Browsing by Subject "Postpartum"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Antenatal depressive symptoms and perinatal complications: a prospective study in rural Ethiopia
    (2017) Bitew, Tesera; Hanlon, Charlotte; Kebede, Eskinder; Honikman, Simone; Fekadu, Abebaw
    Antenatal depressive symptoms affect around 12.3% of women in in low and middle income countries (LMICs) and data are accumulating about associations with adverse outcomes for mother and child. Studies from rural, low-income country community samples are limited. This paper aims to investigate whether antenatal depressive symptoms predict perinatal complications in a rural Ethiopia setting.
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    CareConekta: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a mobile health intervention to improve engagement in postpartum HIV care in South Africa
    (2020-03-12) Clouse, Kate; Phillips, Tamsin K; Camlin, Carol; Noholoza, Sandisiwe; Mogoba, Phepo; Naidoo, Julian; Langford, Richard; Weiss, Martin; Seebregts, Christopher J; Myer, Landon
    Abstract Background South Africa is home to the world’s largest antiretroviral therapy program but sustaining engagement along the HIV care continuum has proven challenging in the country and throughout the wider region. Population mobility is common in South Africa, but there are important research gaps in describing this mobility and its impact on engagement in HIV care. Postpartum women and their infants in South Africa are known to be at high risk of dropping out of HIV care after delivery and are frequently mobile. Methods In 2017, we developed a beta version of a smartphone application (app) - CareConekta - that detects a user’s smartphone location to allow for prospective characterization of mobility. Now we will adapt and test CareConekta to conduct essential formative work on mobility and evaluate an intervention - the CareConekta app plus text notifications and phone calls and/or WhatsApp messages - to facilitate engagement in HIV care during times of mobility. During the 3-year project period, our first objective is to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of using CareConekta as an intervention to improve engagement in HIV care. Our second objective is to characterize mobility among South African women during the peripartum period and its impact on engagement in HIV care. We will enroll 200 eligible pregnant women living with HIV and receiving care at the Gugulethu Midwife Obstetric Unit in Cape Town, South Africa. Discussion This work will provide critical information about mobility during the peripartum period and the impact on engagement in HIV care. Simultaneously, we will pilot test an intervention to improve engagement with rigorously assessed outcomes. If successful, CareConekta offers tremendous potential as a research and service tool that can be adapted and evaluated in multiple geographic regions, study contexts, and patient populations. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03836625. Registered on 8 February 2019.
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    Exploring barriers to and facilitators of immediate postpartum and newborn care by midwives in Uganda
    (2026) Ssemwanga, Nassifu; Clow, Sheila; Walker, Sonja
    Background: The postnatal period is a critical phase in the lives of mothers and newborn babies, and almost half of the maternal and neonatal deaths occur in the first 24 hours after birth. However, the barriers and facilitators to immediate postpartum and newborn care by midwives have received little attention, most especially in developing countries, including Uganda. This study explored the barriers to and facilitators of immediate postpartum and newborn care by midwives in Central Uganda. Methods: This was a qualitative descriptive study conducted among purposively sampled midwives at Gombe District Hospital, Central Uganda. Information was gathered through three focus group discussions and four key informant interviews. Data were analysed using the inductive thematic approach of Colaizzi. Results: All participants were females aged between 23 and 59 years. Three themes emerged: “Optimising birth outcomes”, which reflects midwives understanding of the components of immediate postpartum and newborn care; “Overwhelming experience”, which highlights barriers such as a disabling work environment, demotivating conditions, and an uninformed practice; and “Comprehensive support system”, which encompasses facilitators such as an enabling work environment, effective leadership and management, and professional competence. An overarching theme, “Contradictions in Perspectives”, highlights the inconsistencies between the viewpoints of frontline midwives, who deal with daily realities, and midwifery managers, whose perspectives seem more aspirational. Conclusion: These findings emphasise the need for specific interventions to address barriers and strengthen facilitators, enhancing the overall quality of maternal care and birth outcomes.
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    Re-recruiting postpartum women living with HIV into a follow-up study in Cape Town, South Africa
    (2019-07-26) Mogoba, Phepo; Gomba, Yolanda; Brittain, Kirsty; Phillips, Tamsin K; Zerbe, Allison; Myer, Landon; Abrams, Elaine J
    Abstract Objective Recruitment and retention present major challenges to longitudinal research in maternal and child health, yet there are few insights into optimal strategies that can be employed in low-resource settings. Following prior participation in a longitudinal study following women living with HIV through pregnancy and breastfeeding in Cape Town, women were re-contacted at least 18 months after the last study contact and were invited to attend an additional follow-up visit. We describe lessons learnt and offer recommendations for a multiphase recruitment approach. Results Using telephone calls, home visits, clinic tracing and Facebook/WhatsApp messages, we located 387 of the 463 eligible women and successfully enrolled 353 (91% of those contacted). Phone calls were the most successful strategy, yielding 67% of enrolments. Over half of the women had changed their contact information since participation in the previous study. We recommend that researchers collect multiple contact details and use several recruitment strategies in parallel from the start of a study. Participants in longitudinal studies may require frequent contact to update contact information, particularly in settings where mobility is common.