Survival and health of children who are HIV-exposed uninfected: study protocol for the CHERISH (Children HIV-Exposed Uninfected – Research to Inform Survival and Health) dynamic, prospective, maternal-child cohort study
INTRODUCTION: CHERISH is designed to establish a long-term sustainable system for measurement of in utero and postnatal exposures and outcomes in children who are HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) and HIV-unexposed to compare survival, hospitalisation, growth and neurodevelopment in the Western Cape, South Africa. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: During 2022-2025, the CHERISH dynamic cohort is prospectively enrolling pregnant […]
Association between maternal psychological adversity and lung function in South African infants: A birth cohort study
Objective: The association of perinatal psychological adversity (ie, stressors and distress) with infant lung function (ILF) and development is not well studied in Africa and elsewhere. We determined the association between maternal perinatal psychological adversity and ILF in African infants. Design: Prospective longitudinal follow up of the Drakenstein Child Health Study birth cohort. Participants: Seven hundred […]
A priori and a posteriori dietary patterns among pregnant women in johannesburg, south africa: The nuped study
Dietary pattern analyses allow assessment of the diet as a whole. Limited studies include both a priori and a posteriori dietary pattern analyses. This study aimed to explore the diet of pregnant women in urban South Africa through both a priori and a posteriori dietary pattern analyses and associated maternal and household factors. Dietary data […]
Missed opportunities along the prevention of mother-to-child transmission services cascade in South Africa: Uptake, determinants, and attributable risk (the SAPMTCTE)
Objectives: We examined uptake of prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) services, predictors of missed opportunities, and infant HIV transmission attributable to missed opportunities along the PMTCT cascade across South Africa. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 4-8 week old infants receiving first immunisations in 580 nationally representative public health facilities in 2010. This […]
Household food access and child malnutrition: Results from the eight-country MAL-ED study
Background: Stunting results from decreased food intake, poor diet quality, and a high burden of early childhood infections, and contributes to significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although food insecurity is an important determinant of child nutrition, including stunting, development of universal measures has been challenging due to cumbersome nutritional questionnaires and concerns about lack of […]
Associations of Enteric Protein Loss, Vaccine Response, Micronutrient Deficiency, and Maternal Depressive Symptoms with Deviance in Childhood Linear Growth: Results from a Multicountry Birth Cohort Study
We identified the determinants of positive (children who had a birth weight, 2.5 kg and/or maternal height, 145 cm but were nonstunted at 24 months of age) and negative (children who had a birth weight $ 2.5 kg and maternal height $ 145 cm but were stunted at 24 months of age) deviance in childhood […]
Socio-demographic profiles and anthropometric status of 0- to 71-month-old children and their caregivers in rural districts of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa
Objectives: To determine the nutritional status of 0- to 71-month-old children and their caregivers, as welt as their socio-demographics, in two provinces in South Africa. Design: Cross-sectional baseline survey. Setting: OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo districts in the Eastern Cape (EC), and Umkhanyakude and Zululand (Nongoma and Pongola subdistricts) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa. Subjects: […]
How do pregnant women and new mothers navigate and respond to challenges in accessing health care? Perspectives from rural South Africa
Women in low- and middle-income countries and in contexts characterized by inequality face various interpersonal and structural barriers when accessing formal maternal and child health (MCH) services. These barriers persist even in contexts where programs to increase access to services, such as community health worker (CHW) interventions, have been implemented. However, while barriers to accessing […]
Stakeholders perceptions regarding implementing maternal and newborn health care programs in Rwanda
Background: While maternal and newborn deaths has been decreasing since 2008 in Rwanda, there is room for improvement to meet its sustainable development goals. The maternal and newborn health care program needs to be monitored to ensure its effective implementation. This study therefore aimed to explore stakeholder’s perceptions of the Rwandan maternal and newborn health […]
The Risk of Orofacial Cleft Lip/Palate Due to Maternal Ambient Air Pollution Exposure: A Call for Further Research in South Africa
Background: Despite being underreported, orofacial cleft lip/palate (CLP) remains in the top five of South Africa’s most common congenital disorders. Maternal air pollution exposure has been associated with CLP in neonates. South Africa has high air pollution levels due to domestic burning practices, coal-fired power plants, mining, industry, and traffic pollution, among other sources. We […]