Hypertension Related Co-Morbidities and Complications in Women of Sub-Saharan Africa: A Brief Review.

Hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease in women, and sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries have some of the highest rates of hypertension in the world. Expanding knowledge of causes, management, and awareness of hypertension and its co-morbidities worldwide is an effective strategy to mitigate its harms, decrease morbidities and mortality, and improve individual quality of life. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs) are a particularly important subset of hypertension, as pregnancy is a major stress test of the cardiovascular system and can be the first instance in which cardiovascular disease is clinically apparent.

Racial disparities in caesarean delivery among nulliparous women that delivered at term: cross-sectional decomposition analysis of Nebraska birth records from 2005-2014.

Background: Previous studies suggest higher rates of caesarean section among women who identify as racial/ethnic minorities. The objective of this study was to understand factors contributing to differences in caesarean rates across racial and ethnic groups.

Methods: Data was collected from 2005 to 2014 Nebraska birth records on nulliparous, singleton births occurring on or after 37 weeks gestation (n = 87,908).

Biopsychosocial Factors during the Perinatal Period: Risks, Preventative Factors, and Implications for Healthcare Professionals.

Women face risks to their wellbeing during the perinatal period of pregnancy. However, there is a dearth of information on perinatal risk factors within the biopsychosocial paradigm. Emphasis is often placed on biological components associated with pregnancy and women's health.

Racial and ethnic disparities in birth Outcomes: A decomposition analysis of contributing factors.

This study seeks to quantify and rank the contribution of selected factors to the observed racial/ethnic disparities in low-birth-weight births (LBWBs) and preterm births (PTBs). Based on vital statistics data on births to primiparous women and characteristics of mothers in the State of Nebraska during the period of 2005 to 2014 (n = 93,375), unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios were estimated to examine the association between selected variables and the odds of having LBWBs or PTBs. Fairlie decomposition analysis was performed to quantify the contribution of each selected factor to racial/ethnic differences in LBWB and PTB rates.

Concentrations of fat-soluble nutrients and blood inflammatory compounds in mother-infant dyads at birth.

Background: Perinatal inflammation adversely affects health. Therefore, aims of this IRB-approved study are: (1) compare inflammatory compounds within and between maternal and umbilical cord blood samples at the time of delivery, (2) assess relationships between inflammatory compounds in maternal and cord blood with birth characteristics/outcomes, and (3) assess relationships between blood and placental fat-soluble nutrients with blood levels of individual inflammatory compounds.

Methods: Mother-infant dyads were enrolled (n = 152) for collection of birth data and biological samples of maternal blood, umbilical cord blood, and placental tissue.

Birth history as a predictor of adverse birth outcomes: Evidence from state vital statistics data.

One of the most important predictors of preterm births (PTBs) or low-birth-weight births (LBWBs) is whether a mother has had a history of these birth outcomes. This study examined how different characterizations of birth history (e.g.

Successful management of extremely high-output refractory congenital chylothorax with chemical pleurodesis using 4% povidone-iodine and propranolol: a case report.

First-line therapy for congenital chylothorax is conservative treatment. However, surgical intervention or chemical pleurodesis is required for refractory cases. With all the concerns regarding its complications, povidone-iodin provided a successful management for a high-output congenital chylothorax.

Neonatal late-onset sepsis following peripherally inserted central catheter removal: association with antibiotic use and adverse line events.

The objective of the study was to evaluate incidence of and risk factors for sepsis following peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) removal. The retrospective cohort study looked at neonatal intensive care unit patients with PICC placement between February 2003 and June 2010 at a single medical center in the United States. Results showed that 14/216 patients (6.

Early-onset neonatal sepsis.

Early-onset sepsis remains a common and serious problem for neonates, especially preterm infants. Group B streptococcus (GBS) is the most common etiologic agent, while Escherichia coli is the most common cause of mortality. Current efforts toward maternal intrapartum antimicrobial prophylaxis have significantly reduced the rates of GBS disease but have been associated with increased rates of Gram-negative infections, especially among very-low-birth-weight infants.

Implementation, process, and outcomes of nutrition best practices for infants <1500 g.

Background: Extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR; weight ≤10th percentile) affects many infants ≤1500 g birth weight (BW). EUGR is associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of optimizing nutrition administration in infants ≤1500 g.