Lessons from the "Humanization of Childbirth" Projects: Qualitative analysis of seven projects funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The "Humanization of Childbirth" Project is one of the various maternity care models that respect women and their newborn children. For more than a quarter of a century, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been implementing technical cooperation projects worldwide that place the humanization of childbirth at the center of the concept. By reviewing the project reports, the following 11 key processes were found for the formulation and implementation of future projects for the humanized maternity care: ) project-finding/exploration of unmet needs, ) identification of local key persons, ) organization of a project team and a back-up committee, ) development of an action plan, ) sharing of concepts, ) development of local leadership, ) organization of infrastructure, ) final evaluation and wrap-up seminar, ) ensuring sustainability, ) development of younger generation experts, and ) sustainable and autonomous action.

Outcomes of a primary care mental health implementation program in rural Rwanda: A quasi-experimental implementation-effectiveness study.

Introduction: To address the know-do gap in the integration of mental health care into primary care in resource-limited settings, a multi-faceted implementation program initially designed to integrate HIV/AIDS care into primary care was adapted for severe mental disorders and epilepsy in Burera District, Rwanda. The Mentoring and Enhanced Supervision at Health Centers (MESH MH) program supported primary care-delivered mental health service delivery scale-up from 6 to 19 government-run health centers over two years. This quasi-experimental study assessed implementation reach, fidelity, and clinical outcomes at health centers supported by MESH MH during the scale up period.

Evaluating process and clinical outcomes of a primary care mental health integration project in rural Rwanda: a prospective mixed-methods protocol.

Introduction: Integrating mental healthcare into primary care can reduce the global burden of mental disorders. Yet data on the effective implementation of real-world task-shared mental health programmes are limited. In 2012, the Rwandan Ministry of Health and the international healthcare organisation Partners in Health collaboratively adapted the Mentoring and Enhanced Supervision at Health Centers (MESH) programme, a successful programme of supported supervision based on task-sharing for HIV/AIDS care, to include care of neuropsychiatric disorders within primary care settings (MESH Mental Health).

Prevalence and Factors Associated With Postpartum Depression in Fathers: A Regional, Longitudinal Study in Japan.

Paternal postpartum depression may affect not only the mental health and wellbeing of fathers but their partners and children. We investigated the point and period prevalence of paternal postpartum depression and its association with factors measured during pregnancy in a regional longitudinal study in Nishio City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, between December 1, 2012, and April 30, 2013. Data were collected once in pregnancy and five times in the first three months postpartum.

The Association between Children's Behavior and Parenting of Caregivers: A Longitudinal Study in Japan.

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the association between children's behavior (i.e., prosocial and problematic behavior) and the parenting style (i.

Prevalence of Perineal Lacerations in Women Giving Birth at Midwife-Led Birth Centers in Japan: A Retrospective Descriptive Study.

Introduction: Perineal lacerations during birth can cause ongoing physical, psychological, and social problems. However, the prevalence of lacerations following normal spontaneous vaginal birth in women with low-risk pregnancies is unknown. We investigated the prevalence of perineal lacerations and factors associated with lacerations among low-risk Japanese women who had normal spontaneous vaginal births.

Mother-to-Child Transmission of Chagas Disease in El Salvador.

To estimate the incidence (any mother to child) and rate (from seropositive mother to child) of mother-to-child transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi, a serological census was conducted, targeting pregnant women and infants born to seropositive mothers, in four municipalities of El Salvador. Of 943 pregnant women, 36 (3.8%) were seropositive for T.

Risk factors for Chagas disease among pregnant women in El Salvador.

Objectives: To determine the seroprevalence of Chagas disease among pregnant women and estimate the risk factors for Chagas disease during pregnancies.

Methods: Community-based serological tests on Trypanosoma cruzi and structured interviews on socio-demographic and socio-economic status were conducted with pregnant women registered at three health centres in Sonsonate province, El Salvador.

Results: Of 797 pregnant women participating in the study, 29 (3.

Prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in blood donors in El Salvador between 2001 and 2011.

Introduction: El Salvador is regarded as a highly endemic country for Chagas disease, as evidenced by the relatively high estimated positive serology rate for Trypanosoma cruzi among blood donors. This study aimed to identify the factors contributing to this high rate by analyzing changes in T. cruzi seroprevalence.

A longitudinal study of women's memories of their childbirth experiences at five years postpartum.

Background: Few studies have investigated whether women can accurately recall their birthing experiences after a long period. We investigated the consistency of women's memories of their childbirth experiences between those at a few days postpartum and 5 years later.

Methods: This prospective cohort study comprised 1,168 women who delivered at a maternity hospital and four maternity homes in Japan between May 2002 and August 2003.

Understanding childbirth practices as an organizational cultural phenomenon: a conceptual framework.

Understanding the main values and beliefs that might promote humanized birth practices in the specialized hospitals requires articulating the theoretical knowledge of the social and cultural characteristics of the childbirth field and the relations between these and the institution. This paper aims to provide a conceptual framework allowing examination of childbirth practices through the lens of an organizational culture theory. A literature review performed to extrapolate the social and cultural factors contribute to birth practices and the factors likely overlap and mutually reinforce one another, instead of complying with the organizational culture of the birth place.

[Effects of a rich emotionally-satisfying childbirth experience of mothers on their later parental attitudes and behavior in school-age children].

This study examined the effects of a rich, emotionally-satisfying childbirth experience (CBE) of mothers on the behavior of school-age children using longitudinal data measured from immediately to 7 years and 6 months after birth. The results of structural equation modeling revealed the following: 1) giving birth in a midwifery center enhances emotional satisfaction with CBE, 2) a rich CBE of mothers was associated with parental warmth, 3) parental warmth during early childhood increased prosocial behavior and reduced behavioral problems in school-age children, and 4) temperamentally difficulty in early childhood were linked to later behavioral problems in school-age children. Thus, a rich CBE and parental warmth were suggested to be factors contributing to the good behavior of school-age children.

Characteristics of caregiver perceptions of end-of-life caregiving experiences in cancer survivorship: in-depth interview study.

Objective: Little is known about caregiver experiences during the end-of-life period. Our objective was to characterize caregiver perceptions of their experiences in cancer survivorship with special reference to the end-of-life stage considering depression in bereavement.

Methods: Qualitative research using in-depth interviews of 34 caregivers from two palliative care units in Japan.

Facilitators and barriers in the humanization of childbirth practice in Japan.

Background: Humanizing birth means considering women's values, beliefs, and feelings and respecting their dignity and autonomy during the birthing process. Reducing over-medicalized childbirths, empowering women and the use of evidence-based maternity practice are strategies that promote humanized birth. Nevertheless, the territory of birth and its socio-cultural values and beliefs concerning child bearing can deeply affect birthing practices.

Humanized birth in high risk pregnancy: barriers and facilitating factors.

The medical model of childbearing assumes that a pregnancy always has the potential to turn into a risky procedure. In order to advocate humanized birth in high risk pregnancy, an important step involves the enlightenment of the professional's preconceptions on humanized birth in such a situation. The goal of this paper is to identify the professionals' perception of the potential obstacles and facilitating factors for the implementation of humanized care in high risk pregnancies.

[The positive psychological impact of rich childbirth experiences on child-rearing].

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological implications of emotionally enriching childbirth experiences for problems such as awareness of motherhood, postnatal depression, and parenting stress among women after childbirth.

Method: All women who gave birth at five study centers (four birthing homes and one maternity hospital) during May 2002 and August 2003 were asked to participate in the cohort study. All 2314 women were approached and 1004 eligible women agreed to take part.

[Study on solvent abuse among junior high school students in Saitama, Japan].

Objective: The purposes of this study were to estimate the prevalence of past solvent abuse among junior high school students in Saitama prefecture and to investigate smoking and drinking as "gateway drugs" for solvent abuse.

Methods: The survey was conducted from Dec 2002 to Jan 2003, in 3 junior high schools in Saitama, using anonymous self-reporting to preserve privacy. A total of 2,049 (93.

[Drug Addiction Self-Help Recovery scale (DASH-scale): an approach to the measurement of recovery from drug addiction in self-help program among drug addicts].

The purpose of the study was to develop a scale for measuring the recovery in self-help program for drug addicts. Our study sites were fourteen self-help groups for drug addicts called "DARC: Drug Addiction Rehabilitation Center". DARC activities were based on Narcotics Anonymous types of self-help program.

From 'culture of dehumanization of childbirth' to 'childbirth as a transformative experience': changes in five municipalities in north-east Brazil.

Brazil has become a country known as having one of the most extreme examples of the consequences of the hospital-based medicalization of delivery care, while a model of humanization of birth was developed in the State of Ceará in the 1970s. The Government of Japan, through the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), collaborated with the Federal Ministry of Health of Brazil and the Government of the State of Ceará, in implementing the Maternal and Child Health Improvement Project in north-east Brazil (1996-2001). This project focused on 'humanization of childbirth', with training based intervention activities.

From 'culture of dehumanization of childbirth' to 'childbirth as a transformative experience': changes in five municipalities in north-east Brazil.

Brazil has become a country known as having one of the most extreme examples of the consequences of the hospital-based medicalization of delivery care, while a model of humanization of birth was developed in the State of Ceará in the 1970s. The Government of Japan, through the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), collaborated with the Federal Ministry of Health of Brazil and the Government of the State of Ceará, in implementing the Maternal and Child Health Improvement Project in north-east Brazil (1996-2001). This project focused on 'humanization of childbirth', with training based intervention activities.

Determinants of abortion among women admitted to hospitals in Fortaleza, North Eastern Brazil.

Background: Maternal mortality from complications of unsafe abortion constitutes a serious problem in several developing countries. There is, however, a paucity of well-designed and implemented studies in this area, especially in Latin America. The aim of this paper is to present the findings on the determinants and medical characteristics of abortions among women admitted to hospitals.

[Use of manual vacuum aspiration in reducing cost and duration of hospitalization due to incomplete abortion in an urban area of northeastern Brazil].

Introduction: In most developed countries vacuum aspiration has been shown to be safer and less costly than sharp curettage (SC) for uterine evacuation. In many of the developing countries, including Brazil, sharp curettage (SC) is the most commonly used technique for treating cases of incomplete abortion admitted to hospital. The procedure often involves light to heavy sedation for pain control and an overnight hospital stay for patient recuperation and monitoring.