Monica Taljaard

Assisted reproductive technology and the risk of preeclampsia: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

The objective of this systematic review and meta-analyses was to assess the risk of preeclampsia among women who conceived with assisted reproductive technology (ART).

Authors: Amir Almasi-Hashiani, Reza Omani-Samani, Maryam Mohammadi, Payam Amini, Behnaz Navid, Ahad Alizadeh, Esmaeil Khedmati Morasae and Saman Maroufizadeh

Factors affecting the behavior outcomes on post-partum intrauterine contraceptive device uptake and continuation in Nepal: a qualitative study

The use of post-partum family planning (PPFP) methods such as post-partum intrauterine device (PPIUD) in general remains low despite its benefits for the women. The reasons or factors affecting the uptake and ...

Authors: Kusum Thapa, Rolina Dhital, Sameena Rajbhandari, Shreedhar Acharya, Sangeeta Mishra, Sunil Mani Pokhrel, Saroja Pande, Emily-Ann Tunnacliffe and Anita Makins

Comparison of infrarenal aortic balloon occlusion with internal iliac artery balloon occlusion for patients with placenta accreta

The study was designed to compare the role of infrarenal aortic artery balloon occlusion (IAABC) with internal iliac artery balloon occlusion (IIABOC).

Authors: Youwen Mei, Hu Zhao, Hui Zhou, Huaibo Jing and Yonghong Lin

Use of antidepressants and anxiolytics in early pregnancy and the risk of preeclampsia and gestational hypertension: a prospective study

We investigated the association between antidepressant and anxiolytic exposure during the first and early second trimester of pregnancy (< 16 weeks), and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (including preeclam...

Authors: Nathalie Bernard, Jean-Claude Forest, George M. Tarabulsy, Emmanuel Bujold, Damien Bouvier and Yves Giguère

Gestational weight gain and optimal wellness (GLOW): rationale and methods for a randomized controlled trial of a lifestyle intervention among pregnant women with overweight or obesity

Excess gestational weight gain (GWG) is common among women with overweight or obesity, increasing their risks for pregnancy complications, delivering a large infant, and postpartum weight retention. To date, o...

Authors: Susan D. Brown, Monique M. Hedderson, Samantha F. Ehrlich, Maren N. Galarce, Ai-Lin Tsai, Charles P. Quesenberry and Assiamira Ferrara

Pregnant women’s experiences and perceptions of participating in the EVERREST prospective study; a qualitative study

The EVERREST Prospective Study is a multicentre observational cohort study of pregnancies affected by severe early-onset fetal growth restriction. The study recruits women with singleton pregnancies where the ...

Authors: Merryl E. Harvey, Anna L. David, Jade Dyer and Rebecca Spencer

Clinical presentation, risk factors and pathogens involved in bacteriuria of pregnant women attending antenatal clinic of 3 hospitals in a developing country: a cross sectional analytic study

Pregnancy increases the risk of recurrent bacteriuria and acute pyelonephritis which is associated with significant maternal and fetal risks. The prevalence of bacteriuria varies worldwide. Clinical diagnosis ...

Authors: Charlotte Tchente Nguefack, Cecile Okalla Ebongue, Chrystelle Nouwe Chokotheu, Cedric Ebong Ewougo, Théophile Nana Njamen and Emile Mboudou

A narrative analysis of women's experiences of planning a vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) in Australia using critical feminist theory

Most women who have a caesarean can safely have a vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) for their next birth, but more women have an elective repeat caesarean than a VBAC.

Authors: Hazel Keedle, Virginia Schmied, Elaine Burns and Hannah Grace Dahlen

Factors influencing the use of supervised delivery services in Garu-Tempane District, Ghana

There is evidence that supervised delivery has the potential to improve birth outcomes for both women and newborns. However, not all women especially in low-income settings like Ghana use supervised delivery s...

Authors: John Kuumuori Ganle, Mathew Loyarl Kombet and Leonard Baatiema

Birthing the placenta: women’s decisions and experiences

Previous research examining the birth of the placenta has focussed on quantitative outcomes comparing active and expectant (physiological) management. However, it is also important to understand women’s experi...

Authors: Rachel Reed, Laura Gabriel and Lauren Kearney

Few women receive a specific explanation of a stillbirth - an online survey of women’s perceptions and thoughts about the cause of their baby’s death

In Sweden, three to four out of every 1000 pregnancies end in stillbirth each year. The aim of this study was to investigate whether women who had experienced stillbirth perceived that they had received an exp...

Authors: Berit Höglund, Ingela Rådestad and Ingegerd Hildingsson

Associations between intimate partner violence profiles and mental health among low-income, urban pregnant adolescents

Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal and child health outcomes, including poor mental health. Previous IPV research has largely focused on women’s victimization ...

Authors: Jordan L. Thomas, Jessica B. Lewis, Isabel Martinez, Shayna D. Cunningham, Moiuri Siddique, Jonathan N. Tobin and Jeannette R. Ickovics

Age at menarche and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: a population-based study in Xiamen, China

It has been reported that earlier age at menarche is associated with a higher risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the relationship between age at menarche and gestational diabetes mellitus is inconsist...

Authors: Liying Wang, Bing Yan, Xiulin Shi, Haiqu Song, Weijuan Su, Bingkun Huang, Yuxian Zhang, Shunhua Wang, Fuping Lv, Mingzhu Lin and Xuejun Li

Policy, evidence and practice for post-birth care plans: a scoping review

Postnatal care continually attracts less attention than other parts of the childbirth year. Many regions consistently report poor maternal satisfaction with care in the post-birth period. Despite policy recomm...

Authors: Susan Crowther, Emma MacIver and Annie Lau

Women’s recall of health care provider counselling on gestational weight gain (GWG): a prospective, population-based study

Prenatal care has been validated to provide medical and educational counselling intended to reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy conditions and improve the maternal and fetal outcomes. Prenatal targeted inform...

Authors: Angela Vinturache, Anika Winn, Cynthia Mannion and Suzanne Tough

Local people’s views on the evidence-based skilled-maternal-care in Mfuwe, Zambia: a qualitative study

There is growing demand for high quality evidence-based practice in the fight against negative maternal health outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Zambia is one of the countries that has transposed this evid...

Authors: Choolwe Muzyamba

Glucose screening within six months postpartum among Chinese mothers with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus: a prospective cohort study

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a risk factor for diabetes mellitus. The 75-g, 2-h oral glucose tolerance test is recommended for mothers with a history of GDM to screen for diabetes in the postnatal pe...

Authors: Zhu-yun Liu, Juan-juan Zhao, Ling-ling Gao and Alex Y. Wang

Measuring the quality of maternal and care processes at the time of delivery in sub-Saharan Africa: development and validation of a short index

There is a growing recognition that quality of care must improve in facility-based deliveries to achieve further global reductions in maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity. Better measurement of care qu...

Authors: Vandana Tripathi, Cynthia Stanton, Donna Strobino and Linda Bartlett

Spatial and temporal trends of cesarean deliveries in Uganda: 2012–2016

Cesarean section (CS) is an important intervention in complicated births when the safety of the mother or baby is compromised. Despite worldwide concerns about the overutilization of CS in recent years, many A...

Authors: Emily B. Atuheire, Denis Nixon Opio, Daniel Kadobera, Alex R. Ario, Joseph K. B. Matovu, Julie Harris, Lilian Bulage, Blandina Nakiganda, Nazarius Mbona Tumwesigye, Bao-Ping Zhu and Frank Kaharuza

Preferences for aspects of antenatal and newborn screening: a systematic review

Many countries offer screening programmes to unborn and newborn babies (antenatal and newborn screening) to identify those at risk of certain conditions to aid earlier diagnosis and treatment. Technological ad...

Authors: Caroline M. Vass, Susanne Georgsson, Fiona Ulph and Katherine Payne

Derivation and validation of a model predicting the likelihood of vaginal birth following labour induction

There is high-quality evidence supporting induction of labour (IOL) for a number of maternal and fetal indications. However, one fifth of inductions fail to result in vaginal births, requiring cesarean deliver...

Authors: Sepand Alavifard, Kennedy Meier, Yonatan Shulman, George Tomlinson and Rohan D’Souza

Pregnancy and infant loss: a survey of families’ experiences in Ontario Canada

Pregnancy and infant loss has a pervasive impact on families, health systems, and communities. During and after loss, compassionate, individualized, and skilled support from professionals and organizations is ...

Authors: Jo Watson, Anne Simmonds, Michelle La Fontaine and Megan E. Fockler

Perspectives and pregnancy outcomes of maternal Ramadan fasting in the second trimester of pregnancy

There are controversies over the effects of Ramadan fasting on pregnancy outcomes, and women’s perspectives of fasting are diverse. This study aimed to assess the perspectives and pregnancy outcomes of materna...

Authors: Kolsoom Safari, Tiran Jamil Piro and Hamdia Mirkhan Ahmad

Factors associated with choice of antenatal, delivery and postnatal services between HIV positive and HIV negative women in Zambia

Previous research has shown that developing countries account for the majority of maternal deaths around the world. Relatively high maternal mortality in developing countries has been linked to high HIV preval...

Authors: Choolwe Muzyamba, Wim Groot, Milena Pavlova and Sonila M. Tomini

An evaluation of whether a gestational weight gain of 5 to 9 kg for obese women optimizes maternal and neonatal health risks

Maternal obesity has a wide range of health effects on both the pregnant woman and developing fetus. The clinical significance of these disorders, combined with a dramatically increasing prevalence of obesity ...

Authors: Abaigeal M. Thompson and James A. Thompson

Mother-infant bonding is not associated with feeding type: a community study sample

Bonding refers to emotions and cognitions towards one’s infant. Breastfeeding is believed to facilitate bonding, yet only a handful of studies have empirically tested this assertion. This study aimed to confir...

Authors: Ilana S. Hairston, Jonathan E. Handelzalts, Tamar Lehman-Inbar and Michal Kovo

A cohort study of the association between maternal serum Inhibin-A and adverse pregnancy outcomes: a population-based study

To compare the rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes between women with normal and abnormal inhibin-A levels.

Authors: Wannaporn Singnoi, Chanane Wanapirak, Ratanaporn Sekararithi and Theera Tongsong

Factors associated with knowledge of obstetric danger signs and perceptions of the need for obstetric care among married men in northern Nigeria: a cross-sectional survey

Male involvement in maternal, newborn and child health contributes to better health outcomes for women and their children, especially in restrictive societies. There is evidence that when men have better under...

Authors: Olugbenga Oguntunde, Jabulani Nyenwa, Farouk Musa Yusuf, Dauda Sulaiman Dauda, Abdulsamad Salihu and Irit Sinai

Fetal weight estimation at term – ultrasound versus clinical examination with Leopold’s manoeuvres: a prospective blinded observational study

Fetal weight estimation is of key importance in the decision-making process for obstetric planning and management. The literature is inconsistent on the accuracy of measurements with either ultrasound or clini...

Authors: Oliver Preyer, Heinrich Husslein, Nicole Concin, Anna Ridder, Maciej Musielak, Christian Pfeifer, Willi Oberaigner and Peter Husslein

Contraceptive use, prevalence and predictors of pregnancy planning among female sex workers in Uganda: a cross sectional study

Unintended pregnancies are associated with negative consequences to both mother and baby. Female Sex Workers (FSWs) are at high risk of unintended/unplanned pregnancies. However, prevalence of pregnancy planni...

Authors: Justine Nnakate Bukenya, Rhoda K. Wanyenze, Geraldine Barrett, Jennifer Hall, Fredrick Makumbi and David Guwatudde

Interpregnancy change in body mass index and infant outcomes in Texas: a population-based study

Maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) is associated with several infant outcomes, but it is unclear whether these associations reflect causal relationships. We conducted a study of interpregnancy change ...

Authors: Renata H. Benjamin, Sarah Littlejohn, Mark A. Canfield, Mary K. Ethen, Fei Hua and Laura E. Mitchell

Risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and seroprevalence for brucellosis in pregnant women exposed to goats or raw goat products in southern Thailand: a prospective cohort study

Pregnant women infected with brucellosis have been shown to have higher odds of having been exposed to goats and raw goat products and adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, information on these associations in ...

Authors: Kan Kledmanee, Tippawan Liabsuetrakul and Somporn Sretrirutchai

Low autopsy acceptance after stillbirth in a disadvantaged French district: a mixed methods study

Authors: Priscille Sauvegrain, Marion Carayol, Aurélie Piedvache, Esther Guéry, Martine Bucourt and Jennifer Zeitlin

A successful pregnancy in a patient with secondary hypertension caused by adrenal adenoma: a case report

Secondary hypertension is a rare complication in pregnancy that causes poor outcomes, such as preeclampsia, premature delivery, intrauterine growth retardation, stillbirths, spontaneous abortion or intrauterin...

Authors: Xin Zhang, Hang Liao, Xiaojiang Zhu, Di Shi and Xiaoping Chen

Determinants of utilization of antenatal care services in Benishangul Gumuz Region, Western Ethiopia: a study based on demographic and health survey

Utilization of antenatal care (ANC) in Ethiopia was low. There was also a variation of this underutilization of ANC service from region to region in the country. Therefore, this study aimed at providing a comp...

Authors: Kassahun Tiruaynet and Kindie Fentahun Muchie

Effects of antenatal corticosteroids in twin neonates with late preterm birth (ACTWIN [Antenatal Corticosteroids in TWIN late preterm neonates] trial): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Antenatal corticosteroids have been proven to prevent adverse outcomes including respiratory morbidities in preterm neonates before 34 weeks of gestation. Recently, it has been suggested that antenatal cortico...

Authors: Subeen Hong, Seung Mi Lee, Dong Wook Kwak, Joongyub Lee, So Yeon Kim, Jeong Won Oh, Sohee Oh, Chan-Wook Park, Joong Shin Park, Jin Hoon Chung and Jong Kwan Jun

Validity of self-reported receipt of iron supplements during pregnancy: implications for coverage measurement

Iron-deficiency anemia during pregnancy is an underlying cause of maternal deaths, and reducing risk through routine iron supplementation is a key component of antenatal care (ANC) programs in most low- and mi...

Authors: Mufaro Kanyangarara, Joanne Katz, Melinda K. Munos, Subarna K. Khatry, Luke C. Mullany and Neff Walker

Association of first trimester maternal vitamin D, ferritin and hemoglobin level with third trimester fetal biometry: result from cohort study on vitamin D status and its impact during pregnancy and childhood in Indonesia

The role of vitamin D in placental functions and fetal growth had been addressed in many reports with conflicting results. However, such report is limited for Indonesian population. The aim of this study was t...

Authors: Raden Tina Dewi Judistiani, Tita Husnitawati Madjid, Setyorini Irianti, Yessika Adelwin Natalia, Agnes Rengga Indrati, Mohammad Ghozali, Yunia Sribudiani, Tetty Yuniati, Rizky Abdulah and Budi Setiabudiawan

Determinants of vitamin D status among Black and White low-income pregnant and non-pregnant reproductive-aged women from Southeast Louisiana

Vitamin D deficiency is a growing public health problem, with pregnant women being particularly vulnerable due to its influences on maternal and neonatal outcomes. However, there are limited data published abo...

Authors: Natalie L. Burke, Emily W. Harville, Jeffrey K. Wickliffe, Arti Shankar, Maureen Y. Lichtveld and Michael L. McCaskill

A large proportion of poor birth outcomes among Aboriginal Western Australians are attributable to smoking, alcohol and substance misuse, and assault

Aboriginal infants have poorer birth outcomes than non-Aboriginal infants. Harmful use of tobacco, alcohol, and other substances is higher among Aboriginal women, as is violence, due to factors such as interge...

Authors: Alison J. Gibberd, Judy M. Simpson, Jocelyn Jones, Robyn Williams, Fiona Stanley and Sandra J. Eades

Simulation TRaining for Operative vaginal Birth Evaluation: study protocol for an observational stepped-wedge interrupted time-series study (STROBE)

Operative vaginal birth is a common procedure used to expedite birth after full cervical dilatation where there is a clinical need to do so (15% of births in the UK in 2016). The acquisition of skills for oper...

Authors: Stephen O’Brien, Erik Lenguerrand, Sharon Jordan, Katie Cornthwaite, Christy Burden, Laura Timlin and Dimitrios Siassakos

The effects of magnesium-zinc-calcium-vitamin D co-supplementation on biomarkers of inflammation, oxidative stress and pregnancy outcomes in gestational diabetes

Diabetes is the most common medical condition in pregnant women and its complications affect both mother and fetus. The beneficial effects of vitamin D on gestational diabetes have been shown, though data on t...

Authors: Mehri Jamilian, Naghmeh Mirhosseini, Masoumeh Eslahi, Fereshteh Bahmani, Maryam Shokrpour, Maryam Chamani and Zatollah Asemi

Management of bleeding from morbidly adherent placenta during elective repeat caesarean section: retrospective -record -based study

Controlling massive haemorrhage from morbidly adherent placenta (MAP) at caesarean section is a major surgical challenge to obstetricians. This study compares different intra-operative interventions to control...

Authors: Saad El Gelany, Emad M. Ibrahim, Mo’men Mohammed, Ahmed R. Abdelraheim, Eissa M. Khalifa, Ahmed K. Abdelhakium, Ayman M. Yousef, Heba Hassan, Khaled Goma and Mohammed Khairy

Influence of different preoperative fasting times on women and neonates in cesarean section: a retrospective analysis

This study was to evaluate the impact of different preoperative fasting conditions on women and neonates through a retrospective analysis.

Authors: Yi Li, Danchen Su, Yijuan Sun, Zurong Hu, Zaomei Wei and Jie Jia

Effect of team training and monitoring on the rate of failed mid and low cavity vacuum extraction: a hospital based intervention study

Clinical team training has been advocated as a means to improve delivery care, and failed extractions is a suggested variable for clinical audit in instrumental vaginal delivery.

Authors: Kristina Pettersson, Magnus Westgren, Rebecca Götze-Eriksson and Gunilla Ajne