Infant and young child feeding practice status and its determinants in UAE: results from the MISC cohort.

Background: To evaluate breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices and their determinants among infants and young children in the United Arab Emirates using the 2021 WHO/UNICEF IYCF guidelines.

Methods: The Mother and Infant Study Cohort (MISC), is a prospective study of mothers recruited in their third gestational trimester and followed with their infants up to 18 months of age (n = 167). Data were collected at 3rd trimester, delivery, 2, 6, 12, and 18 months postpartum via questionnaires, review of medical records, anthropometric measurements, and 24-hour dietary recalls of the child's intake at 6, 12, and 18 months.

Adaptation and psychometric assessment of the postpartum childcare stress checklist among Arab women in the United Arab Emirates.

Problem: There is currently no validated version of the Postpartum Childcare Stress Checklist (PCSC) in the context of Arabic-speaking women in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Background: The postpartum period is a transformative phase in a woman's life, during which mothers are highly vulnerable to mental health problems, compounded by childcare demands. Childcare stress is a strong predictor of postpartum depression.

Translation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Arabic Version of the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form Among Women in the United Arab Emirates.

Background: Breastfeeding self-efficacy as a construct has been theoretically and empirically linked to exclusive breastfeeding in studies globally using the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (BSES-SF). However, its application in the Middle East and North Africa region is limited, as it has not been validated.

Research Aims: To psychometrically validate the BSES-SF among a sample of mothers in the United Arab Emirates.

Prevalence and multivariable predictors of breastfeeding outcomes in the United Arab Emirates: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Despite considerable policy actions at the national and hospital levels, rates of breastfeeding in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remain below the global average. There is a need to explore the modifiable factors of breastfeeding such as maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy (BSE), support, and mental health among women in this region to guide interventions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The aim of this study was to examine the maternal predictors of any and exclusive breastfeeding in a cohort of Emirati and expatriate women residing in the UAE with a specific focus on modifiable factors.

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet during pregnancy is associated with lower odds of excessive gestational weight gain and postpartum weight retention: results of the Mother-Infant Study Cohort.

During the first 1000 d of life, gestational weight gain (GWG) and postpartum weight retention (PPWR) are considered critical determinants of nutritional status. This study examined the effect of adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) during pregnancy on GWG and PPWR at 2 and 6 months among women in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), using data from the Mother-Infant Study Cohort. The latter is a prospective study, for which pregnant women were recruited ( 243) during their third trimester and were followed up for 18 months.

Dietary patterns and their associations with gestational weight gain in the United Arab Emirates: results from the MISC cohort.

Background: Suboptimum weight gain during pregnancy may carry long term health consequences for the infant or mother. Nutritional imbalances are well recognized as a determinant of gestational weight gain. Few studies examined the effect of dietary patterns on gestational weight gain, especially in countries undergoing nutrition transition, such as the United Arab Emirates.

Gestational weight gain and gestational diabetes among Emirati and Arab women in the United Arab Emirates: results from the MISC cohort.

Background: Nutritional status of women during pregnancy has been considered an important prognostic indicator of pregnancy outcomes.

Objectives: To investigate the pattern of gestational weight gain (GWG) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and their risk factors among a cohort of Emirati and Arab women residing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A secondary objective was to investigate pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and its socio-demographic correlates among study participants.

Human Milk Oligosaccharide, Phospholipid, and Ganglioside Concentrations in Breast Milk from United Arab Emirates Mothers: Results from the MISC Cohort.

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), phospholipids (PLs), and gangliosides (GAs) are components of human breast milk that play important roles in the development of the rapidly growing infant. The differences in these components in human milk from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were studied in a cross-sectional trial. High-performance liquid chromatography‒mass spectrometry was used to determine HMO, PL, and GA concentrations in transitional (5-15 days) and mature (at 6 months post-partum) breast milk of mothers of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Mother-Infant Study Cohort (MISC): Methodology, challenges, and baseline characteristics.

Background: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) exhibits alarming high prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors. Emerging evidence highlighted the role of maternal and early child nutrition in preventing later-onset NCDs. The objectives of this article are to describe the design and methodology of the first Mother and Infant Study Cohort (MISC) in UAE; present the baseline demographic characteristics of the study participants; and discuss the challenges of the cohort and their respective responding strategies.

The Sharjah Baby-Friendly Campaign: A Community-Based Model for Breastfeeding Promotion, Protection, and Support.

Introduction: Breastfeeding promotion, protection, and support are one of the most cost-effective public health interventions to advance maternal and child health. The World Health Organization, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, and numerous health organizations have recommended exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life, which is a key indicator of breastfeeding promotion programs worldwide. Despite the recommendations and various initiatives to promote breastfeeding, most women do not reach the exclusive breastfeeding target in both developed and developing countries.