Maternal and Child Health Commons^™

A Comparative Analysis Of Adolescent Pregnancy Patient Outcomes In The United States And United Kingdom Healthcare Systems, Liza Hopper

Senior Theses

Individuals all across the world should have equal access to healthcare. However, one’s ability to receive and afford quality care differs between countries. Comparing the differences in healthcare structures in both the UK and the US provides great insight into how certain welfare models affect patient outcomes. In this project, I discuss the functionality of the healthcare systems in the UK and the US. Then, by delving into how they relate to adolescent pregnancy patient outcomes, one can compare how the healthcare policies relate to the patient outcomes of a vulnerable population group. In both countries, adolescent mothers, those who …

New Insights Into The Neuraminidase-Mediated Hemagglutination Activity Of Influenza A(H3n2) Viruses, Rongyuan Gao, Philippe Noriel Q Pascua, Ha T Nguyen, Anton Chesnokov, Chloe Champion, Vasiliy P Mishin, Dave E Wentworth, Larisa V Gubareva

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Influenza virus neuraminidase (NA) can act as a receptor-binding protein, a role commonly attributed to hemagglutinin (HA). In influenza A(H3N2) viruses, three NA amino acid residues have previously been associated with NA-mediated hemagglutination: T148, D151, and more recently, H150. These residues are part of the 150-loop of the NA monomer. Substitutions at 148 and 151 arise from virus propagation in laboratory cell cultures, whereas changes at 150 occurred during virus evolution in the human host. In this study, we examined the effect of natural amino acid polymorphism at position 150 on NA-mediated hemagglutination. Using the A/Puerto Rico/8/34 backbone, we generated …

Quality Of Nutritional Care During Pregnancy: Folic Acid And Vitamin D Supplementation, Isabel Omaña-Guzmán, Monica Ancira-Moreno, Cecilia Pérez-Navarro, Sonia Hernández-Cordero, Soraya Burrola Méndez, Eric Monterrubio-Flores, Arturo Bautista Morales, Omar Acosta Ruiz, Constanza Bernat, Belén Sánchez,, Ariana Cajero

Research Symposium

Backgrounds: Folic acid (FA) and vitamin D supplementation is recommended during pregnancy. Quality nutritional care during pregnancy should include the supplementation of these vitamins. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the quality of nutritional care regarding supplementation during pregnancy in primary health care units in six states of Mexico (Estado de México, Oaxaca, Yucatán, Chihuahua, Veracruz and Chiapas).

Methods: A mixed study was conducted. An indicator (formed by two sub-indicators) to assess the quality of nutritional care focused on FA and vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy was developed and validated. To assess the quality of care, a …

One Size Doesn’T Fit All: Attitudes Towards Work Modify The Relation Between Parental Leave Length And Postpartum Depression, Christine Y. Chang, Sabrina R. Liu, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between parental leave length and maternal depressive symptoms at six- and twelve-months postpartum and whether this relation was influenced by women’s attitudes towards leave, whether leave was paid or unpaid, and the reason they returned to work. The sample included 115 working women recruited during pregnancy as part of a larger longitudinal study. Analyses revealed that maternal attitudes toward leave influenced the association between leave length and depressive symptoms. Specifically, longer leaves were associated with increased depressive symptoms for women who missed their previous activities at work. Furthermore, women who missed work …

Nutrition-Related Experiences Of Women With Perinatal Depression During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study, Dahlia Stott, Cynthia Klobodu, Lisa A. Chiarello, Bobbie Posmontier, Mona Egohail, Pamela A. Geller, June Andrews Horowitz, Brandy-Joe Milliron

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

Women with perinatal depression are at a high risk for unhealthy dietary behaviors but whether the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exacerbated this risk is unknown. Here we report the findings of a qualitative study exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nutrition-related experiences of women with perinatal depression. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with 18 women with a history of perinatal depression and 10 healthcare providers. A semistructured format elicited how food and nutrition-related behaviors of women with perinatal depression were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thematic analysis identified 4 themes related to …

A Pre-Medical Student’S Reconciliation Of Feminist Narratives Regarding Women’S Health: A Consideration Of Perspectives On Childbirth In The U.S., Laura Clayton

sprinkle: an undergraduate journal of feminist and queer studies

Many feminists argue that one major negative aspect of reproductive healthcare in the U.S. is the common over-medicalization of women during childbirth, including potentially unnecessary procedures such as cesarean-section and episiotomy. As a solution, they advocate for increased involvement of midwives in childbirth practices, as midwives allow women to give birth at home with minimal medical intervention. This paper analyzes the benefits of midwifery as well as the current increased risk associated with homebirth in the U.S. Additionally, it questions the damaging stigma associated with assumptions of cesarean-section as a suboptimal outcome. A false dichotomy has developed in our culture …

Effects Of In Utero Etoh Exposure On 18s Ribosomal Rna Processing: Contribution To Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Nune Darbinian, Gary L Gallia, Armine Darbinyan, Ekaterina Vadachkoria, Nana Merabova, Amos Moore, Laura Goetzl, Shohreh Amini, Michael E Selzer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are leading causes of neurodevelopmental disability. The mechanisms by which alcohol (EtOH) disrupts fetal brain development are incompletely understood, as are the genetic factors that modify individual vulnerability. Because the phenotype abnormalities of FASD are so varied and widespread, we investigated whether fetal exposure to EtOH disrupts ribosome biogenesis and the processing of pre-ribosomal RNAs and ribosome assembly, by determining the effect of exposure to EtOH on the developmental expression of 18S rRNA and its cleaved forms, members of a novel class of short non-coding RNAs (srRNAs). In vitro neuronal cultures and fetal brains (11–22 …

Nevada Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program: 2023 Blood Lead Testing And Response Plan, Erika R. Marquez, Natascha Kotte, Amanda Louise Haboush, Jelsy A. Cadenas-Santos

Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy Reports

Childhood lead poisoning is one of the most preventable environmental health hazards in history. While childhood lead poisoning rates have decreased substantially since the 1970s, mounting evidence suggests that chronic, low-level exposure in early childhood can have long-lasting impacts on children. In Nevada, there are over 218,000 children under the age of 6 but only 3% are tested for lead – making Nevada one of the lowest testing states in the United States (U.S.).

The Nevada Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (NvCLPPP) staff and Advisory Committee hope that stakeholders use this blood lead testing plan as guidance to prevent and …

Antiviral Susceptibility Of Clade 2344b Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5n1) Viruses Isolated From Birds And Mammals In The United States, 2022, Ha T Nguyen, Anton Chesnokov, Juan De La Cruz, Philippe Noriel Q Pascua, Vasiliy P Mishin, Yunho Jang, Joyce Jones, Han Di, Andrei A Ivashchenko, Mary Lea Killian, Mia K Torchetti, Kristina Lantz, David E Wentworth, Charles T Davis, Alexandre V Ivachtchenko, Larisa V Gubareva

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Clade 2.3.4.4b highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) viruses that are responsible for devastating outbreaks in birds and mammals pose a potential threat to public health. Here, we evaluated their susceptibility to influenza antivirals. Of 1,015 sequences of HPAI A(H5N1) viruses collected in the United States during 2022, eight viruses (∼0.8%) had a molecular marker of drug resistance to an FDA-approved antiviral: three adamantane-resistant (M2-V27A), four oseltamivir-resistant (NA-H275Y), and one baloxavir-resistant (PA-I38T). Additionally, 31 viruses contained mutations that may reduce susceptibility to inhibitors of neuraminidase (NA) (n = 20) or cap-dependent endonuclease (CEN) (n = 11). A panel of 22 …

Bioaccumulation Of Non-Essential Trace Elements Detected In Women's Follicular Fluid, Urine, And Plasma Is Associated With Poor Reproductive Outcomes Following Single Euploid Embryo Transfer: A Pilot Study, Andrea Palomar, Roberto Gonzalez-Martin, Alicia Quiñonero, Nuria Pellicer, Rocio Fernandez-Saavedra, Isabel Rucandio, Rodolfo Fernandez-Martinez, Estefania Conde-Vilda, Alberto J. Quejido, Caroline Zuckerman, Christine Whitehead, Richard T. Scott, Francisco Dominguez

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

This study aims to determine the association of non-essential trace elements present in follicular fluid, plasma, and urine with reproductive outcomes of women undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A) and single frozen euploid embryo transfer (SET/FET). This single-center, prospective cohort study included sixty women undergoing ICSI with PGT-A and SET/FET between 2018 and 2019. Urine, plasma and follicular fluid samples were collected on the vaginal oocyte retrieval day to simultaneously quantify ten non-essential trace elements (i.e., Ba, Sr, Rb, Sn, Ti, Pb, Cd, Hg, Sb, and As). We found several associations between the levels of …

Prenatal Exposure To Maternal Mood Entropy Is Associated With A Weakened And Inflexible Salience Network In Adolescence, Robert J. Jirsaraie, Anton M. Palma, Steven L. Small, Curt A. Sandman, Elysia Poggi Davis, Tallie Z. Baram, Hal S. Stern, Laura M. Glynn, Michael A. Yassa

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Methods

A Mixed Methods Approach To Understanding The Links Between Mining, Climate Change And Selected Health Outcomes In India, Mary J. Cheruvillil

Dissertations and Theses

Despite ample evidence of the significant role that mining activities play in determining health outcomes, in India there is a dearth of comprehensive health studies that draw linkages between mining and health. The purpose of the following study is to investigate the impact of mining activities on population health in India using three different methods: ecological multivariable regression, exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) and content analysis of government documents using a phenomenological approach. The first aim uses the ecological multivariable regression to examine associations between mining activities and children’s malnutrition outcomes at the district level. Census data, the Demographic Health …

Chronic Lower Back Pain Among Women In India: Evidence-Based Approach To Risk Factors And Interventions, Aelita Matosova

Master's Projects and Capstones

Chronic lower back pain (CLBP) is a prevalent issue worldwide, affecting about 1.71 billion people, with a significant proportion being women. CLBP is a major health concern in India, particularly among women, which were 80% reported experiencing this condition. Several factors, such as personal beliefs, sociocultural norms, restricted healthcare access, repetitive movements, and psychological aspects, contribute to this high prevalence leading to severe health and economic implications, including reduced work productivity and income. Although there have been several reports on prevalence and risk factors of CLBP, to our knowledge, there has not been enough work focusing on evidence-based interventions to …

Understanding The Compositional And Contextual Factors Influencing Maternal Health Experiences And Outcomes, Tambudzai P. Ndashe

Theses & Dissertations

Despite being preventable, adverse maternal health outcomes continue to be a problem in the United States, which fares worse at preventing these issues than other industrialized nations. Although our understanding of the factors that play a role in the etiology of adverse maternal health outcomes has improved over time, there is still a lot left to understand regarding the role of contextual factors, the upward trajectory of outcomes such as severe maternal morbidity (SMM), and the disproportionate impact of adverse maternal health outcomes on non-Hispanic Black women. This thesis attempted to evaluate the factors that influence procedure-related severe maternal morbidity …

‘Safe Couch, Safe House’ Program (Scshp): Reducing Exposure To Toxic Flame Retardants For Children In A Low-Income Public Housing At Hunters View, Bayview-Hunters Point, San Francisco., Aliza Khan

Master's Projects and Capstones

Since the 1970s, flame retardants have been used extensively in consumer goods, including furniture, textile, and electronics, to meet California’s flammability standards. (Gibson et al.,2019) Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs), once the most widely used flame retardants being used in consumer products, were phased out from use in manufacturing as evidence emerged about PBDEs persistence and toxicity. (Hoffman et al.,2017) PBDEs were replaced by Organophosphate Flame Retardants (OPFRs), which has proven to be a case of ‘regrettable substitution’ as exposure to OPFRs is ubiquitous and pervasive in humans due to their volatility and propensity to leach from products into the environment. …

Women’S Health Occupational Therapy And Quality Of Life As Related To Pregnancy-Induced Dysfunction, Megan Ramirez, Lisa Griggs-Stapleton, Jemila Medley

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The following project explored the understanding of Urinary Incontinence (UI) by those experiencing the condition. An educational website was created to assist with the education of those experiencing UI while pregnant. The website was made available to the public via links and social media.

A Call To Action: Person-Centered Care Aligned With Reproductive Justice For Incarcerated Pregnant People With Substance Use Disorder, Essence Hairston, Aunchalee El Palmquist, Andrea K. Knittel, Kevin Mensah-Biney, Crystal M. Hayes, Amelia Mack, Hendrée E. Jones

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Although research has proven that jails and prisons are ineffective in preventing or reducing substance use among pregnant people, the USA continues to rely heavily on the criminal legal system as its intervention. Pregnant people with an opioid use disorder are more likely to experience incarceration than pregnant people without an opioid use disorder. In some states, pregnant people are transported from jail to prison through the process of safekeeping in order to receive physical or mental health care that the jail does not provide, despite conviction status. When pregnant and postpartum safekeepers with an opioid use disorder experience incarceration, …

The Relationship Between Congenital Heart Disease And Infant Mortality In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: A Comprehensive Literature Review, Helen Nneoma Odo

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Congenital heart diseases (CHD) are conditions that are present at birth and can affect the structure of an infant’s heart and the way it works. Millions of children are born each year with congenital heart disease yet screening for CHD is not practiced in Low- and Middle-income countries (LMICs). Studies on access to healthcare for infants with congenital heart disease have not kept pace. This literature review centers on the role of congenital heart disease in infant mortality, its burden, incidence and prevalence in LMICs. The databases of PubMed, Google Scholar and Embase were searched and the selected articles for …

The Incidence And Modifiable Risk Factors For Necrotizing Enterocolitis Inpreterm Infants A Retrospective Cohort Study, Kelvin Gitau, Roseline Ochieng, Mary Limbe, Caroline Kathomi, James Orwa

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Objectives: To evaluate the incidence and modifiable risk factors for Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants born at ≤32 weeks of gestation weighing <1500 grams, at a private tertiary care hospital in Kenya.

Materials and methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Preterm infants born at ≤ 32 weeks’ gestation and weighing <1500 grams admitted to NICU between 2009 and 2019, were recruited into the study. The primary outcome was NEC Bell Stage IIa-IIIb based on Modified Bell’s criteria. Maternal and neonatal characteristics were evaluated. The association between variables of interest and NEC was determined using logistic regression analysis and the incidence of NEC for the study period was calculated.

Results: A total of 261 charts of infants born at ≤ 32 weeks’ gestation, weighing <1500 were reviewed, and 200 charts met the inclusion criteria. Fifteen preterm infants developed the primary outcome of interest: NEC Stage ≥2a within the first 30 days of admission. The overall incidence of NEC for the study period was 7.5%. Three risk factors were identified as significantly associated with NEC on multivariate logistic regression analysis: antenatal exposure to steroids (OR = 0.056 CI = 0.003-0.964 p = 0.047), cumulative duration of exposure to invasive mechanical ventilation (OR = 2.172 CI = 1.242-3.799 p = 0.007) and cumulative duration of exposure to umbilical vein catheter (OR = 1.344 CI = 1.08-1.672 p = 0.008).

Conclusions: The overall incidence for the study period of NEC Stage ≥ II a was 7.5%. Exposure to antenatal steroids, duration of mechanical ventilation, and duration of umbilical vein catheterization were …

Recent Trends In Term Trial Of Labor After Cesarean By Number Of Prior Cesarean Deliveries, Beth L Pineles, Cara M Buskmiller, Emma J Qureshey, Angela J Stephens, Baha M Sibai

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Cesarean delivery is a major source of maternal morbidity, and repeat cesarean delivery accounts for 40% of cesarean delivery, but recent data on the trial of labor after cesarean and vaginal birth after cesarean are limited.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to report the national rates of trial of labor after cesarean and vaginal birth after cesarean by number of previous cesarean deliveries and examine the effect of demographic and clinical characteristics on these rates.

STUDY DESIGN: This was a population-based cohort study using the US natality data files. The study sample was restricted to 4,135,247 nonanomalous singleton, cephalic deliveries …