| 1. |
- Skröder, Helena M, et al.
(författare)
-
Selenium status in pregnancy influences children's cognitive function at 1.5 years of age
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Clinical Nutrition. - : Elsevier BV. - 0261-5614 .- 1532-1983. ; 34:5, s. 923-930
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND & AIMS: Selenium deficiency has been shown to affect the neurological development in animals, but human research in this area is scarce. We aimed to assess the impact of selenium status during pregnancy on child development at 1.5 years of age.METHODS: This prospective cohort study was nested into a food and micronutrient supplementation trial (MINIMat) conducted in rural Bangladesh. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, we measured selenium concentrations in erythrocyte fraction of blood collected from 750 mothers at gestational week 30, and calculated μg per g hemoglobin. A revised version of Bayley Scales of Infant Development was used to assess children's mental and psychomotor development. A Bangladeshi version of MacArthur's Communicative Development Inventory was used to assess language comprehension and expression. Linear regression analyses adjusted for multiple covariates were used to assess the associations.RESULTS: Maternal erythrocyte selenium concentrations varied considerably, from 0.19 to 0.87 μg/g hemoglobin (median 0.46 μg/g hemoglobin), and were associated with developmental measures. An increase in erythrocyte selenium by 0.50 μg/g hemoglobin was associated with an increase in children's language comprehension by 3.7 points (0.5 standard deviations; 95% confidence interval: 0.40, 7.1; p = 0.028). The same increase in erythrocyte selenium corresponded to an increase in the girls' psychomotor development by 12 points (0.9 standard deviation; 95% confidence interval: 4.3, 19; p = 0.002), but much less in boys.CONCLUSIONS: Low prenatal selenium status seems to be disadvantageous for children's psychomotor and language development. Further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of these effects.
|
|
| 2. |
- Alfvén, Tobias, et al.
(författare)
-
Dödligheten minskar, men fortfarande dör 7 miljoner barn varje år
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Läkartidningen. - 0023-7205 .- 1652-7518. ; 110:1-2, s. 28-30
-
Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Millenniemål 4 lyder: »Barnadödligheten under de fem första levnadsåren ska minska med två tredjedelar till 2015 jämfört med år 1990«.Barnadödligheten minskar i stora delar av världen, men inte i tillräckligt snabb takt för att uppnå målet. Den skiljer sig också kraftigt mellan länder och mellan olika grupper inom länderna.Sex dödsorsaker står för mer än 90 procent av alla dödsfall före 5 års ålder: neonatal mortalitet, lunginflammation, diarré, malaria, mässling och HIV/aids. Undernäring beräknas vara delorsak till cirka en tredjedel av dessa dödsfall.Vi har kunskap och metoder att med kostnadseffektiva lösningar reducera barnadödligheten med två tredjedelar. Fortsatt internationellt samarbete, utökade resurser samt lokal, nationell politisk vilja krävs för att lyckas.
|
|
| 3. |
|
|
| 4. |
|
|
| 5. |
- Fulford, A. J. C., et al.
(författare)
-
Disproportionate early fetal growth predicts postnatal thymic size in humans
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. - 2040-1744 .- 2040-1752. ; 4:3, s. 223-231
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Prenatal events can affect neonatal thymus size and adult immune function. The causal insults are unknown, although fetal nutrient restriction is suspected. We used ultrasound at three time points during pregnancy (14, 19 and 30 weeks) to measure the growth of six fetal dimensions in rural Bangladeshi women participating in the Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions, Matlab study. Postnatal ultrasound was used to calculate thymic index (TI) at birth, 2, 6 and 12 m. Of the 3267 women recruited, 2861 participated by providing data at least at one fetal biometry and one TI time point. Patterns of fetal growth were summarized using principal components calculated from fetal dimension z-scores. Random effects regression, controlling for infant size and season of measurement were used to relate these patterns to TI. We found that smaller leg length relative to head circumference, characteristic of head-sparing growth restriction, was predictive of lower TI. This association was significant at all time points but strongest in earlier pregnancy. Each standard deviation increase in leg-head proportion was associated with an increase in TI of similar to 5%. We conclude that growth patterns typical of poor fetal nutrition are associated with poor thymic development. The greater strength of this association in the first trimester is consistent with a period of vulnerability during the early ontogeny of the thymus and suggests that preventative intervention would need to be given in early pregnancy.
|
|
| 6. |
- Getachew, Theodros, et al.
(författare)
-
Health extension workers' perceived health system context and health post preparedness to provide services : a cross-sectional study in four Ethiopian regions.
- 2021
-
Ingår i: BMJ Open. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2044-6055. ; 11:6
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: The health system context influences the implementation of evidence-based practices and quality of healthcare services. Ethiopia aims at reaching universal health coverage but faces low primary care utilisation and substandard quality of care. We assessed the health extension workers' perceived context and the preparedness of health posts to provide services.SETTING: This study was part of evaluating a complex intervention in 52 districts of four regions of Ethiopia. This paper used the endline data collected from December 2018 to February 2019.PARTICIPANTS: A total of 152 health posts and health extension workers serving selected enumeration areas were included.OUTCOME MEASURES: We used the Context Assessment for Community Health (COACH) tool and the Service Availability and Readiness Assessment tool.RESULTS: Internal reliability of COACH was satisfactory. The dimensions community engagement, work culture, commitment to work and leadership all scored high (mean 3.75-4.01 on a 1-5 scale), while organisational resources, sources of knowledge and informal payments scored low (1.78-2.71). The general service readiness index was 59%. On average, 67% of the health posts had basic amenities to provide services, 81% had basic equipment, 42% had standard precautions for infection prevention, 47% had test capacity for malaria and 58% had essential medicines.CONCLUSION: The health extension workers had a good relationship with the local community, used data for planning, were highly committed to their work with positive perceptions of their work culture, a relatively positive attitude regarding their leaders, and reported no corruption or informal payments. In contrast, they had insufficient sources of information and a severe lack of resources. The health post preparedness confirmed the low level of resources and preparedness for services. These findings suggest a significant potential contribution by health extension workers to Ethiopia's primary healthcare, provided that they receive improved support, including new information and essential resources.
|
|
| 7. |
- Hawkesworth, Sophie, et al.
(författare)
-
Early exposure to toxic metals has a limited effect on blood pressure or kidney function in later childhood, rural Bangladesh
- 2013
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Epidemiology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0300-5771 .- 1464-3685. ; 42:1, s. 176-185
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Chronic exposure to toxic metals such as arsenic and cadmium has been implicated in the development of kidney and cardiovascular diseases but few studies have directly measured exposure during in utero and early child development. Methods We investigated the impact of exposure to arsenic (mainly in drinking water) and cadmium (mainly in rice) during pregnancy on blood pressure and kidney function at 4.5 years of age in rural Bangladesh. The effect of arsenic exposure in infancy was also assessed. Results Within a cohort of 1887 children recruited into the MINIMat study, exposure to arsenic (maternal urinary arsenic, U-As), but not cadmium, during in utero development was associated with a minimal increase in blood pressure at 4.5 years. Each 1 mg/l increase in pregnancy U-As was associated with 3.69 mmHg (95% CI: 0.74, 6.63; P: 0.01) increase in child systolic and a 2.91 mmHg (95% CI: 0.41, 5.42; P: 0.02) increase in child diastolic blood pressure. Similarly, a 1 mg/l increase in child U-As at 18 months of age was associated with a 8.25 mmHg (95% CI: 1.37, 15.1; P: 0.02) increase in systolic blood pressure at 4.5 years. There was also a marginal inverse association between infancy U-As and glomerular filtration rate at 4.5 years (-33.4 ml/min/1.72 m(2); 95% CI: -70.2, 3.34; P: 0.08). No association was observed between early arsenic or cadmium exposure and kidney volume at 4.5 years assessed by ultrasound. Conclusions These modest effect sizes provide some evidence that arsenic exposure in early life has long-term consequences for blood pressure and maybe kidney function.
|
|
| 8. |
- Hoa, Dinh P, et al.
(författare)
-
Persistent neonatal mortality despite improved under-five survival : a retrospective cohort study in northern Vietnam
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Acta Paediatrica. - 0803-5253 .- 1651-2227. ; 97:2, s. 166-170
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: To examine trends in neonatal, infant and under-five mortality rates in a northern Vietnamese district during 1970-2000, and to analyze socioeconomic differences in child survival over time. Methods: Retrospective interviews with all women aged 15-54 years in Bavi district in Northern Vietnam (n = 14 329) were conducted. Of these women, 13 943 had been pregnant, giving birth to 26 796 children during 1970-2000. Results: There was a dramatic reduction in infant and under-five mortality rate (47%) over time. However, the neonatal mortality rate (NMR) showed a very small reduction, thus causing its proportion of the total child mortality to increase. Mortality trends followed the political and socioeconomic development of Vietnam over war, peace and periods of reforms. There were no differences in under-five and neonatal mortalities associated with family economy, while differentials related to mothers' education and ethnicity were increasing. Conclusion: Interventions to reduce child mortality should be focused on improving neonatal care. In settings with a rapid economic growth and consequent social change, like in Vietnam, it is important that such interventions are targeted at vulnerable groups, in this case, families with low level of education and belonging to ethnic minorities.
|
|
| 9. |
|
|
| 10. |
- Ijumba, Petrida, et al.
(författare)
-
Free formula milk in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission programme : voices of a peri-urban community in South Africa on policy change
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Health Policy and Planning. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0268-1080 .- 1460-2237. ; 28:7, s. 761-768
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: In 2001, South Africa began implementing the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programme. This programme included distribution of free formula milk for infants up to 6 months of age at all public health facilities. Effective from 1 January 2011, KwaZulu-Natal became the first province to phase out free formula milk from its PMTCT programme. On 23 August 2011, the South African National Department of Health adopted promotion of exclusive breastfeeding as the national infant feeding strategy and made a decision to withdraw free formula milk from the PMTCT programme.Objective: To explore the perceptions and understanding of households at community level on the policy decision to phase out free formula milk from the PMTCT programme in South Africa.Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted amongst women enrolled in a community randomized trial known as Good Start III. Focus group discussions were held with grandmothers, fathers and teenage mothers; and in-depth interviews were performed with HIV-positive and HIV-negative mothers. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.Results: Identified themes included: (1) variations in awareness and lack of understanding of the basis for the policy change, (2) abuse of and dysfunctional policy as perceived reasons for policy change and (3) proposed strategies for communicating the policy change.Conclusion: There is an urgent need to develop a multifaceted communication strategy clearly articulating the reasons for the infant feeding policy change and promoting the new breastfeeding strategy. The communication strategy should take into account inputs from the community. With a supportive environment and one national infant feeding strategy, South Africa has an opportunity to reverse years of poor infant feeding practices and to improve the health of all children in the country.
|
|
