Severe maternal morbidity in the high income setting: a systematic review of composite definitions.

Background: Severe maternal morbidity (SMM) is an important indicator for the improvement of maternity care. Measurement of SMM varies, limiting global comparisons. To promote concordance we studied how SMM has been defined in epidemiological practice.

Differences between neonatal units with high and low rates of breast milk feeding for very preterm babies at discharge: a qualitative study of staff experiences.

Background: Breast milk has significant benefits for preterm babies, but 'very preterm' babies are unable to feed directly from the breast at birth. Their mothers have to initiate and sustain lactation through expressing milk for tube feeding until their babies are developmentally ready to feed orally. There are wide disparities between neonatal units in England in rates of breast milk feeding at discharge.

Breastfeeding support during the Covid-19 pandemic in England: analysis of a national survey.

Background: Breastfeeding support interventions are associated with longer breastfeeding duration. Contemporary nationally representative data on breastfeeding support as reported by women in England is lacking. Using English national maternity survey data, we describe sources and modes of breastfeeding support as reported by women who gave birth in 2020; sources of support are compared with earlier maternity surveys (2014, 2016, 2018).

Analyses of Xenorhabdus griffiniae genomes reveal two distinct sub-species that display intra-species variation due to prophages.

Background: Nematodes of the genus Steinernema and their Xenorhabdus bacterial symbionts are lethal entomopathogens that are useful in the biocontrol of insect pests, as sources of diverse natural products, and as research models for mutualism and parasitism. Xenorhabdus play a central role in all aspects of the Steinernema lifecycle, and a deeper understanding of their genomes therefore has the potential to spur advances in each of these applications.

Results: Here, we report a comparative genomics analysis of Xenorhabdus griffiniae, including the symbiont of Steinernema hermaphroditum nematodes, for which genetic and genomic tools are being developed.