Articles

Maternal and neonatal outcomes in transverse and vertical skin incision for placenta previa

Placenta previa, a serious obstetric issue, should be managed by experienced teams. The safe and appropriate mode of delivery for placenta previa is by cesarean delivery. However, no studies were found compari...

Authors: Dazhi Fan, Huishan Zhang, Jiaming Rao, Dongxin Lin, Shuzhen Wu, Pengsheng Li, Gengdong Chen, Zixing Zhou, Juan Liu, Ting Chen, Fengying Chen, Xiaoling Guo and Zhengping Liu

Maternal and perinatal outcomes in women with eclampsia by mode of delivery at Riley mother baby hospital: a longitudinal case-series study

Eclampsia, considered as serious complication of preeclampsia, remains a life-threatening condition among pregnant women. It accounts for 12% of maternal deaths and 16–31% of perinatal deaths worldwide. Most d...

Authors: Koech Irene, Poli Philippe Amubuomombe, Richard Mogeni, Cheruiyot Andrew, Ann Mwangi and Orang’o Elkanah Omenge

Facility-level determinants of quality routine intrapartum care in Afghanistan

Although there have been notable improvements in availability and utilization of maternal health care in Afghanistan over the last few decades, risk of maternal mortality remains very high. Previous studies ha...

Authors: Megan M. Lydon, Farzana Maruf and Hannah Tappis

Correction to: Informal coercion during childbirth: risk factors and prevalence estimates from a nationwide survey of women in Switzerland

Authors: Stephan Oelhafen, Manuel Trachsel, Settimio Monteverde, Luigi Raio and Eva Cignacco

Fetal growth standards for Chinese twin pregnancies

The common use of singleton fetal growth standard to access twin growth might lead to over-monitoring and treatment. We aimed to develop fetal growth standards for Chinese twins based on ultrasound measurement...

Authors: Jianping Chen, Jun Zhang, Yang Liu, Xing Wei, Yingjun Yang, Gang Zou, Yun Zhang, Tao Duan and Luming Sun

Are prenatal anxiety or depression symptoms associated with asthma or atopic diseases throughout the offspring’s childhood? An updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Asthma is the most common respiratory disease among children, while atopic diseases such as atopic dermatitis affect about 20% of infants under 2 years of age. Studies suggested that these conditions might be ...

Authors: Shuguang Chen and Sheng Chen

The impact of race on postpartum opioid prescribing practices: a retrospective cohort study

To identify the association between inpatient postpartum opioid consumption, race, and amount of opioids prescribed at discharge after vaginal or cesarean delivery.

Authors: Tyler R. McKinnish, Adam K. Lewkowitz, Ebony B. Carter and Ashley E. Veade

Transvaginal two-dimensional ultrasound measurement of cervical volume to predict the outcome of the induction of labour: a prospective observational study

Assessing the likelihood of success of induction of labour using ultrasonically measured cervical volume is an important research question.

Authors: S. R. Athulathmudali, M. Patabendige, S. K. Chandrasinghe and P. H. P. De Silva

Knowledge and intake of folic acid to prevent neural tube defects among pregnant women in urban China: a cross-sectional study

The prevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs) in China declined during 2000–2017 with periconceptional folic acid (FA) supplementation, which is effective in reducing the risk of birth defects. We aimed to asse...

Authors: Mingming Cui, Xiao-Lin Lu, Yan-Yu Lyu, Fang Wang, Xiao-Lu Xie, Xi-Yue Cheng and Ting Zhang

Vitamin D status and vitamin D deficiency risk factors among pregnancy of Shanghai in China

There is increasing awareness that vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women may be associated with several adverse effects for the mother and newborn. The risks for vitamin D deficiency are unclear. This study w...

Authors: Chun Yang, Wu Jing, Sheng Ge and Wenguang Sun

Resilience mediates the effect of self-efficacy on symptoms of prenatal anxiety among pregnant women: a nationwide smartphone cross-sectional study in China

Prenatal anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental disorders during pregnancy. This study assessed the prevalence of prenatal anxiety and examined whether resilience could play the mediating role in the asso...

Authors: Ruqing Ma, Fengzhi Yang, Lijuan Zhang, Kristin K. Sznajder, Changqing Zou, Yajing Jia, Can Cui, Weiyu Zhang, Wenzhu Zhang, Ning Zou and Xiaoshi Yang

Hand hygiene during facility-based childbirth in Cambodia: a theory-driven, mixed-methods observational study

Despite current efforts to improve hand hygiene in health care facilities, compliance among birth attendants remains low. Current improvement strategies are inadequate, largely focusing on a limited set of kno...

Authors: Yolisa Nalule, Helen Buxton, Por Ir, Supheap Leang, Alison Macintyre, Ponnary Pors, Channa Samol and Robert Dreibelbis

Factors influencing maternal healthcare seeking in a highland region of Madagascar: a mixed methods analysis

In Madagascar, maternal mortality remains stable and high (426 deaths per 100,000 live births). This situation is mainly due to a delay or lack of use of maternal healthcare services. Problems related to mater...

Authors: Voahirana Tantely Andrianantoandro, Dolorès Pourette, Olivier Rakotomalala, Henintsoa Joyce Valentina Ramaroson, Rila Ratovoson and Feno M. Jacob Rakotoarimanana

Euglycaemic ketoacidosis in pregnant women with COVID-19: two case reports

Euglycaemic ketoacidosis (EKA) is an infrequent but serious condition which usually follows a period of starvation, severe vomiting or illness in individuals with or without diabetes. Ketoacidosis is associate...

Authors: Margaret Pikovsky, Min Yi Tan, Amanda Ahmed, Lynne Sykes, Rochan Agha-Jaffar and Christina K. H. Yu

Magnitude and determinants of neural tube defect in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are a group of disorders that arise from the failure of the neural tube close between 21 and 28 days after conception. About 90% of neural tube defects and 95% of death due to these ...

Authors: Daniel Atlaw, Yohannes Tekalegn, Biniyam Sahiledengle, Kenbon Seyoum, Damtew Solomon, Habtamu Gezahegn, Zerihun Tariku, Yared Tekle and Vijay Kumar Chattu

Improving the experience of facility-based delivery for vulnerable women through obstetric care navigation: a qualitative evaluation

Global disparities in maternal mortality could be reduced by universal facility delivery. Yet, deficiencies in the quality of care prevent some mothers from seeking facility-based obstetric care. Obstetric car...

Authors: Kirsten Austad, Michel Juarez, Hannah Shryer, Patricia L. Hibberd, Mari-Lynn Drainoni, Peter Rohloff and Anita Chary

The pregnancy-related anxiety characteristics in women with gestational diabetes mellitus: why should we care?

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is very commonly-seen in clinical settings, and GDM patients may have higher levels of anxiety. It’s necessary to evaluate the anxiety level and potentially influencing fact...

Authors: Feng Fu, Ping Yan, Shuping You, Xinmin Mao, Tingting Qiao, Li Fu, Yanni Wang, Yali Dai and Palida Maimaiti

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on time series of maternal mortality ratio in Bahia, Brazil: analysis of period 2011–2020

Most studies on the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been conducted with adults and non-pregnant women. Thus, its impacts on maternal health are not yet fully established. This study aimed to verify the re...

Authors: Rita de Cássia Oliveira de Carvalho-Sauer, Maria da Conceição N. Costa, Maria Gloria Teixeira, Estela Maria Ramos do Nascimento, Ediane Maria Filardi Silva, Mariana Luiza Almeida Barbosa, Géssica Rodrigues da Silva, Thaissa Piedade Santos and Enny S. Paixao

Prevalence of neonatal near miss and associated factors in Nepal: a cross-sectional study

The rate of neonatal mortality has declined but lesser than the infant mortality rate and remains a major public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries. There is an urgent need to focus on newbor...

Authors: Rajbanshi Sushma, Mohd Noor Norhayati and Nik Hussain Nik Hazlina

The association of breastfeeding self-efficacy with breastfeeding duration and exclusivity: longitudinal assessment of the predictive validity of the Greek version of the BSES-SF tool

While breastfeeding self-efficacy (BSES) is an important modifiable determinant of breastfeeding, a structured assessment is not standard practice in Cyprus. We assessed the Greek version of the Breastfeeding ...

Authors: Mary Economou, Ourania Kolokotroni, Irene Paphiti-Demetriou, Christiana Kouta, Ekaterini Lambrinou, Eleni Hadjigeorgiou, Vasiliki Hadjiona and Nicos Middleton

Using a consumer-based wearable activity tracker for physical activity goal setting and measuring steps in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus: exploring acceptance and validity

Activity monitoring devices may be used to facilitate goal-setting, self-monitoring, and feedback towards a step-based physical activity (PA) goal. This study examined the performance of the wrist-worn Fitbit ...

Authors: Samantha F. Ehrlich, Jill M. Maples, Cristina S. Barroso, Kathleen C. Brown, David R. Bassett Jr, Nikki B. Zite and Kimberly B. Fortner

Individual and community-level predictors of maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia: a multilevel logistic regression analysis

Prenatal alcohol consumption is a serious public health concern that is considered as one of the preventable risk factors for neonatal and childhood morbidity and several adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study...

Authors: Alemu Earsido Addila, Telake Azale, Yigzaw Kebede Gete and Mezgebu Yitayal

Association between premature ovarian insufficiency and gut microbiota

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is characterized by impairment of ovarian function on a continuum before the age of 40 years. POI is affected by multiple factors. Considering new insights from recent gut...

Authors: Jiaman Wu, Yuanyuan Zhuo, Yulei Liu, Yan Chen, Yan Ning and Jilong Yao

Impact of a maternal and newborn health results-based financing intervention (RBF4MNH) on stillbirth: a cross-sectional comparison in four districts in Malawi

Malawi implemented a Results Based Financing (RBF) model for Maternal and Newborn Health, “RBF4MNH” at public hospitals in four Districts, with the aim of improving health outcomes. We used this context to see...

Authors: Regina Makuluni and William Stones

Resilience and vulnerability of maternity services in Zimbabwe: a comparative analysis of the effect of Covid-19 and lockdown control measures on maternal and perinatal outcomes, a single-centre cross-sectional study at Mpilo Central Hospital

On the 27^th of March 2020 the Zimbabwean government declared the Covid-19 pandemic a ‘national disaster’. Travel restrictions and emergency regulations have had significant impacts on maternity services, includin...

Authors: Clare Shakespeare, Handsome Dube, Sikhangezile Moyo and Solwayo Ngwenya

Association between Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) with adverse pregnancy outcomes in Ahvaz, southwest of Iran

There are few epidemiological studies on the relation between temperature changes and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine the relation between Physiological Equivalent Temper...

Authors: Maryam Dastoorpoor, Narges Khanjani and Narges Khodadadi

Prevalence of stillbirth and its associated factors in East Africa: generalized linear mixed modeling

Stillbirth is the most frequently reported adverse pregnancy outcome worldwide, which imposes significant psychological and economic consequences to mothers and affected families. East African countries accoun...

Authors: Getayeneh Antehunegn Tesema, Zemenu Tadesse Tessema, Koku Sisay Tamirat and Achamyeleh Birhanu Teshale

Risk factors for preeclampsia and eclampsia at a main referral maternity hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone: a case-control study

In the African region, 5.6% of pregnancies are estimated to be complicated by preeclampsia and 2.9% by eclampsia, with almost one in ten maternal deaths being associated with hypertensive disorders. In Sierra ...

Authors: N. Stitterich, J. Shepherd, M. M. Koroma and S. Theuring

A questionnaire to measure the quality of midwifery care in the postpartum period from women’s point of view: development and psychometric testing of MMAYpostpartum

Home postpartum care is a major part of midwifery care in Germany. The user perspective plays an increasingly important role in the evaluation of health services, but there is a lack of valid and theoretically...

Authors: Mirjam Peters, Petra Kolip and Rainhild Schäfers

The views of postnatal women and midwives on midwives providing contraceptive advice and methods: a mixed method concurrent study

Provision of contraception to women in the immediate postnatal period has been endorsed by professional bodies, to reduce the incidence of short inter-pregnancy intervals. This study examined the views of post...

Authors: Susan H. Walker, Claire Hooks and Diane Blake

Determinants of the continuum of maternal health care in Cambodia: an analysis of the Cambodia demographic health survey 2014

Cambodia has achieved significant progress in maternal health, yet remains in the group of countries with the highest maternal mortality ratio in South-East Asia. Extra efforts are needed to improve maternal h...

Authors: Savina Chham, Emma Radovich, Veerle Buffel, Por Ir and Edwin Wouters

Maternal region of origin and Small for gestational age: a cross-sectional analysis of Victorian perinatal data

Being born small for gestational age is a strong predictor of the short- and long-term health of the neonate, child, and adult. Variation in the rates of small for gestational age have been identified across p...

Authors: Sarah Grundy, Patricia Lee, Kirsten Small and Faruk Ahmed

Implementation of a performance-based financing scheme in Malawi and resulting externalities on the quality of care of non-incentivized services

Countries in Africa progressively implement performance-based financing schemes to improve the quality of care provided by maternal, newborn and child health services. Beyond its direct effects on service prov...

Authors: Stephan Brenner, Caterina Favaretti, Julia Lohmann, Jobiba Chinkhumba, Adamson S. Muula and Manuela De Allegri

Changes in attitudes and behaviors supportive of maternal and newborn health in Ethiopia: an evaluative case study

Ethiopia’s high neonatal mortality rate led to the government’s 2013 introduction of Community-Based Newborn Care (CBNC) to bring critical prevention and treatment interventions closer to communities in need. ...

Authors: William T. Story, Yared Amare, Lara M.E. Vaz, Heather Gardner, Halkeno Tura, Gail Snetro, Mary V. Kinney, Steve Wall and Abeba Bekele

Physical activity and sleep duration during pregnancy have interactive effects on caesarean delivery: a population-based cohort study in Tianjin, China

There were inconsistent findings in the literature regarding the associations of physical activity and sleep duration during pregnancy with caesarean delivery for different reasons. It was also unknown whether...

Authors: Yingzi Yang, Weiqin Li, Wen Yang, Leishen Wang, Jinnan Liu, Junhong Leng, Wei Li, Shuo Wang, Jing Li, Gang Hu, Zhijie Yu and Xilin Yang

Identifying maternal needs following childbirth: comparison between pregnant women and recent mothers

The postnatal period is associated with new needs for mothers. Four categories of needs were highlighted in a previous study: for information, for psychological support, for the sharing of experiences and for ...

Authors: Justine Slomian, Jean-Yves Reginster, Patrick Emonts and Olivier Bruyère

Utilization of partograph and its associated factors among obstetric caregivers in public health institutions of Southwest Ethiopia

Partographs should be used universally to monitor the mother and fetus’s conditions during delivery. However, its application in different parts of the world, including Ethiopia, is inconsistent. Moreover, its...

Authors: Abel Girma Tilahun, Dawit Getachew Gebeyehu, Yayehyirad Yemaneh Adinew and Fekede Woldekidan Mengstu

Predictors of placental malaria in Upper West Regional Hospital-Ghana

Placental malaria (PM) poses life-threatening complications to pregnant women as they are at increased risk of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality associated with malaria. This study examined the fa...

Authors: Pascal Kingsley Mwin, Afreh Kuffuor, Kaamel Nuhu, Rafiq Okine, Chrysantus Kubio, Frederick Wurapa, Francis Adjei Osei and Edwin Afari

Sub-national analysis and determinants of numbers of antenatal care contacts in Nigeria: assessing the compliance with the WHO recommended standard guidelines

Nigeria has unimpressive maternal and child health indicators. Compliance with the WHO guidelines on the minimum number of antenatal care (ANC) contacts could improve these indicators. We assessed the complian...

Authors: Adeniyi Francis Fagbamigbe, Olugbenga Olaseinde and Vincent Setlhare

High mortality rate of obstetric critically ill women in Rwanda and its predictability

Reasons for admission to intensive care units (ICUs) for obstetric patients vary from one setting to another. Outcomes from ICU and prediction models are not well explored in Rwanda owing to lack of appropriat...

Authors: Alcade Rudakemwa, Amyl Lucille Cassidy and Théogène Twagirumugabe

Missed opportunities for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis during pregnancy and the postpartum period: evidence from mainland China in 2019

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) has become one of the leading causes of maternal mortality. Thromboprophylaxis is recommended for the prevention of this condition; however, its use appears to be insufficient. The...

Authors: Zhekun Zhao, Qiongjie Zhou and Xiaotian Li

Expression of mRNAs for pro-and anti-apoptotic factors in granulosa cells and follicular fluid of women undergoing in vitro fertilization. A pilot study

This observational clinical study evaluated the expression levels and predictive values of some apoptosis-related genes in granulosa cells (GCs) and follicular fluid (FF) of women undergoing in vitro fertiliza...

Authors: József Bódis, Endre Sulyok, Ákos Várnagy, Viktória Prémusz, Krisztina Gödöny, Alexandra Makai, Ágnes Szenczi and Timea Varjas

Management of prolonged first stage of labour in a low-resource setting: lessons learnt from rural Malawi

Caesarean sections without medical indication cause substantial maternal and perinatal ill-health, particularly in low-income countries where surgery is often less safe. In presence of adequate labour monitori...

Authors: Wouter Bakker, Elisabeth van Dorp, Misheck Kazembe, Alfred Nkotola, Jos van Roosmalen and Thomas van den Akker

Knowledge and practice to prevent COVID-19 and its associated factors among pregnant women in Debre Tabor Town Northwest Ethiopia, a community-based cross-sectional study

Coronavirus disease is now a global concern with the non-availability of antiviral treatment and attacks all groups of the population. Hence, applying preventive measures is the most critical intervention to c...

Authors: Alemu Degu Ayele, Gedefaye Nibret Mihretie, Habtamu Gebrehana Belay, Adanech Getie Teffera, Bekalu Getnet Kassa and Bedemariam Tadesse Amsalu

Lack of concern about body image and health during pregnancy linked to excessive gestational weight gain and small-for-gestational-age deliveries: the Japan Environment and Children’s Study

Pregnant women in Japan express various reasons for limiting gestational weight gain (GWG). We aimed to identify and characterise groups where the women share common reasons to limit GWG and to examine how the...

Authors: Naw Awn J-P, Marina Minami, Masamitsu Eitoku, Nagamasa Maeda, Mikiya Fujieda and Narufumi Suganuma

Mothers’ experiences of caring for preterm babies at home: qualitative insights from an urban setting in a middle-income country

Preterm delivery is the birth of a baby before 37 weeks of gestation. This global phenomenon is a critical issue of concern especially in developing countries that are resource-constrained when it comes to the...

Authors: Isabella Garti, Elorm Donkor, Nafisatu Musah, Evans Osei Appiah, Sandra Gyekye, Awube Menlah and Cynthia Pomaa Akuoko

An exploration of migrant women’s perceptions of public health messages to reduce stillbirth in the UK: a qualitative study

Stillbirth is a global public health priority. Within the United Kingdom, perinatal mortality disproportionately impacts Black, Asian and minority ethnic women, and in particular migrant women. Although the ex...

Authors: Tomasina Stacey, Melanie Haith-Cooper, Nisa Almas and Charlotte Kenyon

In utero fetal left ventricular rupture and pseudoaneurysm formation: a case report

Cardiac ventricular aneurysms affect 1 in 200,000 live births. To the best of our knowledge, no reported cases of a left ventricular pseudoaneurym and in utero rupture exist to guide optimal management.

Authors: Sarah Heland, Sarah Hope, Andrew Edwards, Rebecca Chalmers, Alice Stewart, Annie Kroushev, Bennett Sheridan, Stuart Hooper and Kirsten R. Palmer

Prenatal diagnosis of an aberrant ductus venosus draining into the coronary sinus using two- and three-dimensional echocardiography: a case report

Ductus venosus (DV) abnormalities may be associated with intracardiac or extracardiac deformities, chromosomal anomalies, and/or congestive heart failure. Aberrant DV connecting with the coronary sinus (CS) is...

Authors: Yu Wang, Ying Zhang and Meilian Wang

Inter-hospital and inter-disciplinary variation in planned birth practices and readiness for change: a survey study

How the application of evidence to planned birth practices, induction of labour (IOL) and prelabour caesarean (CS), differs between Australian maternity units remains poorly understood. Perceptions of readines...

Authors: Dominiek Coates, Natasha Donnolley, Maralyn Foureur and Amanda Henry