Cannabis use in pregnancy and maternal and infant outcomes: A Canadian cross-jurisdictional population-based cohort study.

Background: With the recent legalization of cannabis in Canada, there is an urgent need to understand the effect of cannabis use in pregnancy. Our population-based study investigated the effects of prenatal cannabis use on maternal and newborn outcomes, and modification by infant sex.

Methods: The cohort included 1,280,447 singleton births from the British Columbia Perinatal Data Registry, the Better Outcomes Registry & Network Ontario, and the Perinatal Program Newfoundland Labrador from April 1st, 2012 to March 31st, 2019.

Evaluation of a comprehensive maternal newborn health intervention in rural Tanzania: single-arm pre-post coverage survey results.

Background: In Tanzania, maternal and newborn deaths can be prevented via quality facility-based antenatal care (ANC), delivery, and postnatal care (PNC). Scalable, integrated, and comprehensive interventions addressing demand and service-side care-seeking barriers are needed.

Objective: Assess coverage survey indicators before and after a comprehensive maternal newborn health (MNH) intervention in Misungwi District, Tanzania.

Strengthening effectiveness evaluations through gender integration to improve programs for women, newborn, child, and adolescent health.

Over the past decade, there has been substantial progress towards integrating our understanding of social determinants of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) into health planning and programs. For these programs, gender inequity remains one of the most harmful factors for women's access to healthcare. Designing RMNCAH programs to be gender-responsive through active engagement with and overcoming of gender-related barriers remains paramount to increasing women's access to and use of health programs.

Multi-Institutional Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Incident Learning: Evaluation of Safety Barriers Using a Human Factors Analysis and Classification System.

Objectives: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) can improve therapeutic ratios and patient convenience, but delivering higher doses per fraction increases the potential for patient harm. Incident learning systems (ILSs) are being increasingly adopted in radiation oncology to analyze reported events. This study used an ILS coupled with a Human Factor Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) and barriers management to investigate the origin and detection of SBRT events and to elucidate how safeguards can fail allowing errors to propagate through the treatment process.

Transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in British Columbia's largest school district during the second half of the 2020-2021 school year.

Objectives: To determine the extent and characteristics of in-school transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and determine risk factors for in-school acquisition of COVID-19 in one of Canada's largest school districts.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all reportable cases of COVID-19 who attended a kindergarten-Grade 12 (K-12) school within the study area between January and June of the 2020-2021 school year. The acquisition source was inferred based on epidemiological data and, when available, whole genome sequencing results.

Travel Time to Delivery, Antenatal Care, and Birth Outcomes: A Population-Based Cohort of Uncomplicated Pregnancies in British Columbia, 2012-2019.

Objective: Health policy and system leaders need to know whether long travel time to a delivery facility adversely affects birth outcomes. In this study, we estimated associations between travel time to delivery and outcomes in low-risk pregnancies.

Methods: This population-based cohort included all singleton births without obstetric comorbidities or intrapartum facility transfers in British Columbia, Canada, from 2012 to 2019.

Five-year retention of volunteer community health workers in rural Uganda: a population-based retrospective cohort.

Community health workers (CHWs) effectively improve maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) outcomes in low-to-middle-income countries. However, CHW retention remains a challenge. This retrospective registry analysis evaluated medium-term retention of volunteer CHWs in two rural Ugandan districts, trained during a district-wide MNCH initiative.

Supramaximal Interval Running Prescription in Australian Rules Football Players: A Comparison Between Maximal Aerobic Speed, Anaerobic Speed Reserve, and the 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test.

Collison, J, Debenedictis, T, Fuller, JT, Gerschwitz, R, Ling, T, Gotch, L, Bishop, B, Sibley, L, Russell, J, Hobbs, A, and Bellenger, CR. Supramaximal interval running prescription in Australian Rules Football players: A comparison between maximal aerobic speed, anaerobic speed reserve and the 30-15 intermittent fitness test. J Strength Cond Res 36(12): 3409-3414, 2022-Accurate prescription of supramaximal interval running during Australian Rules Football (AF) preparatory periods is important to facilitate the specific targeting of physiological and neuromuscular adaptation.

The role of gender power relations on women's health outcomes: evidence from a maternal health coverage survey in Simiyu region, Tanzania.

Background: Gender is a crucial consideration of human rights that impacts many priority maternal health outcomes. However, gender is often only reported in relation to sex-disaggregated data in health coverage surveys. Few coverage surveys to date have integrated a more expansive set of gender-related questions and indicators, especially in low- to middle-income countries that have high levels of reported gender inequality.

Scoping review to identify and map the health personnel considered skilled birth attendants in low-and-middle income countries from 2000-2015.

Introduction: The "percentage of births attended by a skilled birth attendant" (SBA) is an indicator that has been adopted by several global monitoring frameworks, including the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) agenda for regular monitoring as part of target 3.1 for reducing maternal mortality by 2030. However, accurate and consistent measurement is challenged by contextual differences between and within countries on the definition of SBA, including the education, training, competencies, and functions they are qualified to perform.

Protocol for a scoping review to identify and map the global health personnel considered skilled attendants at birth in low and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2015.

Introduction: Despite progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), maternal mortality remains high in countries where there are shortages of skilled personnel able to manage and provide quality care during pregnancy and childbirth. The 'percentage of births attended by skilled health personnel' (SAB, skilled attendants at birth) was a key indicator for tracking progress since the MDGs and is part of the Sustainable Development Goal agenda. However, due to contextual differences between and within countries on the definition of SAB, a lack of clarity exists around the training, competencies, and skills they are qualified to perform.

Female respondent acceptance of computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) for maternal, newborn and child health coverage surveys in rural Uganda.

Introduction: High maternal and child mortality continues in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Measurement of maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) coverage indicators often involves an expensive, complex, and lengthy household data collection process that is especially difficult in less-resourced settings. Computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) has been proposed as a cost-effective and efficient alternative to traditional paper-and-pencil interviewing (PAPI).

Effectiveness of Rehabilitation Interventions to Improve Gait Speed in Children With Cerebral Palsy: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have decreased gait speeds, which can negatively affect their community participation and quality of life. However, evidence for effective rehabilitation interventions to improve gait speed remains unclear.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of interventions for improving gait speed in ambulatory children with CP.

The impact of caesarean section on breastfeeding initiation, duration and difficulties in the first four months postpartum.

Background: The caesarean section (c-section) rate in Canada is 27.1%, well above the 5-15% of deliveries suggested by the World Health Organization in 2009. Emergency and planned c-sections may adversely affect breastfeeding initiation, milk supply and infant breastfeeding receptivity compared to vaginal deliveries.

Effect of oral vitamin D analogs on mortality and cardiovascular outcomes among adults with chronic kidney disease: a meta-analysis.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and has been associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in observational studies. However, evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) supporting vitamin D supplementation is lacking. We sought to assess whether vitamin D supplementation alters the relative risk (RR) of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, as well as serious adverse cardiovascular events, in patients with CKD, compared with placebo.

Maternal perceptions of partner support during breastfeeding.

Background: Many women find breastfeeding challenging to sustain beyond the first three postpartum months. Women rely on a variety of resources to aid and encourage breastfeeding, including 'partner support'. Women's perception of partner support during breastfeeding may influence maternal satisfaction and confidence but it remains understudied.