'God is the one who give child': An abductive analysis of barriers to postnatal care using the Health Equity Implementation Framework.

Background: Postnatal care is recommended as a means of preventing maternal mortality during the postpartum period, but many women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) do not access care during this period. We set out to examine sociocultural preferences that have been portrayed as barriers to care.

Methods: We performed an abductive analysis of 63 semi-structured interviews with women who had recently given birth in three regions of Ethiopia using the Health Equity Implementation Framework (HEIF) and an inductive-deductive codebook to understand why women in Ethiopia do not use recommended postnatal care.

Folate and vitamin B status and predicted neural tube defects risk among nonpregnant women of reproductive age from the Malawi National Micronutrient Survey, 2015-2016.

Background: Maternal folate and vitamin B deficiency can lead to serious adverse pregnancy outcomes. There are no nationally representative estimates on folate and vitamin B status among women of reproductive age (WRA) in Malawi.

Objective: We assessed folate and vitamin B status among nonpregnant WRA in Malawi and predicted the risk of folate-sensitive neural tube defects (NTDs) were they to become pregnant.

Experiences of breastfeeding peer counseling among women with low incomes in the US: a qualitative evaluation.

Background: Person-centered breastfeeding counseling is a key but often overlooked aspect of high-quality services. We explored women's experiences of the Breastfeeding Heritage and Pride™ program, an evidence-based breastfeeding peer counseling program serving women with low incomes in the United States.

Methods: This study was conducted through an equitable community-clinical-academic partnership and guided by the World Health Organization (WHO) quality of care framework for maternal and newborn health, which highlights three domains of positive experiences of care: effective communication; respect and dignity; and emotional support.

Implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative in Mexico: a systematic literature review using the RE-AIM framework.

Unlabelled: The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is a global strategy to encourage health facilities to promote, support, and protect breastfeeding by implementing a package of policies and practices known as the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. Prior studies have found that implementing the Ten Steps has a positive impact on breastfeeding outcomes. Yet, little is known about the implementation of the Ten Steps in Mexico.

Adapting and scaling a proven diabetes prevention program across 11 worksites in India: the INDIA-WORKS trial.

Background: Structured lifestyle change education reduces the burden of cardiometabolic diseases such as diabetes. Delivery of these programs at worksites could overcome barriers to program adoption and improve program sustainability and reach; however, tailoring to the worksite setting is essential.

Methods: The Integrating Diabetes Prevention in Workplaces (INDIA-WORKS) study tested the implementation and effectiveness of a multi-level program for reducing cardiometabolic disease risk factors at 11 large and diverse worksites across India.

Client experience of food assistance programs among adults in the United States: a qualitative evidence synthesis protocol.

Introduction: Policymakers, health practitioners, and other key partners are increasingly focused on ensuring that clients of food assistance programs have positive experiences, a key aspect of high-quality programming. The objectives of this review are to describe the experiences of clients participating in food assistance programs in the United States (US) and to identify ways that these programs promote or hinder positive experiences.

Methods And Analysis: We will conduct a qualitative evidence synthesis with partners from food security organizations and community members.

Adapting and scaling a proven diabetes prevention program across 11 worksites in India: the INDIA-WORKS trial.

Background: Delivery of proven structured lifestyle change education for reducing the burden of cardiometabolic diseases such as diabetes at worksites could overcome barriers to program adoption and improve sustainability and reach of these programs; however, tailoring to the worksite setting is essential.

Methods: The Integrating Diabetes Prevention in Workplaces (INDIA-WORKS) study tested the implementation and effectiveness of a multi-level program for reducing cardiometabolic disease risk factors at eleven large and diverse worksites across India. Herein, we describe and classify program adaptations reported during in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with worksite managers, program staff, peer educators involved in program delivery, and program participants and drop-outs.

Navigating and manipulating childbirth services in Afar, Ethiopia: A qualitative study of cultural safety in the birthing room.

Access to maternal health services has increased in Ethiopia during the past decades. However, increasing the demand for government birthing facility use remains challenging. In Ethiopia's Afar Region, these challenges are amplified given the poorly developed infrastructure, pastoral nature of communities, distinct cultural traditions, and the more nascent health system.

Disparities in diabetes prevalence and management by race and ethnicity in the USA: defining a path forward.

Type 2 diabetes disparities in the USA persist in both the prevalence of disease and diabetes-related complications. We conducted a literature review related to diabetes prevention, management, and complications across racial and ethnic groups in the USA. The objective of this review is to summarise the current understanding of diabetes disparities by examining differences between and within racial and ethnic groups and among young people (aged <18 years).

Shifting to virtual breastfeeding counseling for low-income women in the US during COVID-19: A partner-engaged multimethod evaluation of program adaptations.

Background: The Breastfeeding Heritage and Pride program (BHP) provides evidence-based breastfeeding peer counseling to low-income women. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BHP shifted from delivering in-person and virtual services to providing only virtual services. Program adaptations can impact implementation success, which could influence program effectiveness.

Using Health Care Professionals' Perspectives to Refine a Clinical Decision Support Implementation Strategy for Increasing the Prescribing of HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in Alabama.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is underused in the southern United States (US), a region with high HIV incidence. Clinical decision support (CDS) tools could increase PrEP prescriptions. We explored barriers to PrEP delivery and views of CDS tools to identify refinements for implementation strategies for PrEP prescribing and PrEP CDS tools.

How much does it cost to implement the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative training step in the United States and Mexico?

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) has been shown to increase breastfeeding rates, improving maternal and child health and driving down healthcare costs via the benefits of breastfeeding. Despite its clear public health and economic benefits, one key challenge of implementing the BFHI is procuring funding to sustain the program. To address this need and help healthcare stakeholders advocate for funds, we developed a structured method to estimate the first-year cost of implementing BFHI staff training, using the United States (US) and Mexico as case studies.

Cerebrovascular disease in sickle cell disease.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common type of hereditary anaemia and genetic disorder worldwide. Cerebrovascular disease is one of its most devastating complications, with consequent increased morbidity and mortality. Current guidelines suggest that children and adults with SCD who develop acute ischaemic stroke should be transfused without delay.

Impact of prelacteal feeds and neonatal introduction of breast milk substitutes on breastfeeding outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The introduction of fluids other than breast milk during the first few days of life or later neonatal period has been identified as a risk factor for suboptimal breastfeeding (BF) outcomes in numerous studies using varying study designs. However, the relationship between early introduction of fluids other than breast milk and BF outcomes has not been systematically assessed using only prospective studies that can establish temporality, which is critical for determining whether observed associations are causal. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies to assess if there is a difference in BF outcomes as a result of the introduction of: (a) milk-based prelacteals, (b) water-based prelacteals and (c) breast milk substitutes (BMS) between 4 days and 4 weeks postpartum.

Risk factors for self-reported insufficient milk during the first 6 months of life: A systematic review.

The objective of this systematic review was to identify multifactorial risk factors for self-reported insufficient milk (SRIM) and delayed onset of lactation (DOL). The review protocol was registered a priori in PROSPERO (ID# CDR42021240413). Of the 120 studies included (98 on SRIM, 18 on DOL, and 4 both), 37 (31%) studies were conducted in North America, followed by 26 (21.

The Epidemiology of Neurological Complications in Adults With Sickle Cell Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Risk factors for neurological complications in sickle cell disease differ in the adult and pediatric populations. Here, we focused on neurological complications in adults with sickle cell disease. Patients were selected using the audit data from the St George's Hospital Red Cell Database.

Promoting equity in breastfeeding through peer counseling: the US Breastfeeding Heritage and Pride program.

Background: In the United States, Black and Hispanic mothers have lower breastfeeding rates compared with White mothers. To address breastfeeding inequities, the Breastfeeding Heritage and Pride program (BHP) provides breastfeeding support for predominately low-income minority mothers in Connecticut and Massachusetts. We described the process of designing BHP, the program model, and its impact on breastfeeding outcomes.

Breastfeeding Media Coverage and Beliefs During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico: Implications for Breastfeeding Equity.

Background: Breastfeeding offers short- and long- term health benefits to mothers and children and constitutes a priority for public health. Evidence shows that SARS-CoV-2 is not likely to be transmitted via breastmilk. Moreover, antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 are presumably contained in breastmilk of mothers with history of COVID-19 infection or vaccination.

Patient, caregiver, and health care provider perspectives on barriers and facilitators to heart failure care in Kerala, India: A qualitative study.

Deficits in quality of care for patients with heart failure (HF) contribute to high mortality in this population. This qualitative study aimed to understand the barriers and facilitators to high-quality HF care in Kerala, India. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of health care providers (n=13), patients and caregivers (n=14).

Implementation of childhood obesity prevention and control policies in the United States and Latin America: Lessons for cross-border research and practice.

Progress has been made in the development and widespread implementation of effective interventions to address childhood obesity, yet important challenges remain. To understand how the United States and Latin American countries achieved success in implementing obesity policies and programs (PAPs) and identify improvement opportunities using implementation science principles. We identified three comparative case studies: (1) front-of-food package labeling (Mexico and Chile); (2) Open Streets/play streets (Colombia and the United States); and (3) the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (Brazil and the United States).

Vitamin A deficiency has declined in Malawi, but with evidence of elevated vitamin A in children.

Background: Reduction of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in Malawi coincided with introduction of vitamin A-fortified staple foods, alongside continued biannual high-dose vitamin A supplementation (VAS).

Objective: We describe coverage of vitamin A interventions and vitamin A status in the 2015-2016 Malawi Micronutrient Survey.

Methods: Food samples and biospecimens were collected within a representative household survey across 105 clusters.

A case report of inverted Meckel's diverticulum.

Inverted Meckel's diverticulum is an entity often discovered incidentally or through a clinical evaluation for gastrointestinal bleeding. While rare, inverted Meckel's diverticulum should be considered in the evaluation of a patient presenting with gastrointestinal bleeding, intestinal obstruction, or intussusception. In this case, a 67-year-old female with a remote history of surgically treated breast cancer presents to an urgent care facility with weakness and fatigue.