The implementation of the free maternal health policy in rural Northern Ghana: synthesised results and lessons learnt.

Objective: A free maternal health policy was implemented under Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme to promote the use of maternal health services. Under the policy, women are entitled to free services throughout pregnancy and at childbirth. A mixed methods study involving women, providers and insurance managers was carried out in the Kassena-Nankana municipality of Ghana.

Maternal and perinatal outcomes by planned place of birth among women with low-risk pregnancies in high-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The comparative safety of different birth settings is widely debated. Comparing research across high-income countries is complex, given differences in maternity service provision, data discrepancies, and varying research techniques and quality. Studies of births planned at home or in birth centres have reported both better and poorer outcomes than planned hospital births.

Spatial patterns of the United States National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD) land-cover change thematic accuracy (2001-2011).

Research on spatial non-stationarity of land-cover classification accuracy has been ongoing for over two decades with most of the work focusing on single date maps. We extend the understanding of thematic map accuracy spatial patterns by: (1) quantifying spatial patterns of map-reference agreement for class-specific land-cover change rather than class-specific land cover for both omission and commission expressions of map error; (2) reporting goodness-of-fit estimates for the empirical models, which have been lacking in previous assessments, and; (3) using the empirical model results to map the locations of the relative likelihoods of map-reference agreement for specific land-cover change classes. We evaluated 10 map-based explanatory variables in single and multivariable logistic regression models to predict the likelihood of agreement between map and reference land-cover change (2001-2011) labels using the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2011 land cover and accuracy data.

Neonatal outcomes of live-born term singletons in vertex presentation born to mothers with diabetes during pregnancy by mode of birth: a New South Wales population-based retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: To investigate the association between the mode of birth and adverse neonatal outcomes of macrosomic (birth weight ≥4000 g) and non-macrosomic (birth weight <4000 g) live-born term singletons in vertex presentation (TSV) born to mothers with diabetes (pre-existing and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)).

Design: A population-based retrospective cohort study.

Setting: New South Wales, Australia.

Genome-wide analysis of the regulation of Cu metabolism in Cryptococcus neoformans.

The ability of the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans to adapt to variable copper (Cu) environments within the host is key for successful dissemination and colonization. During pulmonary infection, host alveolar macrophages compartmentalize Cu into the phagosome and C. neoformans Cu-detoxifying metallothioneins, MT1 and MT2, are required for survival of the pathogen.

Barriers to and strategies for addressing the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of the sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health workforce: addressing the post-2015 agenda.

Background: In a post-2015 development agenda, achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for women and newborns will require a fit-for-purpose and fit-to-practice sexual, reproductive, maternal, adolescent and newborn health (SRMNAH) workforce. The aim of this paper is to explore barriers, challenges and solutions to the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality (AAAQ) of SRMNAH services and workforce.

Methods: The State of the World's Midwifery report 2014 used a broad definition of midwifery ("the health services and health workforce needed to support and care for women and newborns") and provided information about a wide range of SRMNAH workers, including doctors, midwives, nurses and auxiliaries.

Cesarean section and diabetes during pregnancy: An NSW population study using the Robson classification.

Aim: The aim of this study was to identify the main contributors to cesarean section (CS) among women with and without diabetes during pregnancy using the Robson classification and to compare CS rates within Robson groups.

Methods: A population-based cohort study was conducted of all women who gave birth in New South Wales, Australia, between 2002 and 2012. Women with pregestational diabetes (types 1 and 2) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) were grouped using the Robson classification.

Has the free maternal health policy eliminated out of pocket payments for maternal health services? Views of women, health providers and insurance managers in Northern Ghana.

Introduction: The free maternal health policy was implemented in Ghana in 2008 under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). The policy sought to eliminate out of pocket (OOP) payments and enhance the utilisation of maternal health services. It is unclear whether the policy had altered OOP payments for services.

Accuracy assessment of NLCD 2011 impervious cover data for the Chesapeake Bay region, USA.

The National Land Cover Database (NLCD) contains three eras (2001, 2006, 2011) of percentage urban impervious cover (%IC) at the native pixel size (30 m-×-30 m) of the Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite. These data are potentially valuable to environmental managers and stakeholders because of the utility of %IC as an indicator of watershed and aquatic condition, but lack an accuracy assessment because of the absence of suitable reference data. Recently developed 1 m land cover data for the Chesapeake Bay region makes it possible to assess NLCD %IC accuracy for a 262,000 km region based on a census rather than a sample of reference data.

Enabling new graduate midwives to work in midwifery continuity of care models: A conceptual model for implementation.

Background: High-level evidence demonstrates midwifery continuity of care is beneficial for women and babies. Women have limited access to midwifery continuity of care models in Australia. One of the factors limiting women's access is recruiting enough midwives to work in continuity.

The operations of the free maternal care policy and out of pocket payments during childbirth in rural Northern Ghana.

Background: To promote skilled attendance at births and reduce maternal deaths, the government of Ghana introduced the free maternal care policy under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2008. The objective is to eliminate financial barriers associated with the use of services. But studies elsewhere showed that out of pocket (OOP) payments still exist in the midst of fee exemptions.

Birthplace in Australia: Processes and interactions during the intrapartum transfer of women from planned homebirth to hospital.

Objective: the aim of the study was to explore the views and experiences of women, midwives and obstetricians on the intrapartum transfer of women from planned homebirth to hospital in Australia.

Design: a Constructivist Grounded Theory approach was taken, to conceptualise the social interactions and processes grounded in the data.

Setting: urban and regional areas in four states of south-eastern Australia.

Incidence, risk factors and perinatal outcomes for placenta accreta in Australia and New Zealand: a case-control study.

Objective: Estimate the incidence of placenta accreta and describe risk factors, clinical practice and perinatal outcomes.

Design: Case-control study.

Setting: Sites in Australia and New Zealand with at least 50 births per year.

'Asking the hard questions': Improving midwifery students' confidence with domestic violence screening in pregnancy.

Domestic violence is a global public health issue. Midwives are ideally placed to screen for, and respond to, disclosure of domestic violence. Qualified midwives and midwifery students report a lack of preparedness and low levels of confidence in working with women who disclose domestic violence.

The ResQu Index: A new instrument to appraise the quality of research on birth place.

Objective: Place of birth is a known determinant of health care outcomes, interventions and costs. Many studies have examined the maternal and perinatal outcomes when women plan to give birth in hospitals compared with births in birth centres or at home. However, these studies vary substantially in rigour; assessing their quality is challenging.

Vasa Previa Diagnosis, Clinical Practice, and Outcomes in Australia.

Objective: To estimate the incidence of women with vasa previa in Australia and to describe risk factors, timing of diagnosis, clinical practice, and perinatal outcomes.

Methods: A prospective population-based cohort study was undertaken using the Australasian Maternity Outcomes Surveillance System between May 1, 2013, and April 30, 2014, in hospitals in Australia with greater than 50 births per year. Women were included if they were diagnosed with vasa previa during pregnancy or childbirth, confirmed by clinical examination or placental pathology.

Media Representations of Breech Birth: A Prospective Analysis of Web-Based News Reports.

Introduction: Recent research has demonstrated that the media presentation of childbirth is highly medicalized, often portraying birth as risky and dramatic. Media representation of breech presentation and birth is unexplored in this context. This study aimed to explore the content and tone of news media reports relating to breech presentation and breech birth.

A survey of Australian midwives' knowledge, experience, and training needs in relation to female genital mutilation.

Background: Female genital mutilation (FGM) involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or any other injury for non-medical reasons. Due to international migration patterns, health professionals in high income countries are increasingly caring for women with FGM. Few studies explored the knowledge and skills of midwives in high income countries.

The 'Dream Team' for sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health: an adjusted service target model to estimate the ideal mix of health care professionals to cover population need.

Background: A competent, enabled and efficiently deployed health workforce is crucial to the achievement of the health-related sustainable development goals (SDGs). Methods for workforce planning have tended to focus on 'one size fits all' benchmarks, but because populations vary in terms of their demography (e.g.

Best Fed Beginnings: A Nationwide Quality Improvement Initiative to Increase Breastfeeding.

Background And Objective: In response to a low number of Baby-Friendly-designated hospitals in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded the National Institute for Children's Health Quality to conduct a national quality improvement initiative between 2011 and 2015. The initiative was entitled Best Fed Beginnings and enrolled 90 hospitals in a nationwide initiative to increase breastfeeding and achieve Baby-Friendly designation.

Methods: The intervention period lasted from July 2012 to August 2014.

Building midwifery educator capacity using international partnerships: Findings from a qualitative study.

Midwifery educators play a critical role in strengthening the midwifery workforce globally, including in low and lower-middle income countries (LMIC) to ensure that midwives are adequately prepared to deliver quality midwifery care. The most effective approach to building midwifery educator capacity is not always clear. The aim of this study was to determine how one capacity building approach in Papua New Guinea (PNG) used international partnerships to improve teaching and learning.

Barriers to utilization of childbirth services of a rural birthing center in Nepal: A qualitative study.

Background: Maternal mortality and morbidity are public health problems in Nepal. In rural communities, many women give birth at home without the support of a skilled birth attendant, despite the existence of rural birthing centers. The aim of this study was to explore the barriers and provide pragmatic recommendations for better service delivery and use of rural birthing centers.

The histone variant H2A.Z promotes splicing of weak introns.

Multiple lines of evidence implicate chromatin in the regulation of premessenger RNA (pre-mRNA) splicing. However, the influence of chromatin factors on cotranscriptional splice site usage remains unclear. Here we investigated the function of the highly conserved histone variant H2A.