Association between maternal death and cesarean section in Latin America: A systematic literature review.

Background: it is critically important to explore a possible relationship between cesarean section and maternal mortality in Latin America, where the highest cesarean section rates in the world are found. Our aim was to conduct a systematic literature review on the relationship between maternal death and caesarean section in Latin America.

Methods: we undertook a systematic review through six electronic databases.

Fertility intentions of HIV-infected women in the United Kingdom.

In the United Kingdom (UK), the number of pregnancies in HIV-infected women has increased dramatically over the last decade, but attitudes towards childbearing among infected women have not been previously described. The aim of this survey was to explore fertility intentions among HIV-infected women and to assess the effect of HIV treatment and interventions for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) on these intentions. HIV-infected women, aged between 16 and 49 years, attending one of seven HIV clinics in the UK between July 2003 and January 2004 were asked to complete a questionnaire.

Chlamydia in the Pacific region, the silent epidemic.

Background: Second generation surveillance of HIV infection and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among pregnant women in 6 Pacific Island Countries and Territories were undertaken to improve knowledge and to make recommendations on future prevention and management of STIs.

Methods: Cross-sectional studies, using standardized questionnaire, laboratory tests, and protocols were undertaken in Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu between 2004 and 2005. For each country, between 200 and 350 pregnant women aged 15 to 44 years were consecutively recruited from antenatal clinics located in the main hospital of the major urban centre of each Pacific Island Countries and Territories.

Maternal deaths in New South Wales, Australia: a data linkage project.

Background: The magnitude of maternal mortality is underestimated as deaths occurring beyond the traditional 42-day time period after the pregnancy ending ('late death') have not been reported routinely in Australia.

Aims: The aims of this study were to undertake a data linkage study to improve the ascertainment of maternal deaths and to determine the number of deaths occurring 43-365 days after the pregnancy ended ('late maternal death').

Methods: Data from the New South Wales Midwives Data Collection were linked with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare National Death Index.

Uptake of antenatal HIV testing in the United Kingdom: 2000-2003.

Background: A policy for routine antenatal HIV testing was introduced in England in 1999, with uptake targets for 2000 and 2002; similar policies were subsequently introduced throughout the UK.

Methods: Date of implementation of the policy and data for estimating annual uptake of testing 2000-2003 were collected through postal survey of unit-based obstetric respondents to the National Study of HIV in Pregnancy and Childhood (NSHPC).

Results: Implementation date was reported for every unit; uptake data were provided for about three-quarters of implementing units each year.

HIV prevalence in pregnant women in an ethnically diverse population in the UK: 1998-2002.

Objective: To describe trends in the prevalence of HIV in an ethnically diverse population of pregnant women in the United Kingdom.

Methods: Data on parental country of birth from national birth registration records were linked to neonatal dried blood spot samples routinely collected for neonatal screening in the North Thames region between 1998 and 2002. Identifiers were subsequently irreversibly deleted prior to establishing maternal HIV status by testing the neonatal samples.