BACKGROUND Congenital syphilis is a consequence of undiagnosed, untreated, or inadequately treated maternal syphilis and results in serious adverse outcomes. It is easily diagnosed and in Ghana it is treated at points of care free; yet most pregnant women attending antenatal clinic (ANC) in Ghana are not screened. This study identified some factors influencing syphilis screening uptake at medic...

OBJECTIVE To examine the effect of an antenatal education programme in small classes versus standard auditorium-based lectures. DESIGN Randomised trial using random-generated web-based 1:1 allocation. SETTING The largest birth site in the Capital Region of Denmark, from August 2012 to May 2014. PARTICIPANTS 1766 pregnant women. Inclusion criteria ≥18 years, pregnant with a single child, a...

BACKGROUND Prenatal socioeconomic adversity as an intrauterine exposure is associated with a range of perinatal outcomes although the explanatory mechanisms are not well understood. The development of the fetus can be shaped by the intrauterine environment through alterations in the function of the placenta. In the placenta, the HSD11B2 gene encodes the 11-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzy...

In general, most women are familiar with the need to stop smoking when they are pregnant. In spite of this, many women find it difficult to stop. Using a phenomenographic approach, this study explored Swedish pregnant and post-pregnant women's ways of making sense of smoking during pregnancy. A total of 17 women who either smoked throughout pregnancy or stopped smoking during pregnancy were int...

BACKGROUND Pregnancy and the transition to parenthood are major adjustment periods within a family. Existing studies have asked parents, retrospectively, about their experience of antenatal education, mainly focusing on women. We sought to address this gap by asking first-time mothers and their partners about how they could be better supported during the antenatal period, particularly in relati...

Although a large majority of US mothers now begin breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding rates fall far below national health objectives, with vulnerable populations being least likely to breastfeed exclusively. This article explores common personal and societal barriers to exclusive breastfeeding and offers evidence-based strategies to support mothers to breastfeed exclusively, such as ensurin...

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this pilot project was to determine first-time expectant parents' perceptions of a parent education intervention, their education needs, and preferred sources and modes of such education. METHOD The intervention was carried out during the last class of a public health prenatal education series. A total of 31 first-time expectant parents participated and included bo...

In the present study, we examined the relationship between average fish consumption, as well as the type of fish consumed and levels of mercury in the blood of pregnant women. We also performed follow-up studies to determine if blood mercury levels were decreased after counseling and prenatal education. To examine these potential relationships, pregnant women were divided into two groups: a stu...

OBJECTIVES To examine the impact of antenatal psychosocial stressors, including maternal common mental disorders (CMD), upon low birth weight, stillbirth and neonatal mortality, and other perinatal outcomes in rural Ethiopia. METHODS A population-based sample of 1065 pregnant women was assessed for symptoms of antenatal CMD (Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20: SRQ-20), stressful life events duri...

BACKGROUND Interventions for curing most diseases and save lives of pregnant and delivering women exist, yet the power of health systems to deliver them to those in most need is not sufficient. The aims of this study were to design a participatory antenatal care (ANC) strengthening intervention and assess the implementation process and effectiveness on quality of ANC in Jimma, Ethiopia. METHO...