Maternal and child health journal
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Matern Child Health J · Jan 2009
Racial disparities in perinatal outcomes and pregnancy spacing among women delaying initiation of childbearing.
Reducing racial/ethnic disparities is a key objective of the Healthy People 2010 initiative. Unfortunately, racial disparities among women delaying initiation of childbearing have received limited attention. As more women in the US are delaying initiation of childbearing, it is important to examine racial disparities in reproductive health outcomes for this subgroup of women. ⋯ Although African Americans were less likely to delay initiation of childbearing than were White women, their risk for adverse perinatal outcomes was much greater. As health care providers strive to address racial disparities in birth outcomes, there is need to pay attention to this unique group of women as their population continues to increase.
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Matern Child Health J · Jan 2009
A multi-method assessment of satisfaction with services in the medical home by parents of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN).
To assess satisfaction of parents of children with special health care needs with treatment by office staff, communication with the pediatrician, involvement in decision-making and coordination of services outside the practice. ⋯ Both the focus groups and surveys demonstrated that families of children with special needs are under very significant stress. Pediatricians must become better equipped to identify and communicate more proactively with families of CYSHCN that are experiencing significant parent burden. Pediatricians and their staff also need to improve their knowledge of community resources and proactively make referrals to community services needed by families of CYSHCN.
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Matern Child Health J · Jan 2009
What does access to maternal care mean among the urban poor? Factors associated with use of appropriate maternal health services in the slum settlements of Nairobi, Kenya.
The study seeks to improve understanding of maternity health seeking behaviors in resource-deprived urban settings. The objective of this paper is to identify the factors which influence the choice of place of delivery among the urban poor, with a distinction between sub-standard and "appropriate" health facilities. ⋯ Interventions to improve the health of urban poor women should include improvements in the provision of, and access to, quality obstetric health services. Women should be encouraged to attend antenatal care where they can be given advice on delivery care and other pregnancy-related issues. Target groups should include poorest, less educated and higher parity women.