Maternal and child health journal
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Matern Child Health J · Jul 2008
Multicenter StudyAlcohol use, injuries, and prenatal visits during three successive pregnancies among American Indian women on the Northern Plains who have children with fetal alcohol syndrome or incomplete fetal alcohol syndrome.
The purpose of the study was to compare three sequential pregnancies of American Indian women who have children with FAS or children with incomplete FAS with women who did not have children with FAS. ⋯ Alcohol use was documented before, during and after each of the three pregnancies. Women of child-bearing age should be screened for alcohol use whenever they present for medical services. Mothers who had a child with FAS decreased their alcohol consumption with the next pregnancy, a finding that supports the importance of prenatal screening throughout pregnancy. Women who receive medical care for injuries should be screened for alcohol use and referred for appropriate treatment. Protective custody, case management and treatment services need to be readily available for women who use alcohol.
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Matern Child Health J · Jan 2008
Impact of pediatricians' perceived self-efficacy and confidence on violence prevention counseling: a national study.
To measure impact of pediatricians' perceived self-efficacy and confidence on current practices and attitudes regarding four violence prevention (VP) topics (gun storage, gun removal, limiting exposure to media violence, discipline techniques) during health supervision for children ages 2-11. ⋯ Pediatricians reported spending insufficient time on VP counseling. Confidence and perceived self-efficacy levels varied by VP topic, but for all topics pediatricians felt more confident discussing than effective at changing behaviors. Since pediatricians' self-efficacy was related to counseling practices, boosting self-efficacy could ultimately improve counseling frequencies. Further research is needed to identify methods to build providers' perceived self-efficacy regarding these VP areas.
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Matern Child Health J · Sep 2007
Ready or not--intrapartum prevention of perinatal HIV transmission in Illinois.
The overall readiness of Illinois birthing hospitals to comply with the 2003 Illinois HIV Perinatal Prevention Act and prevent perinatal HIV transmission, and the hospital characteristics that predict readiness were examined. ⋯ Despite passage of legislation to increase perinatal HIV testing and reduce transmission, Illinois birthing hospitals had an overall low level of readiness to implement the intrapartum interventions that are an essential part of eradicating pediatric HIV infection. Perinatal reduction protocols and implementation guidelines would improve the overall readiness of Illinois birthing hospitals to prevent perinatal HIV transmission.
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Matern Child Health J · Jul 2007
AZT Availability in Illinois birthing hospitals: is the perinatal HIV prevention safety net in place?
To prevent perinatal HIV transmission, providers must identify HIV status for all women in labor and newborns, and provide timely antiretroviral therapy if necessary. The objective of this study is to evaluate the availability and accessibility of zidovudine (AZT) in Illinois birthing hospitals. ⋯ In order to further reduce perinatal HIV transmission, availability and timely access to both syrup and IV AZT must be improved in Illinois birthing hospitals.
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Matern Child Health J · Mar 2007
Geographic access to family planning facilities and the risk of unintended and teenage pregnancy.
This study tested the hypotheses that greater geographic access to family planning facilities is associated with lower rates of unintended and teenage pregnancies. ⋯ This study found no relationship between greater geographic availability of family planning facilities and a risk of unintended pregnancies. Greater geographic availability of family planning services was associated with a higher risk of teenage pregnancy, although these results may be confounded by facilities locating in areas with greater family planning needs.