Progression of the first stage of spontaneous labour: A prospective cohort study in two sub-Saharan African countries.

BACKGROUND: Escalation in the global rates of labour interventions, particularly cesarean section and oxytocin augmentation, has renewed interest in a better understanding of natural labour progression. Methodological advancements in statistical and computational techniques addressing the limitations of pioneer studies have led to novel findings and triggered a re-evaluation of current labour practices. As part of the World Health Organization's Better Outcomes in Labour Difficulty (BOLD) project, which aimed to develop a new labour monitoring-to-action tool, we examined the patterns of labour progression as depicted by cervical dilatation over time in a cohort of women in Nigeria and Uganda who gave birth vaginally following a spontaneous labour onset. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This was a prospective, multicentre, cohort study of 5,606 women with singleton, vertex, term gestation who presented at ≤ 6 cm of cervical dilatation following a spontaneous labour onset that resulted in a vaginal birth with no adverse birth outcomes in 13 hospitals across Nigeria and Uganda. We independently applied survival analysis and multistate Markov models to estimate the duration of labour centimetre by centimetre until 10 cm and the cumulative duration of labour from the cervical dilatation at admission through 10 cm. Multistate Markov and nonlinear mixed models were separately used to construct average labour curves. All analyses were conducted according to three parity groups: parity = 0 (n = 2,166), parity = 1 (n = 1,488), and parity = 2+ (n = 1,952). We performed sensitivity analyses to assess the impact of oxytocin augmentation on labour progression by re-examining the progression patterns after excluding women with augmented labours. Labour was augmented with oxytocin in 40% of nulliparous and 28% of multiparous women. The median time to advance by 1 cm exceeded 1 hour until 5 cm was reached in both nulliparous and multiparous women. Based on a 95th percentile threshold, nulliparous women may take up to 7 hours to progress from 4 to 5 cm and over 3 hours to progress from 5 to 6 cm. Median cumulative duration of labour indicates that nulliparous women admitted at 4 cm, 5 cm, and 6 cm reached 10 cm within an expected time frame if the dilatation rate was ≥ 1 cm/hour, but their corresponding 95th percentiles show that labour could last up to 14, 11, and 9 hours, respectively. Substantial differences exist between actual plots of labour progression of individual women and the 'average labour curves' derived from study population-level data. Exclusion of women with augmented labours from the study population resulted in slightly faster labour progression patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Cervical dilatation during labour in the slowest-yet-normal women can progress more slowly than the widely accepted benchmark of 1 cm/hour, irrespective of parity. Interventions to expedite labour to conform to a cervical dilatation threshold of 1 cm/hour may be inappropriate, especially when applied before 5 cm in nulliparous and multiparous women. Averaged labour curves may not truly reflect the variability associated with labour progression, and their use for decision-making in labour management should be de-emphasized.

The scale, scope, coverage, and capability of childbirth care.

All women should have access to high quality maternity services-but what do we know about the health care available to and used by women? With a focus on low-income and middle-income countries, we present data that policy makers and planners can use to evaluate whether maternal health services are functioning to meet needs of women nationally, and potentially subnationally. We describe configurations of intrapartum care systems, and focus in particular on where, and with whom, deliveries take place. The necessity of ascertaining actual facility capability and providers' skills is highlighted, as is the paucity of information on maternity waiting homes and transport as mechanisms to link women to care. Furthermore, we stress the importance of assessment of routine provision of care (not just emergency care), and contextualise this importance within geographic circumstances (eg, in sparsely-populated regions vs dense urban areas). Although no single model-of-care fits all contexts, we discuss implications of the models we observe, and consider changes that might improve services and accelerate response to future challenges. Areas that need attention include minimisation of overintervention while responding to the changing disease burden. Conceptualisation, systematic measurement, and effective tackling of coverage and configuration challenges to implement high quality, respectful maternal health-care services are key to ensure that every woman can give birth without risk to her life, or that of her baby.

A strategy for reducing maternal and newborn deaths by 2015 and beyond.

BACKGROUND: Achievement of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4 for child survival requires acceleration of gains in newborn survival, and current trends in improving maternal health will also fall short of reaching MDG 5 without more strategic actions. We present a Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) strategy for accelerating progress on MDGs 4 and 5, sustaining the gains beyond 2015, and further bringing down maternal and child mortality by two thirds by 2030. DISCUSSION: The strategy takes into account current trends in coverage and cause-specific mortality, builds on lessons learned about what works in large-scale implementation programs, and charts a course to reach those who do not yet access services. A central hypothesis of this strategy is that enhancing interactions between frontline workers and mothers and families is critical for increasing the effective coverage of life-saving interventions. We describe a framework for measuring and evaluating progress which enables continuous course correction and improvement in program performance and impact. SUMMARY: Evidence for the hypothesis and impact of this strategy is being gathered and will be synthesized and disseminated in order to advance global learning and to maximise the potential to improve maternal and neonatal survival.

Preeclampsia in low and middle income countries-health services lessons learned from the PRE-EMPT (PRE-Eclampsia-Eclampsia Monitoring, Prevention and Treatment) project.

The hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, in particular preeclampsia, matter because adverse events occur in women with preeclampsia and, to a lesser extent, in women with the other hypertensive disorders. These adverse events are maternal, perinatal, and neonatal and can alter the life trajectory of each individual, should that life not be ended by complications. In this review we discuss a number of priorities and dilemmas that we perceive to be facing health services in low and middle income countries as they try to prioritize interventions to reduce the health burden related to preeclampsia. These priorities and dilemmas relate to calcium for preeclampsia prevention, risk stratification, antihypertensive and magnesium sulphate therapy, and mobile health. Significant progress has been and is being made to reduce the impact of preeclampsia in low and middle income countries, but it remains a priority focus as we attempt to achieve Millennium Development Goal 5.

[Situational profile and intervention strategy in the Mesoamerican region in maternal, neonatal and reproductive health area]. / Perfil situacional y estrategias de intervención en la región Mesoamericana en el área de salud materna, reproductiva y neonatal.

To present the main results of the regional situation diagnosis and intervention plan developed in 2010 as part of the planning activities of the Mesoamerican Health System by the Working Group on Maternal, Reproductive and Neonatal Health. A group of experts and representatives from countries in the region (Central America and nine southern Mexican states) conducted an exhaustive review of available data to construct a situational analysis and a review of effective practices for improving maternal, reproductive and neonatal health. Finally, the group proposed a regional action plan, defining regional goals and specific interventions. The situational diagnosis suggests that, although there has been progress in the last 10 years, maternal and neonatal mortality rates are still unnaceptably high in the region, with a substantial variability across countries. The group proposed as a regional goal the reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality in accordance with the Millenium Development Goals. The regional plan recommends specific maternal and neonatal health interventions emphasizing obstetric and neonatal emergency care, skilled birth attendance and family planning. The plan also includes a five year implementation strategy, along with training and evaluation strategies. The regional plan for maternal, neonatal and reproductive health has the potential to be successful, provided it is effectively implemented.

A multifaceted intervention to improve syphilis screening and treatment in pregnant women in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Lusaka, Zambia: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Despite international recommendations, coverage of syphilis testing in pregnant women and treatment of those found seropositive remains limited in sub-Saharan Africa. We assessed whether combining the provision of supplies with a behavioural intervention was more effective than providing supplies only, to improve syphilis screening and treatment during antenatal care. METHODS: In this 18-month, cluster randomised controlled trial, we randomly assigned (1:1) 26 urban antenatal care clinics in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Lusaka, Zambia, to receive a behavioural intervention (opinion leader selection, academic detailing visits, reminders, audits and feedback, and supportive supervision) plus supplies for syphilis testing and treatment (intervention group) or to receive supplies only (control group). The primary outcomes were proportion of pregnant women who had syphilis screening out of the total who attended the clinic; and the proportion of women who had treatment with benzathine benzylpenicillin out of those who tested positive for syphilis at their first antenatal care visit. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02353117. FINDINGS: The 18-month study period was Feb 1, 2016, to July 14, 2017. 18 357 women were enrolled at the 13 intervention clinics and 17 679 women were enrolled at the 13 control clinics at their first antenatal care visit. Syphilis screening was done in a median of 99·9% (IQR 99·0-100·0) of women in the intervention clinics and 93·8% (85·0-98·9) in the control clinics (absolute difference 6·1% [95% CI 1·1-14·1]; p=0·00092). Syphilis treatment at the first visit was done in a median of 100% (IQR 99·7-100·0) of seropositive women in intervention clinics and 43·2% (2·6-83·2) of seropositive women in control clinics (absolute difference 56·8% [12·8-99·0]; p=0·0028). INTERPRETATION: A behavioural intervention, together with the provision of supplies, can lead to more than 95% of women being screened and treated for syphilis. The sole provision of supplies is sufficient to reach such levels of screening coverage but is not sufficient to ensure high levels of treatment. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Where women go to deliver: understanding the changing landscape of childbirth in Africa and Asia.

Growing evidence from a number of countries in Asia and Africa documents a large shift towards facility deliveries in the past decade. These increases have not led to the improvements in health outcomes that were predicted by health policy researchers in the past. In light of this unexpected evidence, we have assessed data from multiple sources, including nationally representative data from 43 countries in Asia and Africa, to understand the size and range of changing delivery location in Asia and Africa. We have reviewed the policies, programs and financing experiences in multiple countries to understand the drivers of changing practices, and the consequences for maternal and neonatal health and the health systems serving women and newborns. And finally, we have considered what implications changes in delivery location will have for maternal and neonatal care strategies as we move forward into the next stage of global action. As a result of our analysis we make four major policy recommendations. (1) An expansion of investment in mid-level facilities for delivery services and a shift away from low-volume rural delivery facilities. (2) Assured access for rural women through funding for transport infrastructure, travel vouchers, targeted subsidies for services and residence support before and after delivery. (3) Increased specialization of maternity facilities and dedicated maternity wards within larger institutions. And (4) a renewed focus on quality improvements at all levels of delivery facilities, in both private and public settings.

Advancing a conceptual model to improve maternal health quality: The Person-Centered Care Framework for Reproductive Health Equity.

Background: Globally, substantial health inequities exist with regard to maternal, newborn and reproductive health. Lack of access to good quality care-across its many dimensions-is a key factor driving these inequities. Significant global efforts have been made towards improving the quality of care within facilities for maternal and reproductive health. However, one critically overlooked aspect of quality improvement activities is person-centered care. Main body: The objective of this paper is to review existing literature and theories related to person-centered reproductive health care to develop a framework for improving the quality of reproductive health, particularly in low and middle-income countries. This paper proposes the Person-Centered Care Framework for Reproductive Health Equity, which describes three levels of interdependent contexts for women's reproductive health: societal and community determinants of health equity, women's health-seeking behaviors, and the quality of care within the walls of the facility. It lays out eight domains of person-centered care for maternal and reproductive health. Conclusions: Person-centered care has been shown to improve outcomes; yet, there is no consensus on definitions and measures in the area of women's reproductive health care. The proposed Framework reviews essential aspects of person-centered reproductive health care.

Moving beyond silos: How do we provide distributed personalized medicine to pregnant women everywhere at scale? Insights from PRE-EMPT.

While we believe that pre-eclampsia matters-because it remains a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide-we are convinced that the time has come to look beyond single clinical entities (e.g. pre-eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, obstetric sepsis) and to look for an integrated approach that will provide evidence-based personalized care to women wherever they encounter the health system. Accurate outcome prediction models are a powerful way to identify individuals at incrementally increased (and decreased) risks associated with a given condition. Integrating models with decision algorithms into mobile health (mHealth) applications could support community and first level facility healthcare providers to identify those women, fetuses, and newborns most at need of facility-based care, and to initiate lifesaving interventions in their communities prior to transportation. In our opinion, this offers the greatest opportunity to provide distributed individualized care at scale, and soon.

Improving maternal and perinatal outcomes in the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: A vision of a community-focused approach.

The hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP; pre-existing hypertension, gestational hypertension, and pre-eclampsia) remain important causes of maternal morbidity and mortality, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The paper summarizes the current state of evidence around possible technologies to support community-based improvements in maternal and perinatal outcomes for women with pre-eclampsia. Through the testing and, where proven, introduction of these technologies, we believe that HDP-related progress toward achieving Millennium Development Goal 5 can best be accelerated. The evidence and discussion are presented under the following headings: (1) prediction; (2) prevention; (3) diagnosis; (4) risk stratification; (5) decision aids; (6) treatment; (7) geographic information systems; (8) communication; and (9) community and patient education.

Improving maternal and perinatal outcomes in the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: a vision of a community-focused approach.

The hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP; pre-existing hypertension, gestational hypertension, and pre-eclampsia) remain important causes of maternal morbidity and mortality, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The paper summarizes the current state of evidence around possible technologies to support community-based improvements in maternal and perinatal outcomes for women with pre-eclampsia. Through the testing and, where proven, introduction of these technologies, we believe that HDP-related progress toward achieving Millennium Development Goal 5 can best be accelerated. The evidence and discussion are presented under the following headings: (1) prediction; (2) prevention; (3) diagnosis; (4) risk stratification; (5) decision aids; (6) treatment; (7) geographic information systems; (8) communication; and (9) community and patient education.

Linkages among reproductive health, maternal health, and perinatal outcomes.

Some interventions in women before and during pregnancy may reduce perinatal and neonatal deaths, and recent research has established linkages of reproductive health with maternal, perinatal, and early neonatal health outcomes. In this review, we attempted to analyze the impact of biological, clinical, and epidemiologic aspects of reproductive and maternal health interventions on perinatal and neonatal outcomes through an elucidation of a biological framework for linking reproductive, maternal and newborn health (RHMNH); care strategies and interventions for improved perinatal and neonatal health outcomes; public health implications of these linkages and implementation strategies; and evidence gaps for scaling up such strategies. Approximately 1000 studies (up to June 15, 2010) were reviewed that have addressed an impact of reproductive and maternal health interventions on perinatal and neonatal outcomes. These include systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and stand-alone experimental and observational studies. Evidences were also drawn from recent work undertaken by the Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG), the interconnections between maternal and newborn health reviews identified by the Global Alliance for Prevention of Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS), as well as relevant work by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. Our review amply demonstrates that opportunities for assessing outcomes for both mothers and newborns have been poorly realized and documented. Most of the interventions reviewed will require more greater-quality evidence before solid programmatic recommendations can be made. However, on the basis of our review, birth spacing, prevention of indoor air pollution, prevention of intimate partner violence before and during pregnancy, antenatal care during pregnancy, Doppler ultrasound monitoring during pregnancy, insecticide-treated mosquito nets, birth and newborn care preparedness via community-based intervention packages, emergency obstetrical care, elective induction for postterm delivery, Cesarean delivery for breech presentation, and prophylactic corticosteroids in preterm labor reduce perinatal mortality; and early initiation of breastfeeding and birth and newborn care preparedness through community-based intervention packages reduce neonatal mortality. This review demonstrates that RHMNH are inextricably linked, and that, therefore, health policies and programs should link them together. Such potential integration of strategies would not only help improve outcomes for millions of mothers and newborns but would also save scant resources. This would also allow for greater efficiency in training, monitoring, and supervision of health care workers and would also help families and communities to access and use services easily.

Reducing intrapartum-related deaths and disability: can the health system deliver?

BACKGROUND: Each year 1.02 million intrapartum stillbirths and 904,000 intrapartum-related neonatal deaths (formerly called "birth asphyxia") occur, closely linked to 536,000 maternal deaths, an estimated 42% of which are intrapartum-related. OBJECTIVE: To summarize the results of a systematic evidence review, and synthesize actions required to strengthen healthcare delivery systems and home care to reduce intrapartum-related deaths. METHODS: For this series, systematic searches were undertaken, data synthesized, and meta-analyses carried out for various aspects of intrapartum care, including: obstetric care, neonatal resuscitation, strategies to link communities with facility-based care, care within communities for 60 million non-facility births, and perinatal audit. We used the Lives Saved Tool (LiST) to estimate neonatal deaths prevented with relevant interventions under 2 scenarios: (1) to address missed opportunities for facility and home births; and (2) assuming full coverage of comprehensive emergency obstetric care and emergency newborn care. Countries were first grouped into 5 Categories according to level of neonatal mortality rate and examined, and then priorities were suggested to reduce intrapartum-related deaths for each Category based on health performance and possible lives saved. RESULTS: There is moderate GRADE evidence of effectiveness for the reduction of intrapartum-related mortality through facility-based neonatal resuscitation, perinatal audit, integrated community health worker packages, and community mobilization. The quality of evidence for obstetric care is low, requiring further evaluation for effect on perinatal outcomes, but is expected to be high impact. Over three-quarters of intrapartum-related deaths occur in settings with weak health systems marked by low coverage of skilled birth attendance (<50%), low density of skilled human resources (<0.9 per 1000 population) and low per capita spending on health (