-
Article
Risk Factors of Pelvic Floor Disorders Among Women in Rural Nepal: A Case–Control Study
Risk factors for pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) are not well understood in lower resource settings. The objective of this study is to determine the risk factors associated with stress urinary incontinence (SUI)...
-
Article
Open AccessComparison of pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in a retrospective full pregnancy history survey versus population-based prospective records: a validation study in rural Sarlahi District, Nepal
Countries without complete civil registration and vital statistics systems rely on retrospective full pregnancy history surveys (FPH) to estimate incidence of pregnancy and mortality outcomes, including stillb...
-
Article
Open AccessEvaluation of the US COVID-19 Scenario Modeling Hub for informing pandemic response under uncertainty
Our ability to forecast epidemics far into the future is constrained by the many complexities of disease systems. Realistic longer-term projections may, however, be possible under well-defined scenarios that s...
-
Article
Open AccessQuality of vital event data for infant mortality estimation in prospective, population-based studies: an analysis of secondary data from Asia, Africa, and Latin America
Infant and neonatal mortality estimates are typically derived from retrospective birth histories collected through surveys in countries with unreliable civil registration and vital statistics systems. Yet such...
-
Article
Open AccessDemographic, socio-economic, obstetric, and behavioral factors associated with small-and large-for-gestational-age from a prospective, population-based pregnancy cohort in rural Nepal: a secondary data analysis
In South Asia, a third of babies are born small-for-gestational age (SGA). The risk factors are well described in the literature, but many studies are in high-and-middle income countries or measure SGA on faci...
-
Article
Open AccessCauses and age of neonatal death and associations with maternal and newborn care characteristics in Nepal: a verbal autopsy study
In Nepal, neonatal mortality fell substantially between 2000 and 2018, decreasing 50% from 40 to 20 deaths per 1,000 live births. Nepal’s success has been attributed to a decreasing total fertility rate, impro...
-
Article
Open AccessEffect of birthweight measurement quality improvement on low birthweight prevalence in rural Ethiopia
Low birthweight (LBW) (< 2500 g) is a significant determinant of infant morbidity and mortality worldwide. In low-income settings, the quality of birthweight data suffers from measurement and recording errors,...
-
Article
Open AccessReliability of maternal recall of delivery and immediate newborn care indicators in Sarlahi, Nepal
The intrapartum period is a time of high mortality risk for newborns and mothers. Numerous interventions exist to minimize risk during this period. Data on intervention coverage are needed for health system im...
-
Article
Open AccessAn analytic perspective of a mixed methods study during humanitarian crises in South Sudan: translating facility- and community-based newborn guidelines into practice
In South Sudan, the civil war in 2016 led to mass displacement in Juba that rapidly spread to other regions of the country. Access to health care was limited because of attacks against health facilities and wo...
-
Article
Open AccessNausea, vomiting and poor appetite during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes in rural Nepal: an observational cohort study
Nausea and vomiting are experienced by a majority of pregnant women worldwide. Previous studies have yielded conflicting results regarding their impact on birth outcomes and few studies have examined this rela...
-
Article
Open AccessCoverage of the WHO’s four essential elements of newborn care and their association with neonatal survival in southern Nepal
Despite recent improvements in child survival, neonatal mortality continues to decline at a slower rate and now represents 47% of under-five deaths globally. The World Health Organization developed core indica...
-
Article
Prevalence of symptomatic urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse among women in rural Nepal
Although pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) are a significant public health issue in higher income countries, less is known about these disorders and associated risk factors in low income countries. We aimed to det...
-
Article
Open AccessCommunity-based cluster randomized controlled trial: empowering households to identify and provide appropriate care for low-birthweight newborns in Nepal
Most newborn deaths occur among those of low birthweight (LBWt), due to prematurity &/or impaired fetal growth. Simple practices can substantially mitigate this risk. In low-income country settings where many ...
-
Article
Open AccessBarriers to maternal retention in HIV care in Ghana: key differences during pregnancy and the postpartum period
Maternal retention in HIV care is lower for women in the postpartum period than during pregnancy, but the reasons are poorly understood. We examined key differences in barriers to retention in HIV care during ...
-
Article
Open AccessFeasibility of training community health workers to conduct periodontal examinations: a validation study in rural Nepal
In many low- and middle-income countries, insufficient human resources limit access to oral health services. Shifting clinical tasks to less specialized health professionals, such as community health workers, ...
-
Article
Open AccessAssessment of facility and health worker readiness to provide quality antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care in rural Southern Nepal
Increased coverage of antenatal care and facility births might not improve maternal and newborn health outcomes if quality of care is sub-optimal. Our study aimed to assess the facility readiness and health wo...
-
Article
Open AccessUrinary tract infections in pregnancy in a rural population of Bangladesh: population-based prevalence, risk factors, etiology, and antibiotic resistance
Urinary tract infection (UTI) in pregnancy, including asymptomatic bacteriuria, is associated with maternal morbidity and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth and low birthweight. In low-middle ...
-
Article
Open AccessImpact of sunflower seed oil versus mustard seed oil on skin barrier function in newborns: a community-based, cluster-randomized trial
Natural vegetable oils are widely used for newborn massage in many low resource settings. Animal models indicated that sunflower seed oil (SSO) can accelerate skin barrier recovery following damage, while othe...
-
Article
Maternal short stature and under-weight status are independent risk factors for preterm birth and small for gestational age in rural Bangladesh
To estimate the risks of term-small for gestational age (SGA), preterm-appropriate for gestational age (AGA), and preterm SGA associated with maternal height and body mass index (BMI) and to calculate the popu...
-
Article
Open AccessValidity of self-reported receipt of iron supplements during pregnancy: implications for coverage measurement
Iron-deficiency anemia during pregnancy is an underlying cause of maternal deaths, and reducing risk through routine iron supplementation is a key component of antenatal care (ANC) programs in most low- and mi...
