Maternal and Child Health Commons^™

Nuclear Factor-Kappa B Localization And Function Within Intrauterine Tissues From Term And Preterm Labor And Cultured Fetal Membranes, Sonali Vora, Asad Abbas, Chong J. Kim, Taryn Ls Summerfield, Juan P. Kusanovic, Jay D. Iams, Roberto Romero, Douglas A. Kniss, William E. Ackerman Iv

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

The objective of this study was to quantify the nuclear localization and DNA binding activity of p65, the major transactivating nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) subunit, in full-thickness fetal membranes (FM) and myometrium in the absence or presence of term or preterm labor.

Methods

Paired full-thickness FM and myometrial samples were collected from women in the following cohorts: preterm no labor (PNL, N = 22), spontaneous preterm labor (PTL, N = 21), term no labor (TNL, N = 23), and spontaneous term labor (STL, N = 21). NF-kappaB p65 localization was assessed by immunohistochemistry, and DNA binding activity was …

Benefits Of Breastfeeding, Renee Chill

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

When a child is born, a mother can choose to breastfeed her infant or to use an alternative source of nutrition such as formula. To choose properly, the mother must be informed about the pros and cons of each method of feeding. This paper will elaborate on the process of breastfeeding and present some of the benefits that are conferred to both infant and mother through the act of breastfeeding, benefits that formula does not provide. Breastfeeding positively affects infants in both the short- and long-term by providing protection from infectious diseases, fostering the psychological bond with their mothers, and …

Summary Of Findings From The 2010 Child Death Review Annual Report, Nevada Institute For Children's Research And Policy Reports

Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy Reports

The 2010 Annual Report of Child Deaths in Clark County, Nevada provides data regarding all infant, child, and fetal (over 20 weeks gestation) deaths occurring in Clark County in 2010. This represents the second year that the Child Death Review Team in Clark County reviewed 100% of the child deaths referred to the team by the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner; this includes all natural deaths, as well as all accidents, homicides, suicides, and undetermined cases. The team also reviewed all fetal deaths over 20 weeks gestation.

Children With Fasd- Related Disabilities Receiving Services From Child Welfare Agencies In Manitoba, Don Fuchs, Linda Burnside, Sheila Marchenski, Andria Mudry

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a serious social and health problem for the child welfare, health and education systems in North America and other parts of the world. This article describes the population of children in care of the child welfare system in Manitoba. Also this article will highlight the relevance of these research findings to aboriginal populations in Canada and its implications for international aboriginal/ indigenous groups. Finally, the implications for policy, practice are discussed and the article puts forward some directions for further research.

Hepatic Failure, Neonatal Hemochromatosis And Porto-Pulmonary Hypertension In A Newborn With Trisomy 21 - A Case Report, Erin Neil, Josef Cortez, Aparna Joshi, Erawati V. Bawle, Janet Poulik, Mark Zilberman, Mohammad F. El-Baba, Beena G. Sood

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Liver failure in neonates is a rare but often fatal disease. Trisomy 21 is not usually associated with significant infantile liver disease. If present, hepatic dysfunction in an infant with Trisomy 21 is likely to be attributed to transient myeloproliferative disorder with hepatic infiltration by hematopoietic elements and may be associated with secondary hemosiderosis. A less commonly recognized cause of liver failure in neonates with Trisomy 21 is neonatal hemochromatosis (NH); this association has been reported in nine cases of Trisomy 21 in literature. NH is a rare, severe liver disease of intra-uterine onset that is characterized by neonatal …

Protecting Hope: Situation Analysis Of Vulnerable Children In Uganda 2009, Sam Kalibala, Lynne Elson

HIV and AIDS

The Government of Uganda has focused attention on the problem of orphaned and other vulnerable children through a number of policies, regulations, and initiatives. In 2004, the Ministry of Gender Labor and Social Development developed the National OVC Policy, aimed at improving the quality of life for poor and vulnerable children, such as children who have been orphaned, children who are living on the streets, children who are at risk of abuse, and children exposed to situations of armed conflict. However, despite the many efforts to improve the circumstances of vulnerable children in Uganda, policymakers, donors, and program managers still …

Rapids Evaluation Final Report 2005-2009 Key Findings, Louis Apicella, Katie D. Schenk, Hena Khan

HIV and AIDS

RAPIDS (Reaching HIV/AIDS Affected People with Integrated Development and Support) is an intervention funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and is designed to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS in Zambia. The overall goal of RAPIDS is to improve the quality of life of Zambians affected by HIV and AIDS by expanding successful community-based models of home-based care and support to orphans and vulnerable children and people who are chronically ill, as well as through interventions targeting youth with livelihood opportunities and life-skills training, focusing on initiatives supporting abstinence and being faithful.

From Infanticide To Activism: The Transformation Of Emotions And Identity In Self-Help Movements, Verta Taylor, Lisa A. Leitz

Peace Studies Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Taylor and Leitz trace processes of collective identity construction and politicization among women suffering from postpartum psychiatric illness who have been convicted of infanticide. Joining a growing body of research suggesting that self‐help and consumer health movements can be a significant force for change in both the cultural and political arenas, Taylor and Lietz examine one such movement, a pen‐pal network of women incarcerated for committing infanticide. Taylor and Leitz show how a sense of collective identity fostered by the pen‐pal network triggered a profound emotional transformation in participants, allowing them to convert shame and loneliness into pride and solidarity, …

Childhood Home Injuries: A Nursing Student Approach To Preventing Childhood Home Injuries, Jinging Sparrow, Katherine Carman, Katelyn Kerr, Renee Farmer

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for children under 14 years of age. Of the unintentional injuries, a significant portion occurs within the home setting. Creating a safe home environment for children has become a focus in current efforts for health promotion and injury prevention. Our objective is to enhance caregivers’ knowledge of home safety thus decreasing the incidence of childhood unintentional injuries. To this end, a series of educational workshops were conducted on poisoning, choking, furniture tip-over, scalds and burns. The material was presented via PowerPoint, videos, posters, handouts, demonstrations and return demonstrations. Verbal pre-and post tests …

Effect Of Dai Training On Maternal And Neonatal Care: An Operations Research Study, Peter C. Miller, Gul Rashida, Abdul Wajid, Zeba Tasneem, Lubna Mahmood, Minhaj Ul Haque

Reproductive Health

This study examines the use of training traditional birth attendants, or "dais" as they are known in Pakistan, to reduce maternal mortality. By training dais to adopt safer routine delivery, newborn care practices, and recognize and refer in case of emergencies, dais can improve maternal and neonatal health. While one group of women met with specially trained dais who received Safe Motherhood Applied Research Training (SMART), a control group met with dais who offered health services only. The objectives of this evaluation were to determine whether dais substantially improved their performance after attending the "SMART dai" training course, to determine …

Increasing Complete Immunization In Rural Uttar Pradesh: Implications For Behavior Change Communication, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Population Council conducted a formative study in rural Uttar Pradesh, India to determine the current rate of compliance for recommended schedules of child immunization, identify the barriers and factors facilitating the uptake of full immunization, and identify behavior change communication (BCC) initiatives that could accelerate adoption of this practice. This policy brief identifies a number of barriers to immunization: low risk perception, lack of faith in vaccines, lack of knowledge about vaccines, fear of side effects, lack of family support, and lack of knowledge about location and type of services available. The brief also identifies several facilitating factors and …

Increasing Institutional Delivery And Access To Emergency Obstetric Care Services In Rural Uttar Pradesh: Implications For Behavior Change Communication, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Population Council conducted a formative in rural Uttar Pradesh (UP), India to determine the impact of the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) scheme on the current status of institutional delivery in the region, to understand the facilitating factors and barriers in delivering in a health facility, and to identify programmatic and behavior change communication (BCC) initiatives that could accelerate the adoption of institutional delivery. JSY was launched as an intervention to address the barriers to institutional delivery, through the introduction of community-based women volunteers. The study shows that with the introduction of the JSY the rate of institutional delivery jumped …

Referral Mechanism Improves Uptake Of Art Services For Hiv+ Fp Clients, Population Council

Reproductive Health

An operations research intervention by the Population Council in Kenya aimed to design a referral framework for linking HIV‐positive family planning (FP) clients to treatment and care in selected health facilities. The project also assessed the acceptability and effectiveness in increasing the number of eligible HIV‐positive FP clients receiving HIV care and treatment services. This summary details the effort to improve the linkage between FP services and comprehensive care centers that led to a dramatic increase in the proportions of HIV-positive clients in FP clinics who go on to receive HIV/AIDS treatment and care services at the same facility. Recommendations …

Maternal And Neonatal Health Services In Sudan: Results Of A Situation Analysis, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Maha El-Rabbat

Reproductive Health

This project brief is based on the results of a situation analysis (SA) study that was done collaboratively by the Population Council and Sudan Ministry of Health (MOH) with funds from UNFPA, UNICEF, and Packard Foundation. The analysis showed an uneven distribution of reproductive health (RH) staff across Sudan, and nurses and nurse midwives are the key in RH services. There was also limited access to family planning services. Antenatal care was limited, and pregnant women in the study seldom received counseling on birth spacing or birth preparedness. Birth attendants also lacked adequate knowledge and skills. Emergency obstetric care was …

Epigenetics: Blurring The Line Between Nature And Nurture, Elizabeth H. Rose

CMC Senior Theses

This long-standing nature versus nurture debate is cited in behavioral and physical expressions of disease dysfunctions, resiliencies, and recovery. Their purposes are noted both in scientific pursuits as well as literature. This discourse has been particularly intense in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, and biology where there is a long history of scientists’ attempts to disprove or discredit others’ intellectual and professional measures. Interestingly, recent advances in the neurosciences and genetic technologies have brought these fields closer together with a new focus – the interactional relationship between nature and nurture – epigenetics.

Maternal Employment And Childhood Obesity Among Immigrant Families, Qi Zhang

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

There are continued interests to examine the relationship between maternal employment and childhood obesity. However, little research has been focused on childhood obesity among immigrant families with working mothers. This study used the Panel Survey of Income Dynamics (PSID) and Child Development Supplement (CDS) in 2002 and compared the impact of maternal employment on childhood obesity between immigrant families and US-born families. The positive effect of maternal employment on children’s body weight status was much stronger in immigrant families than in US-born families. The full-time employment status of mothers had strong and significant effect on immigrant children’s BMI (beta = …

Transition To Marriage And Parenthood Among Youth In India, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips), Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This Population Council policy brief documents the magnitude of early marriage and early childbearing in India and sheds light on young people’s marriage-related planning and preparedness for married life, and the nature of married life. While child marriage is particularly evident among young women, it is notable that significant proportions of young men too have married below the legal minimum age at marriage for males. Findings call for multi-pronged efforts to eliminate the practice of early marriage among young men and women, and to support newlywed young women. Ensuring that these programs reach young people and the influential adults in …

Building Programs To Address Child Marriage: The Berhane Hewan Experience In Ethiopia, Eunice N. Muthengi, Annabel Erulkar

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The development of a context-appropriate program to delay marriage in rural Ethiopia took place over many years and in stages. The program that ultimately became known as “Berhane Hewan” was developed by building an evidence base of understanding on the populations being served and developing partnerships between the Population Council and like-minded agencies with complementary expertise. The Berhane Hewan pilot demonstrated that significant impacts can be made on the social, educational, and health status of adolescent girls in a short period of time, through well designed and implemented support programs. However, high levels of exposure to all project components, make …

Kishor-Kishorider Jonno Ortho Sikkha [Financial Education For Adolescents], Sigma Ainul, Marzina Khatun, Najneen Mahbooba

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

No abstract provided.

Youth In India: Situation And Needs 2006-2007—Executive Summary, Andhra Pradesh, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips), Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This study, implemented by the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai and the Population Council, New Delhi is the first-ever subnationally representative study conducted to identify key transitions experienced by married and unmarried youth in India. In recognition of the importance of investing in young people, several national policies and programs formulated since 2000 have underscored a commitment to addressing the multiple needs of this group in India. Effective implementation of policies and programs, however, has been handicapped by lack of evidence on young people’s situation and needs. This study focused on married and unmarried young women and unmarried young …

Youth In India: Situation And Needs 2006–2007, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips), Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This report is the result of a subnational study undertaken by the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai and the Population Council, New Delhi as part of a project to collect information on key transitions experienced by youth in India. The project was implemented in six states of India, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. The report offers a roadmap for programs and priorities that aim to address young people’s needs. More than 50,000 young people were interviewed in the study, providing a robust picture of youth in India and a wealth of evidence on almost …

Summary Of Findings Health Status Of Children Entering Kindergarten: Results Of The 2009-2010 (Year Two) Nevada Kindergarten Health Survey, Nevada Institute For Children's Research And Policy Reports

Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy Reports

Academic achievement for children is vital to their success in life. Those that do well in school have greater opportunities for post-secondary education, and later have better prospects for employment. One of the major factors that can affect a child’s academic achievement is his or her health status. Academic outcomes and health conditions are consistently linked in the literature (Taras & Potts-Datema, 2005). Children with poor health status, and especially those with common chronic health conditions, have increased numbers of school absences and more academic deficiencies (Taras & Potts-Datema, 2005). In a study concerning excused versus unexcused absences, children with …

Acceptance, Communication Mode And Use Of Audio Computer- Assisted Self Interview Using Touchscreen To Identify Risk Factors Among Pregnant Minority Women, Jutta S. Thornberry, Kennan B. Murray, M. Nabil El-Khorazaty, Michele Kiely

Publications and Research

This paper evaluates the acceptability, communication mode and use of audio computer-assisted self-interview (A-CASI) among minority pregnant women receiving prenatal care in six Washington, DC sites. A total of 2,913 women were screened for demographic eligibility (18+ years old,gestation, Black/African-American or Hispanic) and risk (smoking, environmental tobacco smoke exposure, depression, intimate partner violence). Questions were displayed on touch screen laptop monitors and heard through earphones. The mean length of time to complete the screener was almost 6 minutes.

A-CASI experience, which included difficulty in using the computer, acceptability (enjoyment), and preferred communication mode, was compared across sites, the eligibility and …

Kishor-Kishorider Jonno Ortho Sikkha: Shikkhok Shahayika [Financial Education For Adolescents: Teacher's Manual], Sigma Ainul, Marzina Khatun, Najneen Mahbooba

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

No abstract provided.

L'Adolescence Des Filles Au Burkina Faso: Une Clé De Voûte Pour Le Changement Social, Martha Brady, Lydia Saloucou, Erica Chong

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Although a number of innovative programs have been created to meet their needs, Burkinabé adolescent girls continue to face many threats to their well-being. They still need considerable support and opportunities to improve their social and economic status and health status. This report, using a number of data sources, including Population Council studies and programs, and the Demographic and Health Survey of Burkina Faso, aims to provide a general overview of these young girls’ adolescence—the realities of life and the policy and program initiatives designed for them. The Population Council hopes that this report will make a significant contribution to …

Poverty, Marriage Timing, And Transitions To Adulthood In Nepal: A Longitudinal Analysis Using The Nepal Living Standards Survey, Ashish Bajracharya, Sajeda Amin

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This working paper examines the influence of household poverty experienced during early childhood on early marriage and outcomes in schooling and workforce participation during adolescence for girls in Nepal. Much of the evidence concerning these relationships is drawn from cross-sectional data that cannot be used, and has not been able, to address causality. This Population Council study uses longitudinal data from the Nepal Living Standards Survey (NLSS), a two-wave panel in which the waves were conducted eight years apart to address these questions. Analyzing the data by household-wealth quintiles reveals surprisingly nonlinear results indicating that these associations are largest for …

Life Skills: Psychosocial And Interpersonal Skills For Adolescent Girls In Urban Ghana—Mentor's Guide, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

School dropout is common among urban adolescent girls in Ghana, leading to increased social isolation and high rates of teenage pregnancy. The curriculum described in this mentor’s guide is one component of the Population Council’s “Safe Spaces” asset-building program for vulnerable adolescent girls in urban Ghana. The curriculum consists of 20 Life Skills sessions, which each take 90 minutes to complete. The program approach used is based on giving girls a safe, girls-only space where they can meet friends and learn about important topics under the guidance of a female mentor. The number of sessions completed per week or per …

Youth In India: Situation And Needs 2006-2007—Executive Summary, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips), Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This executive summary presents, in brief, findings from the Youth in India: Situation and Needs study, a subnational study undertaken by the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai and the Population Council, New Delhi to collect information on key transitions experienced by youth in India, including those related to education, workforce participation, sexual activity, marriage, health, and civic participation. The magnitude and patterns of young people’s sexual and reproductive practices before, within, and outside of marriage, as well as related knowledge, decisionmaking, and attitudes, is also assessed. The project was implemented in six states of India, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, …

Kishor-Kishorider Jonno Ortho Sikkha: Dishari Shohayika [Financial Education For Adolescents: Mentor's Manual], Sigma Ainul, Marzina Khatun, Najneen Mahbooba

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

No abstract provided.

The Nature Of Mothers' Work And Children's Schooling In Nepal: The Influence Of Income And Time Effects, Ashish Bajracharya

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Using nationally representative cross-sectional data from the Nepal Living Standards Survey, this Population Council working paper examines the influence of the nature of mothers’ work on Nepali children’s schooling outcomes. It analyses whether the engagement of mothers (and fathers) in nonagricultural work has significant consequences for their children’s school attendance and grade attainment, compared with these consequences when parents’ work is in traditional subsistence agriculture. Results indicate that children of parents who both work in the nonagriculture sector are significantly more likely to have attended or currently be attending school and have higher grade attainment, compared with children whose parents …