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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Challenges And Promising Strategies For Maximizing Pregnant Women's Adherence And Retention In Niv Care In The Context Of Option B+ In Kenya, Anna Helova
All ETDs from UAB
Under the current Kenyan guidelines, pregnant/postpartum women who test HIV-positive are immediately put on the lifelong antiretroviral (ART) therapy (Option B+) and are initiated into the prevention of mother-to-child (PMTCT) protocol. Gaps at each step of the PMTCT continuum undermine the positive impact of lifelong ART. Challenges at the individual, interpersonal, community, and health facility-levels contribute to these gaps. A community-based mentor mother (cMM) program tested under the Mother-Infant Visit Adherence and Treatment Engagement(MOTIVATE!) Trial (NICHD R01 R01HD080477; ClinicalTrials.gov#14-0331) is a potential approach to address these challenges. The three manuscripts comprising this dissertation used qualitative and quantitative methods with the …
Mechanisms And Treatment Of Halogen Inhalation-Induced Pulmonary And Systemic Injuries In Pregnant Mice, James Lambert
Mechanisms And Treatment Of Halogen Inhalation-Induced Pulmonary And Systemic Injuries In Pregnant Mice, James Lambert
All ETDs from UAB
Toxic chemicals may pose an increased threat to vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and their unborn fetuses. The halogen bromine has numerous industrial utilities that include flame retardant, pharmaceutical, insecticide, and bleaching additive production. At room temperature, bromine is a volatile liquid. When the gas is inhaled, bromine causes exposure-dependent acute and chronic pulmonary and systemic injuries that range from mild eye and airway irritation to severe damage to the cardiopulmonary system and other organs, which can lead to death. If exposure is survived, patients still may develop reactive airway disease syndrome and pulmonary fibrosis as well as restrictive …
Implementation Of Repeat Hiv Testing During Pregnancy In Kenya, Anna Joy Graves Rogers
Implementation Of Repeat Hiv Testing During Pregnancy In Kenya, Anna Joy Graves Rogers
All ETDs from UAB
It is estimated that a third of all mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV occurs in women with incident HIV infection during pregnancy, potentially contributing to over 37,000 pediatric HIV infections globally and 4,300 infections in Kenya on an annual basis. Since most pregnant women with acute HIV infection test negative for HIV during routine early-pregnancy antenatal testing, they may not receive access to life-saving antiretroviral therapy (ART) for their own sake, as well as to prevent perinatal HIV transmission. A comprehensive strategy to eliminate MTCT will require identifying and addressing incident HIV infection. International recommendations suggest that pregnant women in …
Malaria, Changes In Angiogenesis Factors, Cytokine Profiles And Birth Outcomes, John A. Keenan
Malaria, Changes In Angiogenesis Factors, Cytokine Profiles And Birth Outcomes, John A. Keenan
All ETDs from UAB
Malaria remains an important public health problem, with over three billion people at risk of infection and as many as 214 million new cases each year. Of particular concern is the effect Plasmodium falciparum malaria has on reproductive health. Malaria is responsible for a wide array of adverse birth outcomes including infant death, low birth weight, preterm delivery and small for gestational age. The mechanism by which malaria influences adverse birth outcomes remains poorly understood. Cross-sectional data from 291 women delivering infants in Ghana are used to investigate whether malaria during pregnancy was associated with select cytokines or angiogenesis factors …
Formaldehyde Exposure In Pregnant Women And Its Relationship To Fetal Growth, Azita Amiri
Formaldehyde Exposure In Pregnant Women And Its Relationship To Fetal Growth, Azita Amiri
All ETDs from UAB
Formaldehyde exposure during pregnancy has been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes such as poor fetal growth, although few studies have examined formaldehyde exposure during pregnancy and its relationship to fetal growth. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of formaldehyde exposure during pregnancy and examine the relationship between formaldehyde exposure and fetal growth. Formaldehyde exposure was examined, using vapor monitor badge and urine formic acid, in 140 women in their second trimester of pregnancy. One time urine samples were collected during a routine prenatal visit, and women wore the vapor badges for 24 hours. Fetal growth was …
The Effect Of An Intensive Oral Hygiene Regimen On Gingival Inflammation During Pregnancy: Clinical And Laboratory Analysis, Maninder Kaur
The Effect Of An Intensive Oral Hygiene Regimen On Gingival Inflammation During Pregnancy: Clinical And Laboratory Analysis, Maninder Kaur
All ETDs from UAB
Background: Recent evidence suggests that systemic inflammation as host immune response to oral microbial challenge may well underlie the observed association between periodontal disease and preterm birth/low birth weight (PTB/LBW). The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of vigorous oral hygiene regimen on gingival inflammation and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF)/serum biomarkers (TNF-&alpha, IL-1&beta and IL-6) during pregnancy and its impact on pregnancy outcome. Methods: 120 participants with pregnancy between 16-24 weeks gestation and with gingival index (GI) scores &ge 2 at &ge 50 % of tooth sites were recruited from the available pool of patients at …
Hard On Your Heart: A Qualitative Description Of Adolescent Prenatal Stress, Candace Clayton Knight
Hard On Your Heart: A Qualitative Description Of Adolescent Prenatal Stress, Candace Clayton Knight
All ETDs from UAB
Introduction: Pregnancy during adolescence is potentially stressful due to the concurrent tasks of navigating the typically tumultuous adolescent stage of development and the life altering experience of pregnancy (Kaye, 2008). There is a growing body of research linking prenatal stress to poor birth and developmental outcomes such as premature birth and low birth weight infants (K. Keenan, Sheffield, & Boeldt, 2007; Mulder et al., 2002), which makes describing the relatively unexplored perceptions and experience of stress during adolescent pregnancy important. The life course framework, with its emphasis on social, environmental, and family risk factors, has implications for reducing disparities among …
Centering Pregnancy And Adverse Pregnancy Outcome: An Evaluation Of Group Prenatal Care In A Rural Western Kentucky Clinic, Lorie Wayne Chesnut
Centering Pregnancy And Adverse Pregnancy Outcome: An Evaluation Of Group Prenatal Care In A Rural Western Kentucky Clinic, Lorie Wayne Chesnut
All ETDs from UAB
CenteringPregnancySmiles [TM] (CPS), a group prenatal care program with an oral health component, has demonstrated promising results in urban communities with primarily low-income minority women. This study examined three questions: 1) Do women who participate in CPS have better birth outcomes than those who participate in traditional prenatal care, even after adjusting for maternal characteristics and risk factors? 2) Is level of exposure to the intervention associated with improved birth outcomes? 3) Do women with dental infection have an increased risk of poor birth outcomes? Data were abstracted from medical records and birth certificates. Birth outcomes for women enrolled in …
Association Between Birth Outcomes And Aflatoxin B1-Biomarker Levels Among Pregnant Women In Kumasi, Ghana, Faisal Mohammed Barbas Shuaib
Association Between Birth Outcomes And Aflatoxin B1-Biomarker Levels Among Pregnant Women In Kumasi, Ghana, Faisal Mohammed Barbas Shuaib
All ETDs from UAB
Aflatoxins are fungal metabolites that contaminate staple food crops in many developing countries. Although studies have linked these toxins to adverse health outcomes, few studies have investigated the association between birth outcomes and aflatoxin B1-lysine adduct levels among pregnant women. The objective of this dissertation was to investigate the association between birth outcomes and aflatoxin B1- lysine adduct levels among pregnant women in Kumasi, Ghana. In a cross-sectional study of 755 pregnant women, Aflatoxin B1-lysine adduct (AF-ALB) levels were determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography. AF-ALB associations were assessed as both continuous and categorical values. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was …