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Articles 271 - 300 of 474

Full-Text Articles in Women's Health

Hemoglobin Concentrations And Adverse Birth Outcomes In South Asian Pregnant Women: Findings From A Prospective Maternal And Neonatal Health Registry, Sumera Aziz Ali, Shiyam Sunder Tikmani, Sarah Saleem, Archana B. Patel, Patricia L. Hibberd, Shivaprasad S. Goudar, Sangappa Dhaded, Richard J. Derman, Janet L. Moore, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Robert L. Goldenberg Nov 2020

Hemoglobin Concentrations And Adverse Birth Outcomes In South Asian Pregnant Women: Findings From A Prospective Maternal And Neonatal Health Registry, Sumera Aziz Ali, Shiyam Sunder Tikmani, Sarah Saleem, Archana B. Patel, Patricia L. Hibberd, Shivaprasad S. Goudar, Sangappa Dhaded, Richard J. Derman, Janet L. Moore, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Robert L. Goldenberg

Community Health Sciences

Background: While the relationship between hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations and pregnancy outcomes has been studied often, most reports have focused on a specific Hb cutoff used to define anemia. Fewer studies have evaluated pregnancy outcomes across the entire range of Hb values. Moreover, to date, most studies of the relationship of Hb concentrations to pregnancy outcomes have been done in high-income countries. Thus, we have sought to determine the relationship between the range of maternal Hb concentrations and adverse birth outcomes among South Asian pregnant women.
Methods: For this study, we used data collected from two South Asian countries (Pakistan - …


The Relationship Between Birth Intervals And Adverse Maternal And Neonatal Outcomes In Six Low And Lower-Middle Income Countries, Melissa Bauserman, Kayla Nowak, Tracy L. Nolen, Jackie Patterson, Adrien Lokangaka, Antoinette Tshefu, Archana B. Patel, Patricia L. Hibberd, Sarah Saleem, Saleem Jessani Nov 2020

The Relationship Between Birth Intervals And Adverse Maternal And Neonatal Outcomes In Six Low And Lower-Middle Income Countries, Melissa Bauserman, Kayla Nowak, Tracy L. Nolen, Jackie Patterson, Adrien Lokangaka, Antoinette Tshefu, Archana B. Patel, Patricia L. Hibberd, Sarah Saleem, Saleem Jessani

Community Health Sciences

Background: Due to high fertility rates in some low and lower-middle income countries, the interval between pregnancies can be short, which may lead to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.
Methods: We analyzed data from women enrolled in the NICHD Global Network Maternal Newborn Health Registry (MNHR) from 2013 through 2018. We report maternal characteristics and outcomes in relationship to the inter-delivery interval (IDI, time from previous delivery [live or stillborn] to the delivery of the index birth), by category of 6-17 months (short), 18-36 months (reference), 37-60 months, and 61-180 months (long). We used non-parametric tests for maternal characteristics, and …


Stillbirth 2010-2018: A Prospective, Population-Based, Multi-Country Study From The Global Network, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Sarah Saleem, Shivaprasad S. Gouda, Ana Garces, Ryan Whitworth, Fabian Esamai, Archana B. Patel, Shiyam Sunder Tikmani, Musaku Mwenechanya, Elwyn Chomba Nov 2020

Stillbirth 2010-2018: A Prospective, Population-Based, Multi-Country Study From The Global Network, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Sarah Saleem, Shivaprasad S. Gouda, Ana Garces, Ryan Whitworth, Fabian Esamai, Archana B. Patel, Shiyam Sunder Tikmani, Musaku Mwenechanya, Elwyn Chomba

Community Health Sciences

Background: Stillbirth rates are high and represent a substantial proportion of the under-5 mortality in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). In LMIC, where nearly 98% of stillbirths worldwide occur, few population-based studies have documented cause of stillbirths or the trends in rate of stillbirth over time.
Methods: We undertook a prospective, population-based multi-country research study of all pregnant women in defined geographic areas across 7 sites in low-resource settings (Kenya, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Pakistan, and Guatemala). Staff collected demographic and health care characteristics with outcomes obtained at delivery. Cause of stillbirth was assigned by algorithm.
Results: From …


Looking Beyond The Numbers: Quality Assurance Procedures In The Global Network For Women's And Children's Health Research Maternal Newborn Health Registry, Ana Garces, Emily Macguire, Holly L. Franklin, Norma Alfaro, Gustavo Arroyo, Lester Figueroa, Shivaprasad S. Goudar, Sarah Saleem, Fabian Esama, Archana Patel Nov 2020

Looking Beyond The Numbers: Quality Assurance Procedures In The Global Network For Women's And Children's Health Research Maternal Newborn Health Registry, Ana Garces, Emily Macguire, Holly L. Franklin, Norma Alfaro, Gustavo Arroyo, Lester Figueroa, Shivaprasad S. Goudar, Sarah Saleem, Fabian Esama, Archana Patel

Community Health Sciences

Background: Quality assurance (QA) is a process that should be an integral part of research to protect the rights and safety of study participants and to reduce the likelihood that the results are affected by bias in data collection. Most QA plans include processes related to study preparation and regulatory compliance, data collection, data analysis and publication of study results. However, little detailed information is available on the specific procedures associated with QA processes to ensure high-quality data in multi-site studies.
Methods: The Global Network for Women's and Children's Health Maternal Newborn Health Registy (MNHR) is a prospective population-based registry …


Evaluating The Effect Of Care Around Labor And Delivery Practices On Early Neonatal Mortality In The Global Network's Maternal And Newborn Health Registry, Archana B. Patel, Elizabeth M. Simmon, Sowmya R. Rao, Janet Moore, Tracy L. Nolen, Robert L. Goldenberg, Shivaprasad S. Goudar, Manjunath S. Somannavar, Sarah Saleem, Farnaz Naqvi Nov 2020

Evaluating The Effect Of Care Around Labor And Delivery Practices On Early Neonatal Mortality In The Global Network's Maternal And Newborn Health Registry, Archana B. Patel, Elizabeth M. Simmon, Sowmya R. Rao, Janet Moore, Tracy L. Nolen, Robert L. Goldenberg, Shivaprasad S. Goudar, Manjunath S. Somannavar, Sarah Saleem, Farnaz Naqvi

Community Health Sciences

Background: Neonatal deaths in first 28-days of life represent 47% of all deaths under the age of five years globally and are a focus of the United Nation's (UN's) Sustainable Development Goals. Pregnant women are delivering in facilities but that does not indicate quality of care during delivery and the postpartum period. The World Health Organization's Essential Newborn Care (ENC) package reduces neonatal mortality, but lacks a simple and valid composite index that measures its effectiveness.
Methods: Data on 5 intra-partum and 3 post-partum practices (indicators) recommended as part of ENC, routinely collected in NICHD's Global Network's (GN) Maternal Newborn …


The Global Network Maternal Newborn Health Registry: A Multi-Country, Community-Based Registry Of Pregnancy Outcomes, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Ana L. Garces, Patricia L. Hibberd, Janet L. Moore, Shivaprasad S. Goudar, Sarah Saleem, Fabian Esamai, Archana Patel, Elwyn Chomba, Adrien Lokangaka Nov 2020

The Global Network Maternal Newborn Health Registry: A Multi-Country, Community-Based Registry Of Pregnancy Outcomes, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Ana L. Garces, Patricia L. Hibberd, Janet L. Moore, Shivaprasad S. Goudar, Sarah Saleem, Fabian Esamai, Archana Patel, Elwyn Chomba, Adrien Lokangaka

Community Health Sciences

Background: The Global Network for Women's and Children's Health Research (Global Network) conducts clinical trials in resource-limited countries through partnerships among U.S. investigators, international investigators based in in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and a central data coordinating center. The Global Network's objectives include evaluating low-cost, sustainable interventions to improve women's and children's health in LMICs. Accurate reporting of births, stillbirths, neonatal deaths, maternal mortality, and measures of obstetric and neonatal care is critical to determine strategies for improving pregnancy outcomes. In response to this need, the Global Network developed the Maternal Newborn Health Registry (MNHR), a prospective, population-based registry …


Reports From The Nichd Global Network's Maternal And Newborn Health Registry: Supplement Introduction, Robert L. Goldenberg, Shivaprasad S. Goudar, Sarah Saleem, Patricia L. Hibberd, Jorge E. Tolosa, Marion Koso-Thomas, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Global Network Investigators Nov 2020

Reports From The Nichd Global Network's Maternal And Newborn Health Registry: Supplement Introduction, Robert L. Goldenberg, Shivaprasad S. Goudar, Sarah Saleem, Patricia L. Hibberd, Jorge E. Tolosa, Marion Koso-Thomas, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Global Network Investigators

Community Health Sciences

No abstract provided.


Mitigating Toxic Stress In Children Affected By Conflict And Displacement, Anushka Ataullahjan, Muthanna Samara, Theresa S. Betancourt, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta Nov 2020

Mitigating Toxic Stress In Children Affected By Conflict And Displacement, Anushka Ataullahjan, Muthanna Samara, Theresa S. Betancourt, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Anushka Ataullahjan and colleagues describe the myriad stressors related to conflict and displacement experienced by children and how best to reduce their negative effect


Strategies To Improve Coverage Of Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (Tcv) Immunization Campaign In Karachi, Pakistan, Farah Qamar Naz, Rabab Batool, Sonia Qureshi, Miqdad Ali, Tahira Sadaf, Junaid Mehmood, Khalid Iqbal, Akram Sultan, Noah Duff, Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai Nov 2020

Strategies To Improve Coverage Of Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (Tcv) Immunization Campaign In Karachi, Pakistan, Farah Qamar Naz, Rabab Batool, Sonia Qureshi, Miqdad Ali, Tahira Sadaf, Junaid Mehmood, Khalid Iqbal, Akram Sultan, Noah Duff, Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

The emergence and spread of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid in Karachi, Pakistan led to an outbreak response in Lyari Town, Karachi utilizing a mass immunization campaign with typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV), Typbar TCV®. The mass immunization campaign, targeted Lyari Town, Karachi, one of the worst affected towns during the XDR typhoid outbreak. Here we describe the strategies used to improve acceptance and coverage of Typbar TCV in Lyari Town, Karachi. The mass immunization campaign with Typbar TCV was started as a school- and hospital-based vaccination campaign targeting children between the age of 6 months to 15 years old. A dose …


Associations Between Household-Level Exposures And All-Cause Diarrhea And Pathogen-Specific Enteric Infections In Children Enrolled In Five Sentinel Surveillance Studies, Josh M. Colston, Abu S G. Faruque, M Jahangir Hossain, Debasish Saha, Suman Kanungo, Inácio Mandomando, Muhammad Imran Nisar, Anita K. M. Zaidi, Richard Omore, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta Nov 2020

Associations Between Household-Level Exposures And All-Cause Diarrhea And Pathogen-Specific Enteric Infections In Children Enrolled In Five Sentinel Surveillance Studies, Josh M. Colston, Abu S G. Faruque, M Jahangir Hossain, Debasish Saha, Suman Kanungo, Inácio Mandomando, Muhammad Imran Nisar, Anita K. M. Zaidi, Richard Omore, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Diarrheal disease remains a major cause of childhood mortality and morbidity causing poor health and economic outcomes. In low-resource settings, young children are exposed to numerous risk factors for enteric pathogen transmission within their dwellings, though the relative importance of different transmission pathways varies by pathogen species. The objective of this analysis was to model associations between five household-level risk factors-water, sanitation, flooring, caregiver education, and crowding-and infection status for endemic enteric pathogens in children in five surveillance studies. Data were combined from 22 sites in which a total of 58,000 stool samples were tested for 16 specific enteropathogens using …


Variability Of Breast Density Assessment And The Need For Additional Imaging: A Comparison Between Computed Mammography And Digital Mammography, Shaista Afzal Saeed, Imrana Masroor, Hina Iqbal, Saira Naz Sufian, Muhammad Awais Nov 2020

Variability Of Breast Density Assessment And The Need For Additional Imaging: A Comparison Between Computed Mammography And Digital Mammography, Shaista Afzal Saeed, Imrana Masroor, Hina Iqbal, Saira Naz Sufian, Muhammad Awais

Department of Radiology

Objective: To determine the variability of breast density assessment and the need for additional imaging using computed radiography (CR) mammography versus digital radiography (DR) mammography.
Study design: Cohort study.
Place and duration of study: Department of Radiology, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi from March to June 2018.
Methodology: Patients who underwent screening CR mammography, followed by DR mammography a year later, were selected. Only disease-free individuals were included in the study. Evaluation of breast density was done subjectively, using the breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) by two independent experienced radiologists. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcox …


Use Of Smokeless Tobacco Before Conception And Its Relationship With Maternal And Fetal Outcomes Of Pregnancy In Thatta, Pakistan: Findings From Women First Study, Sumera Aziz Ali, Umber S. Khan, Farina Abrejo, Brandi Vollmer, Sarah Saleem, Michael K. Hambidge, Nancy F. Krebs, Jamie E. Westcott, Robert L. Goldenberg, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Omrana Pasha Oct 2020

Use Of Smokeless Tobacco Before Conception And Its Relationship With Maternal And Fetal Outcomes Of Pregnancy In Thatta, Pakistan: Findings From Women First Study, Sumera Aziz Ali, Umber S. Khan, Farina Abrejo, Brandi Vollmer, Sarah Saleem, Michael K. Hambidge, Nancy F. Krebs, Jamie E. Westcott, Robert L. Goldenberg, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Omrana Pasha

Community Health Sciences

Introduction: Smokeless tobacco (SLT) consumption during pregnancy has adverse consequences for the mother and fetus. We aimed to investigate the effects of maternal pre-pregnancy SLT consumption on maternal and fetal outcomes in the district of Thatta, Pakistan.
Methods: We conducted a secondary data analysis of an individual randomized controlled trial of preconception maternal nutrition. Study participants were women of reproductive age residing in the district of Thatta, Pakistan. Participants were asked questions regarding the usage of commonly consumed SLT known as gutka (exposure variable). Study outcomes included maternal anemia, miscarriage, preterm births, stillbirths, and low birth weight. We performed a …


Researching The Delivery Of Health And Nutrition Interventions For Women And Children In The Context Of Armed Conflict: Lessons On Research Challenges And Strategies From Branch Consortium Case Studies Of Somalia, Mali, Pakistan And Afghanistan, Michelle F. Gaffey, Anushka Ataullahjan, Jai K. Das, Mohammed Shafiq Mirzazada, Moctar Tounkara, Abdirisak A. Dalmar, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta Oct 2020

Researching The Delivery Of Health And Nutrition Interventions For Women And Children In The Context Of Armed Conflict: Lessons On Research Challenges And Strategies From Branch Consortium Case Studies Of Somalia, Mali, Pakistan And Afghanistan, Michelle F. Gaffey, Anushka Ataullahjan, Jai K. Das, Mohammed Shafiq Mirzazada, Moctar Tounkara, Abdirisak A. Dalmar, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: The BRANCH Consortium recently conducted 10 mixed-methods case studies to investigate the provision of health and nutrition interventions for women and children in conflict-affected countries, aiming to better understand the dominant influences on humanitarian health actors' programmatic decision-making and how such actors surmount intervention delivery barriers. In this paper, the research challenges encountered and the mitigating strategies employed by the case study investigators in four of the BRANCH case study contexts are discussed: Somalia, Mali, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Discussion: Many of the encountered research challenges were anticipated, with investigators adopting mitigation strategies in advance or early on, but others …


Response Of Extensively Drug Resistant Salmonella Typhi To Treatment With Meropenem And Azithromycin, In Pakistan, Sonia Qureshi, Abdullah B. Naveed, Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai, Khalil Ahmad, Sarwat Ansari, Heeramani Lohana, Aiman Mukhtar, Farah Naz Qamar Oct 2020

Response Of Extensively Drug Resistant Salmonella Typhi To Treatment With Meropenem And Azithromycin, In Pakistan, Sonia Qureshi, Abdullah B. Naveed, Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai, Khalil Ahmad, Sarwat Ansari, Heeramani Lohana, Aiman Mukhtar, Farah Naz Qamar

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Introduction: Salmonella Typhi is one of the leading health problems in Pakistan. With the emergence of extensively drug resistant (XDR) Salmonella Typhi, treatment options are limited. Here we report the clinical manifestations and the response to treatment of patients with XDR Typhoid fever. The patients were treated with either Meropenem or Azithromycin or a combination of both.
Methods: We reviewed the records of culture confirmed XDR typhoid who visited Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi and Aga Khan Secondary Care Hospital, Hyderabad from April 2017 to June 2018. Symptoms developed during disease, unplanned treatment extension and complications developed while on …


Evaluating Implementation Of "Management Of Possible Serious Bacterial Infection (Psbi) When Referral Is Not Feasible" In Primary Health Care Facilities In Sindh Province, Pakistan, Maria Asif Bhura, Shabina Ariff, Shamim Ahmad Qazi, Zaitoon Qazi, Imran Ahmed, Yasir Bin Nisar, Zamir Suhag, Abdul Wahab Soomro, Sajid Bashir Soofi Oct 2020

Evaluating Implementation Of "Management Of Possible Serious Bacterial Infection (Psbi) When Referral Is Not Feasible" In Primary Health Care Facilities In Sindh Province, Pakistan, Maria Asif Bhura, Shabina Ariff, Shamim Ahmad Qazi, Zaitoon Qazi, Imran Ahmed, Yasir Bin Nisar, Zamir Suhag, Abdul Wahab Soomro, Sajid Bashir Soofi

Woman and Child Health

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) launched a guideline in 2015 for managing Possible Serious Bacterial Infection (PSBI) when referral is not feasible in young infants aged 0-59 days. This guideline was implemented across 303 Basic Health Unit (BHU) Plus primary health care (PHC) facilities in peri-urban and rural settings of Sindh, Pakistan. We evaluated the implementation of PSBI guideline, and the quality of care provided to sick young infants at these facilities.
Methods: Thirty (10%) out of 303 BHU Plus facilities were randomly selected for evaluation. A survey team visited each facility for one day, assessed the health system …


The Burden Of Unintentional Drowning: Global, Regional And National Estimates Of Mortality From The Global Burden Of Disease 2017 Study, Richard Charles Franklin, Amy E. Peden, Erin B. Hamilton, Catherine Bisignano, Chris D. Castle, Zachary V. Dingels, Simon I. Hay, Zichen Liu, Ali H. Mokdad, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta Oct 2020

The Burden Of Unintentional Drowning: Global, Regional And National Estimates Of Mortality From The Global Burden Of Disease 2017 Study, Richard Charles Franklin, Amy E. Peden, Erin B. Hamilton, Catherine Bisignano, Chris D. Castle, Zachary V. Dingels, Simon I. Hay, Zichen Liu, Ali H. Mokdad, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Background: Drowning is a leading cause of injury-related mortality globally. Unintentional drowning (International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 10 codes W65-74 and ICD9 E910) is one of the 30 mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive causes of injury-related mortality in the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. This study's objective is to describe unintentional drowning using GBD estimates from 1990 to 2017.
Methods: Unintentional drowning from GBD 2017 was estimated for cause-specific mortality and years of life lost (YLLs), age, sex, country, region, Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile, and trends from 1990 to 2017. GBD 2017 used standard GBD methods for estimating mortality …


Burden Of Injury Along The Development Spectrum: Associations Between The Socio-Demographic Index And Disability-Adjusted Life Year Estimates From The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2017, Juanita A. Haagsma, Spencer L. James, Chris D. Castle, Zachary V. Dingels, Jack T. Fox, Erin B. Hamilton, Zichen Liu, Lydia R. Lucchesi, Nicholas L S. Roberts, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta Oct 2020

Burden Of Injury Along The Development Spectrum: Associations Between The Socio-Demographic Index And Disability-Adjusted Life Year Estimates From The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2017, Juanita A. Haagsma, Spencer L. James, Chris D. Castle, Zachary V. Dingels, Jack T. Fox, Erin B. Hamilton, Zichen Liu, Lydia R. Lucchesi, Nicholas L S. Roberts, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Background: The epidemiological transition of non-communicable diseases replacing infectious diseases as the main contributors to disease burden has been well documented in global health literature. Less focus, however, has been given to the relationship between sociodemographic changes and injury. The aim of this study was to examine the association between disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from injury for 195 countries and territories at different levels along the development spectrum between 1990 and 2017 based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 estimates.
Methods: Injury mortality was estimated using the GBD mortality database, corrections for garbage coding and CODEm-the cause of …


Preconception Care Among Pregnant Women In An Urban And A Rural Health Facility In Kenya: A Quantitative Study, Joan Okemo, Marleen Temmerman, Mukaindo Mwaniki, Dorothy Kamya Oct 2020

Preconception Care Among Pregnant Women In An Urban And A Rural Health Facility In Kenya: A Quantitative Study, Joan Okemo, Marleen Temmerman, Mukaindo Mwaniki, Dorothy Kamya

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Preconception care (PCC) aims to improve maternal and fetal health outcomes, however, its utilization remains low in developing countries. This pilot study assesses the level and determinants of PCC in an urban and a rural health facility in Kenya. Unselected pregnant women were recruited consecutively at the Mother and Child Health (MCH) clinics in Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi (AKUH, N-urban) and Maragua Level Four Hospital (MLFH-rural). The utilization of PCC was defined as contact with any health care provider before current pregnancy and addressing pregnancy planning and preparation. A cross-sectional approach was employed and data were analyzed using SPSS …


Prevalence And Determinants Of Anemia Among Women Of Reproductive Age In Thatta Pakistan: Findings From A Cross-Sectional Study, Sumera Aziz Ali, Zahid Abbasi, Babar Shahid, Ghazal Moin, K Michael Hambidge, Nancy F. Krebs, Jamie E. Westcott, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Robert L. Goldenberg, Sarah Saleem Sep 2020

Prevalence And Determinants Of Anemia Among Women Of Reproductive Age In Thatta Pakistan: Findings From A Cross-Sectional Study, Sumera Aziz Ali, Zahid Abbasi, Babar Shahid, Ghazal Moin, K Michael Hambidge, Nancy F. Krebs, Jamie E. Westcott, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Robert L. Goldenberg, Sarah Saleem

Community Health Sciences

Background: Anemia is a major public health concern among women of reproductive age leading to high maternal mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Of the prior studies conducted in Pakistan, most focused on large urban areas and did not explore the determinants of anemia among women of reproductive age (WRA) across socio-demographic, dietary, reproductive, and biological domains. Thus, we aimed to study the prevalence and determinants of anemia among WRA in rural Pakistan.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in the Thatta district of Pakistan from September 2018 to January 2019 and enrolled 150 non-pregnant, married women. Data collectors administered …


Current Challenges Of Digital Health Interventions In Pakistan: Mixed Methods Analysis, Abdul Momin Kazi, Saad Ahmed Qazi, Nazia Ahsan, Sadori Khawaja, Fareeha Sameen, Muhammad Ayub Khan Mughal, Zabin Wajidali, Hussain Kalimuddin, Yasir Rauf, Fatima Mahmood Sep 2020

Current Challenges Of Digital Health Interventions In Pakistan: Mixed Methods Analysis, Abdul Momin Kazi, Saad Ahmed Qazi, Nazia Ahsan, Sadori Khawaja, Fareeha Sameen, Muhammad Ayub Khan Mughal, Zabin Wajidali, Hussain Kalimuddin, Yasir Rauf, Fatima Mahmood

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Digital health is well-positioned in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) to revolutionize health care due, in part, to increasing mobile phone access and internet connectivity. This paper evaluates the underlying factors that can potentially facilitate or hinder the progress of digital health in Pakistan.
Objective: The objective of this study is to identify the current digital health projects and studies being carried out in Pakistan, as well as the key stakeholders involved in these initiatives. We aim to follow a mixed-methods strategy and to evaluate these projects and studies through a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis to …


Determinants Of Health Care Seeking Behaviors In Puerperal Sepsis In Rural Sindh, Pakistan: A Qualitative Study, Shabina Ariff, Fatima Mir, Farhana Tabassum, Farrukh Raza, Atif Habib, Ali Turab, Amnesty Lefevre, Linda A. Bartlett, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta Sep 2020

Determinants Of Health Care Seeking Behaviors In Puerperal Sepsis In Rural Sindh, Pakistan: A Qualitative Study, Shabina Ariff, Fatima Mir, Farhana Tabassum, Farrukh Raza, Atif Habib, Ali Turab, Amnesty Lefevre, Linda A. Bartlett, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Puerperal sepsis (PS) is one of the major causes of maternal death, contributing to 26,000 deaths per year in developing countries. Early recognition and treatment are essential to managing PS, but numerous social, cultural and technical barriers prevent or delay access to care and necessary medical attention. Through this qualitative study, we identified barriers to care seeking for puerperal sepsis among recently delivered women in Matiari, Pakistan.
Methods: We conducted 20 in-depth interviews among recently delivered women with and without sepsis and their family members in September 2012. Key informant interviews were conducted with 14 healthcare providers and traditional …


Drivers Of Stunting Reduction In Peru: A Country Case Study, Luis Huicho, Elisa Vidal-Cárdenas, Nadia Akseer, Samanpreet Brar, Kaitlin Conway, Muhammad Islam, Elisa Juarez, Aviva Rappaport, Hana Tasic, Tyler Vaivada, Jannah Wigle, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta Aug 2020

Drivers Of Stunting Reduction In Peru: A Country Case Study, Luis Huicho, Elisa Vidal-Cárdenas, Nadia Akseer, Samanpreet Brar, Kaitlin Conway, Muhammad Islam, Elisa Juarez, Aviva Rappaport, Hana Tasic, Tyler Vaivada, Jannah Wigle, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Background: Peru reduced its under-5 child stunting prevalence notably from 31.3% in 2000 to 13.1% in 2016.
Objectives: We aimed to study factors and key enablers of child stunting reduction in Peru from 2000-2016.
Methods: Demographic and Health Surveys were used to conduct descriptive analyses [height-for-age z scores (HAZ) means and distributions, equity analysis, predicted child growth curves through polynomial regressions] and advanced regression analyses. An ecological (at department level) multilevel regression analysis was conducted to identify the major predictors of stunting decline from 2000 to 2016, and Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition was conducted to identify the relative contribution of each factor …


Stunting In Childhood: An Overview Of Global Burden, Trends, Determinants, And Drivers Of Decline, Tyler Vaivada, Nadia Akseer, Selai Akseer, Ahalya Somaskandan, Marianne Stefopulos, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta Aug 2020

Stunting In Childhood: An Overview Of Global Burden, Trends, Determinants, And Drivers Of Decline, Tyler Vaivada, Nadia Akseer, Selai Akseer, Ahalya Somaskandan, Marianne Stefopulos, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Background: Progress has been made worldwide in reducing chronic undernutrition and rates of linear growth stunting in children under 5 y of age, although rates still remain high in many regions. Policies, programs, and interventions supporting maternal and child health and nutrition have the potential to improve child growth and development.
Objective: This article synthesizes the available global evidence on the drivers of national declines in stunting prevalence and compares the relative effect of major drivers of stunting decline between countries.
Methods: We conducted a systematic review of published peer-reviewed and gray literature analyzing the relation between changes in key …


The Intertwined Relationship Between Malnutrition And Poverty, Faareha Siddiqui, Rehana Salam, Zohra S. Lassi, Jai K. Das Aug 2020

The Intertwined Relationship Between Malnutrition And Poverty, Faareha Siddiqui, Rehana Salam, Zohra S. Lassi, Jai K. Das

Woman and Child Health

Despite social and economic development, the burden of malnutrition across the globe remains unacceptably high. A vital relationship exists between nutritional status, human capital, and economic standing. Malnutrition adversely affects the physiological and mental capacity of individuals; which in turn hampers productivity levels, making them and their respective countries more susceptible to poverty. A two-way link exists between malnutrition and poverty, creating a vicious cycle with each fueling the other. Malnutrition produces conditions of poverty by reducing the economic potential of the population and likewise, poverty reinforces malnutrition by increasing the risk of food insecurity. The aim of the paper …


Correction To: Epidemiology Of Patients Presenting To A Pediatric Emergency Department In Karachi, Pakistan, Nadir Ijaz, Matthew Strehlow, N Ewen Wang, Elizabeth Pirrotta, Areeba Tariq, Naseeruddin Mahmood, Swaminatha Mahadevan Aug 2020

Correction To: Epidemiology Of Patients Presenting To A Pediatric Emergency Department In Karachi, Pakistan, Nadir Ijaz, Matthew Strehlow, N Ewen Wang, Elizabeth Pirrotta, Areeba Tariq, Naseeruddin Mahmood, Swaminatha Mahadevan

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

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


The Community-Level Interventions For Pre-Eclampsia (Clip) Cluster Randomised Trials In Mozambique, Pakistan, And India: An Individual Participant-Level Meta-Analysis, Peter Von Dadelszen, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Sumedha Sharma, Jeffrey Bone, Joel Singer, Hubert Wong, Mrutyunjaya B. Bellad, Shivaprasad S. Goudar, Tang Lee, Rahat Qureshi, Clip Trials Working Group Aug 2020

The Community-Level Interventions For Pre-Eclampsia (Clip) Cluster Randomised Trials In Mozambique, Pakistan, And India: An Individual Participant-Level Meta-Analysis, Peter Von Dadelszen, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Sumedha Sharma, Jeffrey Bone, Joel Singer, Hubert Wong, Mrutyunjaya B. Bellad, Shivaprasad S. Goudar, Tang Lee, Rahat Qureshi, Clip Trials Working Group

Woman and Child Health

Background: To overcome the three delays in triage, transport and treatment that underlie adverse pregnancy outcomes, we aimed to reduce all-cause adverse outcomes with community-level interventions targeting women with pregnancy hypertension in three low-income countries.
Methods: In this individual participant-level meta-analysis, we de-identified and pooled data from the Community-Level Interventions for Pre-eclampsia (CLIP) cluster randomised controlled trials in Mozambique, Pakistan, and India, which were run in 2014-17. Consenting pregnant women, aged 12-49 years, were recruited in their homes. Clusters, defined by local administrative units, were randomly assigned (1:1) to intervention or control groups. The control groups continued local standard of …


Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Versus Additional Diagnostic Mammographic Views For The Evaluation Of Asymmetric Mammographic Densities, Hira Waheed, Imrana Masroor, Shaista Afzal Saeed, Muhammad Ismail Alvi, Syed Jahanzeb Aug 2020

Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Versus Additional Diagnostic Mammographic Views For The Evaluation Of Asymmetric Mammographic Densities, Hira Waheed, Imrana Masroor, Shaista Afzal Saeed, Muhammad Ismail Alvi, Syed Jahanzeb

Department of Radiology

Introduction: Many young females present with an advanced stage of breast cancer, which has a negative effect on the prognosis. Digital breast tomosynthesis is a new emerging imaging technique that aids in improving the specificity of mammography with subsequent early detection of breast cancer, especially in women with radiographically dense breasts. Tomosynthesis is subjectively preferred to conventional mammography and may offer superior diagnostic accuracy for the evaluation of breast lesions.
Method: Two breast radiologists retrospectively reviewed asymmetric densities using protocols that were institutional review board-approved in 185 patients aged 18 - 70 years (mean: 48 years) who underwent diagnostic mammography …


Role Of Oxidative Stress And Altered Thyroid Hormones In Unexplained Infertility, Rehana Rehman, Hiba Ismail Rajpar, Mussarat Ashraf, Najeeha Talat Iqbal, Salima Lalani, Faiza Alam Aug 2020

Role Of Oxidative Stress And Altered Thyroid Hormones In Unexplained Infertility, Rehana Rehman, Hiba Ismail Rajpar, Mussarat Ashraf, Najeeha Talat Iqbal, Salima Lalani, Faiza Alam

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objective: To explore the link between altered thyroid profile and oxidative stress marker in females with unexplained infertility.
Methods: The cross-sectional case-control study was carried out at the Islamabad Clinic Serving Infertile Couples, Islamabad, Pakistan, from June 2016 to August 2017, and comprised women aged 18-40 years regardless of ethnic background who were divided into two groups; those with unexplained infertility were the cases, while fertile women acted as the controls. Serum was analysed for triiodothyronine, thyroxine and thyroid stimulating hormone as well as for oxidative stress markers including manganese superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase and adrenaline using enzymelinked immunosorbent assay. …


Assessing Mobile Phone Access, Usage, And Willingness Among Women To Receive Voice Message-Based Mobile Health Intervention To Improve Antenatal Care Attendance In District Thatta, Sindh, Pakistan, Anam Shahil Feroz, Naureen Akber Ali, Sarah Saleem Jul 2020

Assessing Mobile Phone Access, Usage, And Willingness Among Women To Receive Voice Message-Based Mobile Health Intervention To Improve Antenatal Care Attendance In District Thatta, Sindh, Pakistan, Anam Shahil Feroz, Naureen Akber Ali, Sarah Saleem

Community Health Sciences

Background: Pakistan has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios worldwide at 276/100,000 live births and only 51% percent of women receive four or more ANC visits. This means that there are missed opportunities for almost half of the women who were not able to seek the recommended antenatal visits. In Thatta district, the maternal mortality ratio is estimated at 313/100,000 live births. Various studies reported that mHealth interventions have proven to be effective to improve antenatal care and postnatal care services. However, the feasibility and effectiveness of mobile health interventions to increase uptake of preventive maternal healthcare services among …


Food Supplements To Reduce Stunting In Pakistan: A Process Evaluation Of Community Dynamics Shaping Uptake, Shehla Zaidi, Jai K. Das, Gul Nawaz Khan, Rabia Najmi Taha, Mashal Murad Shah, Sajid Bashir Soofi Jul 2020

Food Supplements To Reduce Stunting In Pakistan: A Process Evaluation Of Community Dynamics Shaping Uptake, Shehla Zaidi, Jai K. Das, Gul Nawaz Khan, Rabia Najmi Taha, Mashal Murad Shah, Sajid Bashir Soofi

Community Health Sciences

Background: There is an increasing interest in use of food supplements to prevent childhood stunting, however the evidence on the process indicators is scarce. We in this study explore the barriers to the effective implementation of food supplementation programs and the possible mitigation strategies which can guide the design of future programs.
Methods: We undertook a process evaluation of a stunting prevention food supplementation pilot program in rural Pakistan that distributed Wheat Soy Blend (WSB) to pregnant & lactating women, and Lipid-based Nutrient Supplement (LNS) and micronutrient powder (MNP) to < 5 years children. We used a mixed methods approach through a quantitative survey of 800 households and conducted 18 focused group discussion (FGDs) (with male and female caregivers), 4 FGDs (with Community Health Workers (CHWs)) and 22 key informant interviews (with district stakeholders) to evaluate the community side factors affecting uptake through five parameters: value, acceptability, receipt of supplement, usage and correct dosage.
Results: The findings show that proportionately few beneficiaries consumed the …