Globally neonatal mortality accounts for 40% of under-five deaths. Participatory interventions where the local problems are addressed have been successful in some settings. The aim of this thesis was to describe challenges in perinatal health in a Vietnamese province, and to evaluate the effect of a facilitated intervention with local stakeholder groups that used a problem-solving approach to neonatal survival during three years. The NeoKIP trial (Neonatal Knowledge Into Practice, ISRCTN44599712) had a cluster-randomized design (44 intervention communes, 46 control). Laywomen facilitated Maternal-and-Newborn Health Groups (MNHGs) and used Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles to address perinatal health problems. Births and neonatal deaths were monitored. Interviews were performed in households of neonatal deaths and randomly selected live births. Use of health services was mapped. The primary healthcare staff’s knowledge on newborn care was assessed before and after the intervention. Neonatal mortality rate (NMR) was 16/1000 live births (variation 10 - 44/1000 between districts). Home deliveries accounted for one fifth of neonatal deaths, and health facilities with least deliveries had higher NMR. Main causes of death were prematurity/low birth-weight (37.8 %), intrapartum-related deaths (33.2 %) and infections (13.0 %). Annual NMR was 19.1, 19.0 and 11.6/1000 live births in intervention communes (18.0, 15.9 and 21.1 in control communes); adjusted OR 1.08 [0.66-1.77], 1.23 [0.75-2.01], and 0.51 [0.30-0.89], respectively. Women in intervention communes more frequently attended antenatal care, prepared for delivery and gave birth at institutions. Primary healthcare staff’s knowledge on newborn care increased slightly in intervention communes. This model of facilitation of local stakeholder groups using a perinatal problem-solving approach was successful and may be feasible to scale-up in other settings. / NeoKIP project in Vietnam

The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate pregnancy and childbirth in women with intellectual disability (ID), in Sweden, the health of their newborns and midwifery care for these women. Two register studies and two descriptive studies are included. Pregnancy and birth outcomes as well as data on the newborns’ health were examined by linking data from the National Patient Register and the Medical Birth Register (I-II). The women’s experience of pregnancy and delivery was investigated with repeated interviews (III). Midwives’ knowledge of, experience of and attitudes towards pregnancy and childbirth in women with ID were evaluated with questionnaires (IV). Mothers with ID were more often teenagers, smoked more during pregnancy and had more Caesarean Sections. Their children had a higher proportion of pre-term births, were small-for-gestational-age, stillborn or died in the perinatal period. The women with ID struggled to attain motherhood and feared to lose custody of the child. The pregnancy was seen as a happy event, even though relatives did not always approve. Parent education was considered important, but not adequately adapted to their needs. The birth process was overwhelming and difficult to understand, but the child was welcomed with warm feelings, and breastfeeding was natural. Midwives stated it was different to care for women with ID and requested additional knowledge. The majority of midwives affirmed that women with ID could not manage the mother role satisfactorily, and one-third expressed that women with ID should refrain from having children. A majority of the midwives considered that the children should grow up with the parents with support from family and society, but one out of five stated that the children should grow up in foster care. Conclusion: Women with ID and their children should be considered as risk groups in pregnancy and childbirth. Professionals in maternity services need to elucidate their knowledge and skills for counselling and supporting this particular group of pregnant women in pre-, intra- and post-partum care.

In Bangladesh, research focusing on the quality of maternal and newborn health (MNH) services in hospitals remains neglected. There have only been a few studies conducted on quality issues and found the quality of MNH care provided at district and sub-district hospitals to be poor. The overall objective of this thesis was to develop, implement and evaluate a framework for quality improvement (QI) system for MNH care at the district and sub-district level government hospitals in Bangladesh. The thesis is comprised of four papers. Mixed methods were used in paper I and paper IV. In paper II quantitative methods were utilized, and to develop the “Model QI System”, exploratory methodological approaches were used and illustrated in paper III. Group discussions, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, documents review and photography were utilised as qualitative data collection techniques. Through structured observation and exit interviews quantitative data were obtained. Findings of baseline survey identified several keyfactors that affected the quality of patient care: shortage of staff and logistics; lack of laboratory support; under useof patient-management protocols; lack of training; and insufficient supervision. The clinical performance of health care providers was found unsatisfactory. Utilizing the baseline survey findings and existing information on QI models, theories and QI intervention programmes implemented in defferent settings an adapted “Model QI System” and its implementation framework, guidelines and tools were developed. The key areas of this “Model QI System” included health system support, clinical service delivery, inter-departmental coordination; and utilization of services and client satisfaction. The adopted “Model QI System” was incorporated within the existing hospital management system and it was found that the quality of care improved. The evaluation of the study showed that the “Model QI System” was acceptable to the top health managers, health care providers and hospital support staff and feasible to implement in district and sub-district hospitals in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Nearly all birthing people in the Dominican Republic (DR) deliver in a hospital, yet maternal and newborn mortality remain high. Respectful maternity care challenges have been reported but not systematically documented. This observational, mixed-methods study assessed birthing people’s and providers’ experiences at a public hospital in the DR, during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: In May-July 2022, we surveyed postpartum people and providers to adapt the Person-Centered Maternity Care (PCMC) survey. In July-August 2022 we applied the contextually-modified PCMC survey with postpartum people and providers. Possible scores ranged from 0 (poor) to 93 (exceptional). We calculated mean scores and examined associations with socio-demographic factors. A concordance/discordance analysis examined postpartum people’s and providers’ responses. Content analysis of open-ended questions explored PCMC and opportunities for improvement. Results were stratified by nationality (Dominican or Haitian). RESULTS: Respondents felt the PCMC survey was appropriate for the context but recommended adding questions around contraception, maternal-newborn separation, differential treatment, and c-section decision-making. The mean PCMC score was 60.1 for postpartum people and 62.0 for providers. Being of Haitian origin, speaking Creole at home, being older, and living further from the facility were associated with lower scores (p<.001). Nearly 70% of providers reported birthing people were spoken to in understandable language/terms compared to 29.8% of birthing people. Most providers (91.7%) reported that consent was sought before procedures, compared to 58.1% of birthing people. Fewer Haitians, compared to Dominicans, reported favorably regarding friendly treatment (42% v 83%); ability to ask questions (34% v 66%); consent being sought before procedures (52% v 71%); and being spoken to in understandable language/terms (14% v 63%). Sixty-one percent of Haitians and 44% of Dominicans reported maternal-newborn separation for more than 6 hours. Qualitative responses revealed verbal abuse and the emotional toll of maternal-newborn separation, among other issues. Birthing people suggested improvements relating to family connectedness: companions, providers communicating with families, and keeping the mother-baby dyad together. Providers focused on infrastructure, equipment/supplies, training, and policy. CONCLUSION: As the first study to apply the PCMC survey in the DR, this study systematically documented challenges and opportunities to improve birth experiences from the perspectives of postpartum people and obstetric providers. Stakeholder-generated and evidence-based recommendations should be prioritized at Hospital Presidente Estrella Ureña. / 2025-01-04T00:00:00Z

Introdução: A obesidade é um dos grandes problemas de Saúde Pública e atinge níveis epidêmicos em grande parte do mundo. A maioria dos indivíduos com excesso de peso são mulheres, no Brasil o tamanho desta população também é expressivo, as em idade fértil são as que apresentam maior risco para o desenvolvimento da obesidade, o que está associado ao ganho de peso excessivo durante a gestação e a retenção de peso após o nascimento. O excesso de peso materno está relacionado a desfechos negativos para saúde materno-infantil. Objetivo: Analisar o peso gestacional e desfechos perinatais em mulheres da região sudeste do Brasil. Método: estudo transversal, com a utilização de dados provenientes de uma coorte nacional, com base hospitalar denominada: Nascer no Brasil: Inquérito Nacional sobre Parto e Nascimento, inquérito realizado no período de 2011 e 2012.Partindo da amostra inicial total do Sudeste composta por 10.154 mulheres entrevistadas e considerando os fatores de inclusão e exclusão para esta pesquisa, chegou-se a uma amostra de 3.405 binômios (mãe /recém-nascido).As variáveis estudadas foram ganho de peso, idade materna, peso pré-gestacional, Índice de Massa Corporal inicial e final, idade gestacional, tipo de parto e peso ao nascer. Análise foi realizada através das medidas de tendência central. Foi utilizado teste de Mann-Whitney para dados de distribuição normal e coeficiente de Pearson para variáveis contínuas. Foram considerados como significante os resultados com um p a 0,05. Resultados: A maioria das participantes apresentou faixa etária entre 21 e 30 anos, os nascimentos ocorreram entre a 38ª e 39ª semana gestacional, e seus recém-nascidos tiveram peso mediano de 3.219 g. Grande parte das pesquisadas (61,04 por cento ) iniciaram a gestação com um estado nutricional considerado adequado e 31,51 por cento apresentavam excesso de peso anterior à gestação. O ganho de peso excessivo ocorreu em todas as categorias de IMC pré-gestacional representando 49,6 por cento da população total estudada. O peso anterior à gestação apresentou elevada correlação com ganho de peso total ao final da gestação. Também foi observada influência do ganho de peso na gestação com a via de parto, idade gestacional e peso do bebê ao nascer. Conclusão: A maioria da população iniciou a gestação com estado nutricional adequado, porém, houve ganho de peso excessivo considerável em todas as categorias de IMC, este influenciou na via de parto onde a maioria aconteceu por operação cesariana e no peso ao nascer. O estado nutricional inicial influencia fortemente o estado nutricional ao final da gestação. Por isto, é importante que os programas de intervenção atuem em todas as etapas deste período, inclusive na conscientização da importância de um peso adequado anterior a concepção. Além de promover ações que auxiliem nos cuidados quanto ao ganho de peso na gestação. / Introduction: Obesity is one of the biggest public health problem and reaches epidemic levels in many parts around the World. Most of the people who are overweight are women, in Brazil the size of this population is also expressive, the child-bearing age are at greatest risk to the obesity development, which is associated with excessive weight gain during pregnancy and weight retention after the birth. The maternal overweight is related to negative outcomes for maternal and child health. Objetive: To analyse gestational weight and perinatal outcomes in women of southeastern Brazil. Method: cross-sectional study using data from a national cohort with known hospital database: \"Nascer no Brasil: Inquérito Nacional sobre parto e nascimento survey conducted in 2011 and 2012. Start with initial sample of 10,154 southeastern women interviewed and considering the inclusion and exclusion factors for this research, come up with a sample of 3,405 binomials (mother /newborn). The studied variables were weight gain, maternal age, before pregnancy weight, initial and final body mass index, gestational age, mode of delivery and birth weight. Analysis was carried out through measures of central tendency. It used the Mann-Whitney test for normal distributed data and Pearson coefficient for continuous variables. They were considered as significant results for p 0.05. Results: Most participants had aged between 21 and 30 years old, the births occurred between the 38th and 39th week of gestation, and their newborns had average weight of 3,219 g. Most of the surveyed (61.04 per cent ) started pregnancy with adequate nutritional status and 31.51 per cent had excess weight prior to pregnancy. Excessive weight gain occurred in all prepregnancy BMI categories representing 49.6 per cent of the total studied population. The weight before pregnancy showed high correlation with total weight gain at the end of pregnancy. It was also observed influence of weight gain during pregnancy related to the mode of delivery, gestational age and weight of the baby at birth. Conclusion: Most of the population started pregnancy with adequate nutritional status, however, there was considerable excessive weight gain in all BMI categories, that influenced the type of delivery where most happened by cesarean and the birth weight. The initial nutritional status strongly influences the end of nutritional status in the pregnancy. Therefore, it is important that intervention programs operate in every stage of this period, including the awareness of the importance of a healthy weight before conception. In addition to promoting actions that help us care for weight gain during pregnancy.

Introdução: A obesidade é um dos grandes problemas de Saúde Pública e atinge níveis epidêmicos em grande parte do mundo. A maioria dos indivíduos com excesso de peso são mulheres, no Brasil o tamanho desta população também é expressivo, as em idade fértil são as que apresentam maior risco para o desenvolvimento da obesidade, o que está associado ao ganho de peso excessivo durante a gestação e a retenção de peso após o nascimento. O excesso de peso materno está relacionado a desfechos negativos para saúde materno-infantil. Objetivo: Analisar o peso gestacional e desfechos perinatais em mulheres da região sudeste do Brasil. Método: estudo transversal, com a utilização de dados provenientes de uma coorte nacional, com base hospitalar denominada: Nascer no Brasil: Inquérito Nacional sobre Parto e Nascimento, inquérito realizado no período de 2011 e 2012.Partindo da amostra inicial total do Sudeste composta por 10.154 mulheres entrevistadas e considerando os fatores de inclusão e exclusão para esta pesquisa, chegou-se a uma amostra de 3.405 binômios (mãe /recém-nascido).As variáveis estudadas foram ganho de peso, idade materna, peso pré-gestacional, Índice de Massa Corporal inicial e final, idade gestacional, tipo de parto e peso ao nascer. Análise foi realizada através das medidas de tendência central. Foi utilizado teste de Mann-Whitney para dados de distribuição normal e coeficiente de Pearson para variáveis contínuas. Foram considerados como significante os resultados com um p a 0,05. Resultados: A maioria das participantes apresentou faixa etária entre 21 e 30 anos, os nascimentos ocorreram entre a 38ª e 39ª semana gestacional, e seus recém-nascidos tiveram peso mediano de 3.219 g. Grande parte das pesquisadas (61,04 por cento ) iniciaram a gestação com um estado nutricional considerado adequado e 31,51 por cento apresentavam excesso de peso anterior à gestação. O ganho de peso excessivo ocorreu em todas as categorias de IMC pré-gestacional representando 49,6 por cento da população total estudada. O peso anterior à gestação apresentou elevada correlação com ganho de peso total ao final da gestação. Também foi observada influência do ganho de peso na gestação com a via de parto, idade gestacional e peso do bebê ao nascer. Conclusão: A maioria da população iniciou a gestação com estado nutricional adequado, porém, houve ganho de peso excessivo considerável em todas as categorias de IMC, este influenciou na via de parto onde a maioria aconteceu por operação cesariana e no peso ao nascer. O estado nutricional inicial influencia fortemente o estado nutricional ao final da gestação. Por isto, é importante que os programas de intervenção atuem em todas as etapas deste período, inclusive na conscientização da importância de um peso adequado anterior a concepção. Além de promover ações que auxiliem nos cuidados quanto ao ganho de peso na gestação. / Introduction: Obesity is one of the biggest public health problem and reaches epidemic levels in many parts around the World. Most of the people who are overweight are women, in Brazil the size of this population is also expressive, the child-bearing age are at greatest risk to the obesity development, which is associated with excessive weight gain during pregnancy and weight retention after the birth. The maternal overweight is related to negative outcomes for maternal and child health. Objetive: To analyse gestational weight and perinatal outcomes in women of southeastern Brazil. Method: cross-sectional study using data from a national cohort with known hospital database: \"Nascer no Brasil: Inquérito Nacional sobre parto e nascimento survey conducted in 2011 and 2012. Start with initial sample of 10,154 southeastern women interviewed and considering the inclusion and exclusion factors for this research, come up with a sample of 3,405 binomials (mother /newborn). The studied variables were weight gain, maternal age, before pregnancy weight, initial and final body mass index, gestational age, mode of delivery and birth weight. Analysis was carried out through measures of central tendency. It used the Mann-Whitney test for normal distributed data and Pearson coefficient for continuous variables. They were considered as significant results for p 0.05. Results: Most participants had aged between 21 and 30 years old, the births occurred between the 38th and 39th week of gestation, and their newborns had average weight of 3,219 g. Most of the surveyed (61.04 per cent ) started pregnancy with adequate nutritional status and 31.51 per cent had excess weight prior to pregnancy. Excessive weight gain occurred in all prepregnancy BMI categories representing 49.6 per cent of the total studied population. The weight before pregnancy showed high correlation with total weight gain at the end of pregnancy. It was also observed influence of weight gain during pregnancy related to the mode of delivery, gestational age and weight of the baby at birth. Conclusion: Most of the population started pregnancy with adequate nutritional status, however, there was considerable excessive weight gain in all BMI categories, that influenced the type of delivery where most happened by cesarean and the birth weight. The initial nutritional status strongly influences the end of nutritional status in the pregnancy. Therefore, it is important that intervention programs operate in every stage of this period, including the awareness of the importance of a healthy weight before conception. In addition to promoting actions that help us care for weight gain during pregnancy.

Ethiopia is one of the five nations that bear the global burden of nearly 50% maternal mortalities and newborn deaths. Cause-specific maternal mortality and newborn death information are vitally important for prevention, but little is known about the causes of deaths. Many maternal mortalities and newborn deaths occur at home, outside the formal health sector, and few are attended by qualified medical professionals. Despite the fact that, non-medical factors are often more important in determining whether a woman/newborn lives or dies than the medical cause of death itself. This study determines and explores factors contributing to maternal mortalities and newborn deaths in Ethiopia with the aim of developing a community-based model for averting maternal mortalities and newborn deaths in Ethiopia. The study was organised in three phases. In Phase 1, a community-based-retrospective approach using explorative, descriptive and contextual study design, combining both qualitative and quantitative methods (mixed methods) were used to make an in-depth investigation and analysis of the circumstances and events surrounding individual cases of maternal mortality and newborn deaths. The result of the study revealed various direct and indirect as well as possible contributing factors to maternal mortalities and newborn deaths which outlined bases for forwarding Phase 2 of the study called concept analysis. In Phase 3, a prototype model was developed according to Chinn and Kramer’s approach to theory generation: initially, based on the empirical perspectives of the study, concept analysis was conducted. The structure and process of a model to avert maternal mortality and newborn death were described; and, six survey list; namely, agent, recipient, context, procedure, dynamic and terminus of Dickoff, James and Wiedenbach (1968) form the basis for development and description of a model for averting maternal mortality and newborn deaths in Ethiopia. Impediment in receiving prompt, adequate and appropriate care were common problems encountered even after reaching an appropriate medical facility. For any attempt to attain a significant reduction in maternal mortality and newborn death, the health care system in Ethiopia must assume its tasks to institute critical changes in both the structure and process of health care delivery services. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

Global maternal and newborn mortality have made much progress in recent years. Forexample, newborn deaths have almost halved since the 1990s, and the global maternalmortality rate (MMR) has been reduced by nearly 38 percent during the same period.Maternal and newborn deaths are still unacceptably high, and an estimated 2.7 millionnewborns die worldwide each year, most of them in low-income countries (Lawn et al.,2016). The Mayuge District in rural southeastern Uganda is a district experiencing significantmaternal and newborn health difficulties. According to Willey et al. (2018), 438 expectantmothers die from childbirth-related complications per 100,000 live births, and 23 newbornsdie per 1000 live births in the Mayuge District. The 3-delays model is used in researchconcerning maternal and newborn health worldwide and works to simplify and categorize thecauses of poor maternal and newborn health (Bergström et al., 2009). The delays aredescribed as follows; (1) delay in seeking care; (2) delay in reaching a healthcare facility; and(3) delay in receiving appropriate care.This study focuses on the first delay, which is the delay in seeking healthcare, and examinesif stigma and social identity affect health-seeking behavior in the district. Other identifiedfactors affecting health-seeking behavior will be presented during the study and compiledalongside possible recommended interventions to combat the issues. According to the resultspresented in this study, stigmatization, culture, tradition, and misinformation are evidentdrivers for the delay in seeking healthcare in the Mayuge district in Uganda. This studyfurther reveals that inherited social identity could be identified as traditional aspects andaffect people's health-seeking behavior. It is shown that the district suffers from poormaternal and newborn health caused by all of the three delays presented in this study.However, the results of this study show that the first delay is one of the least researched andthat the local government gives little to no attention to the delay in seeking healthcare in thedistrict.