Maternal and Child Health Commons^™

Impact Of Pathogenic E. Coli In Drinking Water On The Well-Being Of Children, Aysha Khatoon

CBER Conference

Despite global advancements, unsafe drinking water is a major cause of illness, ranked as the eighth highest worldwide (Forouzanfar et al., 2015). Studies indicate that even improved water sources, can harbour faecal contamination (Shaheed et al., 2014; Bain et al., 2014b). Globally, 1.8 billion people rely on drinking water contaminated with faecal matter (Bain et al., 2014a), with pathogenic E. coli being a primary concern. In Pakistan, the situation is dire. About 25 million people, particularly children, suffer due to open defecation, leading to 53,000 child deaths annually from diarrhoea (UNICEF, 2021). Pathogenic E. coli is a significant contributor to …

Disparities In The Pregnancy Experience: A Multi-Case Analysis, Tiffany C. Thomas, Lindsay Gietzen

Pacific Journal of Health

Racial disparities in maternal healthcare continue to be a significant issue, with Black women experiencing worse outcomes compared to White women. Despite improvements in healthcare, Black women are still 2.5 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes, and they face higher rates of preterm births, low birth weight, and insufficient prenatal care. This paper examines the experiences of three African American women from high socioeconomic backgrounds, focusing on where these negative experiences are most common throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal care. The study uses the Pregnancy and Maternity Care Patients' Experiences Questionnaire (PreMaPEQ) to explore different stages of care, …

Amniotic Fluid-Derived Stem Cells: Potential Factories Of Natural And Mimetic Strategies For Congenital Malformations, Cristiane S R Fonteles, Julia Enterria-Rosales, Ying Lin, John W Steele, Ramiro A Villarreal-Leal, Jing Xiao, Daniel I Idowu, Beck Burgelin, Bogdan J Wlodarczyk, Richard H Finnell, Bruna Corradetti

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from gestational tissues offer a promising avenue for prenatal intervention in congenital malformations although their application is hampered by concerns related to cellular plasticity and the need for invasive, high-risk surgical procedures. Here, we present naturally occurring exosomes (EXOs) isolated from amniotic fluid-derived MSCs (AF-MSCs) and their mimetic analogs (MIMs) as viable, reproducible, and stable alternatives. These nanovesicles present a minimally invasive therapeutic option, addressing the limitations of MSC-based treatments while retaining therapeutic efficacy.

METHODS: MIMs were generated from AF-MSCs by combining sequential filtration steps through filter membranes with different porosity and size exclusion …

Accuracy In Measurement Of Infant Formula Powder And Water With And Without A Crying Baby Present, Richard R. Rosenkranz, Chris Acosta, Ana Gonzalez-Alvarez, Andrew Hooyman, Jose R. Hidalgo, Romina Ballasteros-Paniagua, Sara K. Rosenkranz

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

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Infant formula provides a safe, nutritious alternative to breastfeeding but caregivers may use unsanitary methods or make substantial errors with formula dilution and jeopardize infant health.1 Underdiluting formula can result in health problems, such as hypernatremic dehydration, gastroenteritis, other digestive problems, or long-term excess weight gain.2 Overdiluting infant formula, sometimes used to reduce expense by low-income caregivers,2 can also lead to serious health problems for babies, including diarrhea, water intoxication, nutrient deficiencies, malnutrition, and even death.2,3

Previous studies have assessed common measurement inaccuracy of infant formula preparations in relation to bottle characteristics, package instructions, caregiver experience, and target amount, …

Screensafefuture: A Parent-Empathetic And Pragmatic Mhealth Application For Toddlers' Brain Development Addressing Screen-Addiction Challenges, Nafisa Anjum, Md. Mehedi Hasan, Syeda Umme Salma, Liang Zhao, Maria Valero, Nazmus Sakib

Faculty Articles

The surging incidents of infants and toddlers screen addiction in the United States are becoming a pressing concern, given its compound impact on cognitive, mental, and physical growth. To address this era's critical child health and development problem, in this paper an innovative mHealth application—ScreenSafeFuture—is proposed. ScreenSafeFuture provides practical solutions that seamlessly fit into parents' busy lifestyles, acknowledging the effectiveness and convenience of smartphones as a healthcare tool. The solution includes essential features designed to enhance the experience between parents and their children under 3 years old encompassing an alternative activity advocator for a personalized parent-offspring scenario, screen time tracking …

Determining An Optimal Case Definition Using Mid-Upper Arm Circumference With Or Without Weight For Age To Identify Childhood Wasting In The Philippines, Lyle Daryll Dimaano Casas, Jhanna Uy, Eldridge Ferrer, Charmaine Duante, Paluku Bahwere, Rene Gerard Galera, Alice Nkoroi, Behzad Noubary, Mueni Mutunga, Sanele Nkomani, Roland Kupka, Valerie Gilbert Ulep

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

In resource-limited areas, where accurate weight-for-height Z-scores are hard to obtain, Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) is a simple tool to identify wasted children. MUAC alone, however, may miss identification of many wasted children, leading to untimely intervention and potentially death. Our study aimed to identify the best-performing case definition to detect wasting by Weight-for-Height z-scores (WHZ) in Filipino children aged 6-59 months. We analyzed the 2018-2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey to assess the diagnostic performance of MUAC cutoffs and a case definition combining MUAC and weight-for-age z-score (WAZ) in identifying moderate and severe wasting compared to the WHZ criterion. The …

Parenting With Grace, Eva Nelson Cole

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Parents are often caught off guard by the upheaval of adding children to their lives. Feelings of guilt, shame, isolation, and depression can arise when parents are faced with the demands and stressors that come along with having children. Studies have shown that children who have distressed parents endure lasting negative outcomes that can extend into the primary school years (Mihelic et al., 2018). Educating parents and giving them some awareness about what to expect can make a real difference. To have these conversations, I created a two-part parenting workshop for new parents at Parents’ Place in Pacific Grove, CA. …

Addressing The Public Health Concern Of Maternal Mortality In Houston, Texas, Lucy Couture

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Maternal mortality remains a pressing public health concern in the United States, with disproportionate consequences for marginalized communities. Despite being a developed nation, the U.S. reports one of the highest maternal mortality rates among its peers, with approximately 80% of maternal deaths deemed preventable. Texas reflects this national crisis, particularly affecting Black women, whose maternal mortality rate is significantly higher than that of other racial and ethnic groups. This thesis explores maternal mortality trends in Houston, Texas, analyzing the roles of systemic inequities, social determinants of health, and disparities in access to quality care. Drawing on data from the Texas …

Effectiveness Of Enhanced Care For Treatment Of Acute Or Persistent Diarrhea In Malnourished Children Aged 0 Months To 10 Years: A Systematic Review, Ridwa Alam, Khadija Vadsaria, Ahmad Khan, Uswa Jiwani, Aqsa Ishaq, Anmol Minaz, Ashraf Sharif, Jai K. Das, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Shabina Ariff

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Background: Diarrhea poses a significant public health challenge, particularly affecting children under five. The link between malnutrition and diarrhea is well established, with diarrhea being a primary cause of malnutrition in young children and malnutrition exacerbating the severity of diarrhea. While the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a comprehensive approach to both diarrhea and malnutrition management, including oral rehydration, continuous feeding, zinc supplementation, and antibiotics for specific strains, it does not adequately address the complex needs of malnourished children with diarrhea who may benefit from enhanced care in the form of follow-up and monitoring beyond initial treatment. We aimed to …

Promoting Adolescent Mental And Physical Health: Initiatives Focused On Connecting Public Health And Social Services To The Health Sector In Nebraska, Theresa Nguyen

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

This capstone focuses on the second recommendation of improving access to comprehensive, coordinated health services from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report The Promise of Adolescence: Realizing Opportunity for All Youth (2019). This proposal uses secondary data from the research project, Moving Evidence-Based Recommendations to Practice to Strengthen the Health Care System in Nebraska. Key stakeholders (n=28) were interviewed from the health care, public health, social services, and policy sectors. Each subject was asked to participate in a semi-structured interview by a trained interviewer. The interview was 1 hour long and conducted via phone call or Zoom. …

Faktor Kontributor Prevalensi Stunting: Studi Kasus Jawa Timur Tahun 2022, Sofiyulloh Sofiyulloh, Martya Rahmaniati

Jurnal Biostatistik, Kependudukan, dan Informatika Kesehatan

Malnutrisi, termasuk stunting, masih menjadi masalah kesehatan yang mempengaruhi kemajuan pembangunan berkelanjutan. Stunting, akibat kekurangan gizi berkepanjangan dan infeksi berulang, menghambat pertumbuhan anak. Di Indonesia, prevalensi stunting pada tahun 2022 adalah 21,6% dan masih belum mencapai target. Dan Jawa timur, angka stunting di 2022 adalah 19,2%, mendekati angka nasional pun masih belum mencapai target. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengidentifikasi faktor-faktor yang berkontribusi terhadap stunting di Jawa Timur, dengan fokus pada faktor soial ekonomi dan kesehatan. Data sekunder dari Kementerian Kesehatan, dan Dinas Kesehatan Jawa Timur dianalisis menggunakan uji korelasi. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa Indeks Pembangunan Manusia (IPM) dan rata-rata lama sekolah memiliki …

Dietary Diversity As A Dominant Factor Of Energy Intake Among Breastfeeding Mothers In Depok City, Indonesia, Cornelia Lugita Santoso, Ratu Ayu Dewi Sartika, Sandra Fikawati, Fadila Wirawan, Primasti Nuryandari Putri, Nurul Husna Mohd Shukri

Kesmas

Maternal nutritional needs increase during lactation. However, the energy intake of breastfeeding mothers usually still falls short of the recommended adequacy levels. This study aimed to identify the dominant factor of energy intake in breastfeeding mothers in Sawangan District, Depok City, Indonesia. This quantitative study used a cross-sectional design from July 2022 to February 2023. Energy intake, dietary diversity, and eating frequency were collected using 24-hour food recall. Other variables were collected through interviews with structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using the Chi-square test and binary logistic regression. A total of 217 breastfeeding mothers participated in this study. This study …

An Exploratory Qualitative Study Of Perinatal Experiences In An Acute Setting During Early Phases Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sharon Hoosein, Pamela Winchester, Stephanie Babinski, Naomi Smith, Payalben Bhavsar, Susan Law

Patient Experience Journal

The COVID-19 pandemic was highly disruptive for people delivering babies in-hospital and for obstetrical healthcare professionals. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of people with or without COVID-19 giving birth in a community-based hospital to provide patient insight to obstetrical care providers regarding the services/policies used during the pandemic. Nine interviews were conducted with participants within six months of giving birth in-hospital – four who tested positive for COVID-19 and five who tested negative. Seven themes were identified in the analysis: conflicting emotions; experiences of COVID-related protocols; altered experiences of pregnancy and birth; other aspects of …

Co-Developing A Paediatric Patient Reported Experience Measure: The Perspectives Of Children And Young People, Karlen R. Barr, Jessica Nikolovski, Les White, Sarah Elliott, Lynn Mccartney, Claire Treadgold, Barb Vernon, James R. John, Valsamma Eapen

Patient Experience Journal

NOTE: A minor correction was made to this article. It was revised on August 6, 2025.

Paediatric Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) are tools that capture what children and young people (CYP) value in their healthcare and promote their involvement in clinical decision-making. A standardised paediatric PREM could improve quality of care for CYP across hospital settings, but CYP are rarely included in the development of PREMs. This study aimed to explore CYP's perspectives regarding their experiences of hospitals as the initial stage of developing the first self-reported paediatric PREM for use in Australia, including the perspectives of vulnerable populations. …

Unmeasured Confounding In Summary Estimates Of Maternal Periodontitis And Adverse Birth Outcomes: Meta-Analyses Of Observational Studies, May Salama, Abdullah Al-Taiar, Denise Mickenny

Graduate Student Government Association Research Conference

Abstract

Importance Maternal periodontitis has been consistently linked to adverse birth outcomes. However, a causal relationship is not established due to potential unmeasured confounding factors in observational studies and inconclusive results from randomized controlled trials.

Objective To assess the impact of unmeasured confounding factors in meta-analyses examining associations between maternal periodontal disease and preterm birth or low birth weight.

Data Sources PubMed/Medline, the Cochrane database for systematic reviews, Embase, Google Scholar, and a manual search of the reported references between 2002 and 2023.

Study Selection Systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies were included if either preterm birth or low …

Community Perspectives Of Heat And Weather Warnings For Pregnant And Postpartum Women In Kilifi, Kenya, Adelaide Lusambili, Veronique Filippi, Britt Nakstad, Julian Natukunda, Cathryn Birch, John Marsham, Nathalie Roos, Peter Khaemba, Sari Kovats

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Background: Extreme weather is a recognised risk factor for stillbirth and preterm birth, disrupts women’s access to healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth, and negatively affects the care of newborns. Reliable and accessible heat and weather warning systems are key in alerting individuals to undertake protective measures. There is a notable gap in understanding how women and caregivers in rural East Africa perceive and utilize weather information. We investigated community members’ heat and weather warning information-seeking behaviour, identified available sources, assessed their reliability and utility, and examined their influence on behaviour.

Settings: Our research was conducted in rural Kilifi County in …

Demographic Characteristics, Perinatal Smoking Patterns, And Risk For Neonatal Health Complications Among Pregnant Smokers In The United States Who Begin Using Electronic Cigarettes During Pregnancy: A Descriptive Study Using Population-Based Surveillance Data., Hui Nian, Rachel Odland, Samantha Mindlin, Lin Ammar, Hilary Tindle, Angela M Miller, Kelli K Ryckman, Ethan Xie, Tina V Hartert, Brittney M Snyder, Steven M Brunwasser, Pingsheng Wu

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

INTRODUCTION: Health agencies have called for research evaluating e-cigarette (EC) use in supporting prenatal smoking cessation. This study aimed to describe (1) the characteristics of smokers who begin using electronic cigarettes (ECs) during pregnancy, (2) how frequently smokers reduce or eliminate pre- and post-natal combustible cigarette (CC) use, and (3) the risk for neonatal health complications among smokers who initiate ECs during pregnancy.

AIMS AND METHODS: Pregnant women using CCs exclusively during prepregnancy, who participated in a U.S. surveillance study, were classified by their reported late-pregnancy smoking behavior as CC-exclusive users, EC initiators, or quitters. EC initiators were further subclassified …

Credentialing Care: Covid-19 And The Bureaucratization Of Doulas, Ellen Block, Julie Johnson Searcy, Angela N. Castañeda

Sociology Faculty Publications

Doulas in the United States offer embodied, informational, and continuous one-on-one care to birthing people. Doulas have historically sought certification to gain knowledge through training and to gain legitimacy for healthcare providers and clients. During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals required doulas to provide proof of certification. The COVID-19 pandemic, and the proliferation of state-sponsored doula programs, has sparked a shift in how doulas are viewed and regulated, enabling new forms of bureaucratic oversight and control. Based on participant observation, surveys, and semi-structured interviews, we examine the connection between certification and care including motivations doulas have for certification, the perceived value …

Barriers To Help-Seeking Behavior For Maternal Mental Health Disorders: Application Of The Health Belief Model, Tobi F. Oloyede, Joanne Chopak-Foss

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) have become a leading cause of maternal mortality due to suicide among women in the first year following pregnancy. Although the profile for new mothers who die by suicide is predominantly white, disparities exist between Black and White women in their seeking help for perinatal and/or post-natal mood disorders. For Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), there are differences in the perceptions of the benefits of seeking help for PMADs. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated maternal mental health disorders in the United States particularly for women who live in communities with limited access to …

93rd Annual Georgia Public Health Association Meeting And Conference Report, Jimmie H. Smith Jr, Angela Peden, Patrina L. Bowles

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

The 93^rd Annual Meeting and Conference of the Georgia Public Health Association (GPHA) was held in Jekyll Island, Georgia, at the Jekyll Island Convention Center, on May 3-5, 2023. The goal of the 2023 Georgia Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Conference was to assemble emerging public health professionals, current practitioners, academicians, governing entities, and community stakeholders for educational opportunities and networking to support the vision and mission of GPHA.

The theme for the 2023 Georgia Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Conference theme was selected by the GPHA Executive Board during a meeting in the early fall of …