Maternal and child health journal
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Matern Child Health J · Oct 2013
Women's intimate partner violence perpetration during pregnancy and postpartum.
The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the prevalence of women's psychological, minor physical, and severe physical intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration during the first 18 weeks of pregnancy and at 6 weeks postpartum and to compare women who used each type of IPV to those who did not. Women who increased their IPV perpetration over time were also compared to women who decreased or did not change their IPV perpetration over time. A sample of 180 women participated in a larger study of the well-being of pregnant women. ⋯ Women who perpetrated IPV reported higher levels of IPV victimization, reported partner alcohol misuse, stress, depression, and lower dyadic adjustment compared to women who did not. Women's IPV perpetration was associated with several negative outcomes. Findings suggest that IPV screening during pregnancy and postpartum should include women's IPV perpetration and should be conducted at multiple time points, since women's IPV experiences may change over time.
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Matern Child Health J · Oct 2013
Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain, and age at menarche in daughters.
Life course theory suggests that early life experiences can shape health over a lifetime and across generations. Associations between maternal pregnancy experience and daughters' age at menarche are not well understood. We examined whether maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain (GWG) were independently related to daughters' age at menarche. ⋯ The association between maternal pre-pregnancy weight and daughters' menarcheal timing was not mediated by daughter's birth weight, prepubertal BMI or maternal GWG. Maternal factors, before and during pregnancy, are potentially important determinants of daughters' menarcheal timing and are amenable to intervention. Further research is needed to better understand pathways through which these factors operate.
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Matern Child Health J · Oct 2013
Racial disparities in economic and clinical outcomes of pregnancy among Medicaid recipients.
To explore racial-ethnic disparities in adverse pregnancy outcomes among Medicaid recipients, and to estimate excess Medicaid costs associated with the disparities. Cross-sectional study of adverse pregnancy outcomes and Medicaid payments using data from Medicaid Analytic eXtract files on all Medicaid enrollees in fourteen southern states. Compared to other racial and ethnic groups, African American women tended to be younger, more likely to have a Cesarean section, to stay longer in the hospital and to incur higher Medicaid costs. ⋯ Racial disparities in adverse pregnancy outcomes not only represent potentially preventable human suffering, but also avoidable economic costs. There is a significant financial return-on-investment opportunity tied to eliminating racial disparities in birth outcomes. With the Affordable Care Act expansion of Medicaid coverage for the year 2014, Medicaid could be powerful public health tool for improving pregnancy outcomes.
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Matern Child Health J · Oct 2013
What will it take to maintain the maternal and child health gains made in Haiti prior to the 2010 earthquake?: an analysis of past progress, trends, and the prospects for the realization of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5.
This report assesses the commendable progress made in maternal and child mortality reductions in Haiti prior to the January 2010 earthquake. Suggested measures that the Haitian government and international donor community can take to maintain these gains are also made. With the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) deadline of 2015 drawing nearer, the likelihood that Haiti will achieve MDG's 4 and 5 of reducing child and maternal mortality by two-thirds and three-quarters, respectively, by the end of this target year, remain questionable. ⋯ Post-quake public health and social service reconstruction efforts will need to incorporate maternal and child health-friendly services into their designs. It also remains critical that international donors continue to meet their pledges to Haiti. The Haitian government should also take more strides to clearly delineate the maternal and child health interventions it implements, both in order to facilitate greater national learning, as well as to improve the likelihood of future replication.