To determine the impact of socioeconomic status on plasma trace element status and pregnancy outcomes, 349 pregnant women, aged 15-40 years (mean 27.04 +/- 2.75 years), recruited at < or = 25 weeks (mean 21.76 +/- 3.12 weeks) gestational age, were followed up till delivery during which maternal and foetal outcomes were recorded. Plasma copper, iron, and zinc were determined using atomic absorpt...

BACKGROUND Armed conflict has been described as an important contributor to the social determinants of health and a driver of health inequity, including maternal health. These conflicts may severely reduce access to maternal health services and, as a consequence, lead to poor maternal health outcomes for a period extending beyond the conflict itself. As such, understanding how maternal health-s...

BACKGROUND Identifying women with poor access to health services may inform strategies for improving maternal and child health outcomes. The aim of this study was to explore risk factors associated with access to health facilities (in terms of physical distance) among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Dabat district, a rural area of north-western Ethiopia. METHODS A randomly selected...

This paper examines how organization and financing of maternal health services influence health-seeking behavior in Bosomtwe district, Ghana. It contributes in furthering the discussions on maternal health-seeking behavior and health outcomes from a health system perspective in sub-Saharan Africa. From a health system standpoint, the paper first presents the resources, organization and financin...

BACKGROUND Reducing maternal and neonatal mortality is essential to improving population health. Demand-side interventions are designed to increase uptake of critical maternal health services, but associated change in service uptake and outcomes is varied. We undertook a literature review to understand current evidence of demand-side intervention impact on improving utilization and outcomes for...

BACKGROUND In many countries, rates of facility-based childbirth have increased substantially in recent years. However, insufficient attention has been paid to the acceptability and quality of maternal health services provided at facilities and, consequently, maternal health outcomes have not improved as expected. Disrespect and abuse during childbirth is increasingly being recognized as an ind...

BACKGROUND Globally, there are increasing efforts to improve maternal health outcomes including the reduction in maternal mortality rates. Improved access to skilled care utilisation during pregnancy and delivery has been one of the strategies employed to improve maternal health outcomes. In Kenya, more than half of the women deliver without the assistance of a skilled attendant and this has co...

This review, conducted by the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute (Prevention Institute), aimed to: (a) examine the relationship between maternal obesity and pregnancy outcomes (i.e., maternal outcomes and neonatal, infant and child outcomes); and (b) assess the association between excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) and pregnancy outcomes (i.e., maternal outcomes and neonatal, infant and chi...