BACKGROUND In countries, such as Mozambique, where maternal mortality remains high, the greatest contribution of mortality comes from the poor and vulnerable communities, who frequently reside in remote and rural areas with limited access to health care services. This study aimed to understand women's health care seeking practices during pregnancy, taking into account the underlying social, cul...

The proportion of pregnant women initiating prenatal care during first trimester pregnancy is one of the standard clinical performance measures to assess the quality of maternal health care. Aiming to assess the proportion and factors associated with late booking at antenatal care, this health-institution based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2012 among 390 pregnant mothe...

Background: Antenatal care aims to prevent maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. In Indonesia, at least four antenatal visits are recommended during pregnancy. However, this service has been underutilized. This study aimed to examine factors associated with underutilization of antenatal care services in Indonesia. Methods: We used data from Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey (IDH...

BACKGROUND Improving maternal and reproductive health still remains a major challenge in most low-income countries especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The growing inequality in access to maternal health interventions is an issue of great concern. In Ghana, inadequate attention has been given to the inequality gap that exists amongst women when accessing antenatal care during pregnancy and skilled...

BACKGROUND The objective of this review was to assess the uptake of WHO recommended integrated perinatal prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV interventions in low- and middle-income countries. METHODS AND FINDINGS We searched 21 databases for observational studies presenting uptake of integrated PMTCT programs in low- and middle-income countries. Forty-one studies on prog...

Background Domestic violence during pregnancy has detrimental effects on the health of the mother and the newborn. Antenatal care provides a 'window of opportunity' to identify and assist victims of domestic violence during pregnancy. Little is known about the experience, needs, and expectations from the women's perspective in relation to domestic violence in Nepal. Objective Our study aims to ...

BACKGROUND Psychosocial health problems, specifically depression during pregnancy, can have negative impact on birth outcomes, postnatal mental health of the mother, and infant health. Antenatal depression is more prevalent among women in low- and middle-income countries than among women in high-income countries. Risk factors for antenatal depression reported in the literature relate to pregnan...

BACKGROUND Socio-economic inequalities in maternal and child health are ubiquitous, but limited information is available on how much the quality of care varies according to wealth or ethnicity in low- and middle-income countries. Also, little information exists on quality differences between public and private providers. METHODS Quality of care for women giving birth in 2004 in Pelotas, Brazi...

353 Abstract Māori are the Indigenous peoples of New Zealand and comprise around 15% of the total population. This paper reviews literature on antenatal care and care during labour and delivery for Māori, along with Māori experiences, with particular reference to access and knowledge gaps. It also considers the links between access to care and health outcomes for Māori babies from a life course...