Estudio cualitativo sobre la fragmentación y segmentación del sistema sanitario desde la experiencia de personas gestantes durante la pandemia por Covid -19 en La Plata / Qualitative study on the fragmentation and segmentation of the health system from the experience of pregnant people during the Covid-19 pandemic in La Plata

El sistema de salud argentino se ha constituido de manera compleja, caracterizándose por la segmentación y la fragmentación que dificultan la accesibilidad a los servicios de salud. Las personas gestantes constituyen una de las poblaciones de riesgo de padecer formas graves de enfermedad por coronavirus. Asimismo la Organización Panamericana de la Salud alertó sobre la interrupción de los servicios de atención de mujeres, especialmente al control prenatal y del recién nacido en la mitad de los países de las Américas. Se realizó un estudio cualitativo con el objetivo de describir y comprender las experiencias de accesibilidad al sistema de salud de personas que transitaron embarazo y/o parto durante la emergencia sanitaria en la Plata y Gran La Plata. Para ello se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas individuales a esta población. Los datos obtenidos fueron sometidos a un análisis de contenido temático, cuyas principales categorías de análisis fueron la segmentación y fragmentación del sistema de salud. Entre los resultados se destaca la importancia que tuvieron "las salitas" del primer nivel en el acceso a la atención de salud y el rol de las obstétricas en el intento de sortear los obstáculos que presenta la segmentación y la fragmentación del sistema sanitario. Se concluye que es menester pensar políticas para fortalecer el primer nivel de atención, la implementación de la estrategia de atención primaria de la salud en todos los niveles del sistema, al mismo tiempo que se requiere el fortalecimiento de una profesión autónoma y humanista, como lo es la obstetricia

The Argentine health system has been constituted in a complex manner, characterized by segmentation and fragmentation that hinder accessibility to health services. Pregnant women are one of the populations at risk of suffering severe forms of coronavirus disease. The Pan American Health Organization also warned about the interruption of women's health care services, especially prenatal and newborn care, in half the countries of the Americas. A qualitative study was carried out with the aim of describing and understanding the experiences of accessibility to the health system of people who experienced pregnancy and/or childbirth during the health emergency in La Plata and Gran La Plata. For this purpose, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with this population. The data obtained were subjected to a thematic content analysis, whose main categories of analysis were the segmentation and fragmentation of the health system. Among the results, the importance of the "salitas" of the first level in the access to health care and the role of obstetricians in the attempt to overcome the obstacles presented by the segmentation and fragmentation of the health system stand out. It is concluded that it is necessary to think of policies to strengthen the first level of care, the implementation of the primary health care strategy at all levels of the system, and at the same time the strengthening of an autonomous and humanistic profession, such as midwifery, is required

Interventions to improve early retention of patients in antiretroviral therapy programmes in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Several interventions to improve long term retention (12 months and above) on treatment have been rigorously evaluated in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, research on interventions to improve retention of patients in the early stages of treatment (6 months) during this era of Universal Test and Treat has only recently emerged. The aim of this study is to systematically map evidence of interventions used to improve early retention of patients in antiretroviral therapy (ART) programmes in SSA. METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane electronic databases to identify studies describing interventions aimed at improving early retention in ART treatment. We applied the methodological frameworks by Arksey and O'Malley (2005) and Levac et al. (2010). We also followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. Interventions were categorized according to key broad areas in the existing literature. RESULTS: A total of 2,241 articles were identified of which 19 met the inclusion criteria and were eligible for this review, with the majority either being randomized control trials 32% (n = 6) or cohort studies 32% (n = 6). The studies reviewed were conducted in 11 SSA countries. The most common interventions described under key broad areas included: Health system interventions such as Universal Test-and-Treat, integration of ART initiation, HIV Testing and Counselling and Antenatal Care services and reduction of ART drug costs; Patient centered approaches such as fast track ART initiation, Differentiated Drug Delivery models and point of care HIV birth testing; Behavioral interventions and support through lay counselors, mentor mothers, nurse counselors and application of quality improvement interventions and financial incentives. Majority of the studies targeted the HIV positive adults and pregnant women. CONCLUSION: With the introduction of Universal Test-and-Treat and same-day initiation of ART, findings suggest that adoption of policies that expand ART uptake with the goal of reducing HIV transmission at the population level, promoting patient centered approaches such as fast track ART initiation, Differentiated Service Delivery models and providing adequate support through Mentor Mothers, lay and nurse counselors may improve early retention in HIV care in SSA. However, these interventions have only been tested in few countries in the region which points to how hard evidence based HIV programming is. Further research investigating the impact of individual and a combination of interventions to improve early retention in HIV care, including for various groups at high risk of attrition, is warranted across SSA countries to fast track the achievement of 95-95-95 Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) targets by 2030.

Inclusive, supportive and dignified maternity care (SDMC)-Development and feasibility assessment of an intervention package for public health systems: A study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Mistreatment, discrimination, and poor psycho-social support during childbirth at health facilities are common in lower- and middle-income countries. Despite a policy directive from the World Health Organisation (WHO), no operational model exists that effectively demonstrates incorporation of these guidelines in routine facility-based maternity services. This early-phase implementation research aims to develop, implement, and test the feasibility of a service-delivery strategy to promote the culture of supportive and dignified maternity care (SDMC) at public health facilities. METHODS: Guided by human-centred design approach, the implementation of this study will be divided into two phases: development of intervention, and implementing and testing feasibility. The service-delivery intervention will be co-created along with relevant stakeholders and informed by contextual evidence that is generated through formative research. It will include capacity-building of maternity teams, and the improvement of governance and accountability mechanisms within public health facilities. The technical content will be primarily based on WHO's intrapartum care guidelines and mental health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) materials. A mixed-method, pre-post design will be used for feasibility assessment. The intervention will be implemented at six secondary-level healthcare facilities in two districts of southern Sindh, Pakistan. Data from multiple sources will be collected before, during and after the implementation of the intervention. We will assess the coverage of the intervention, challenges faced, and changes in maternity teams' understanding and attitude towards SDMC. Additionally, women's maternity experiences and psycho-social well-being-will inform the success of the intervention. EXPECTED OUTCOMES: Evidence from this implementation research will enhance understanding of health systems challenges and opportunities around SDMC. A key output from this research will be the SDMC service-delivery package, comprising a comprehensive training package (on inclusive, supportive and dignified maternity care) and a field tested strategy to ensure implementation of recommended practices in routine, facility-based maternity care. Adaptation, Implementation and evaluation of SDMC package in diverse setting will be way forward. The study has been registered with clinicaltrials.gov (Registration number: NCT05146518).

Identifying Factors Associated with Barriers in the Number of Antenatal Care Service Visits among Pregnant Women in Rural Parts of Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Antenatal care visit is the service given to pregnant women to have a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby. The main objective of this study was to identify potential factors for the barriers in the number of antenatal care visits. METHODS: Data for this study was taken from the 2016 Ethiopian demographic health survey. All childbearing women from rural parts of Ethiopia were considered in this study, and the count regression model was used to explore the major risk factors for the barriers in the number of antenatal care service visits. RESULTS: Nearly 42% of pregnant mothers did not visit antenatal care services, and only 1% of the mothers attended antenatal care service visits eight times and above. From hurdle Poisson regression model results, women having previous pregnancy complication (AOR = 1.16; P ≤ 0.001); husbands with primary education (AOR = 1.02; P=0.004), secondary education (AOR = 1.117; P ≤ 0.0001), and higher education (AOR = 1.191; P ≤ 0.001); middle wealth index (AOR = 1.08; P=0.006); richer wealth index (AOR = 1.10; P ≤ 0.001); maternal age 35-49 (AOR = 0.690; P ≤ 0.001); being exposed to media access (AOR = 1.745; P=0.019); having distance problem (AOR = 0.75; P=0.013); planned pregnancy (AOR = 1.42; P=0.002); and mothers with primary education (AOR = 1.85; P ≤ 0.001) and secondary (AOR = 2.387; P ≤ 0.001) were statistically associated with barriers in the number of ANC service visits. CONCLUSION: As indicated in the findings, there is underutilization of the antenatal care service visits regarding rural women in Ethiopia. Having a low education level, no media access, distance problem from the health facility, and not planned pregnancy decrease the rate of antenatal care service visits. To fill this discrepancy, the concerned bodies including government and nongovernmental organizations should work on the identified factors in the rural parts of the country to save children and mothers.

Reducing maternal and child mortality in rural Ghana.

The lack of health infrastructure in developing countries to provide women with modern obstetric care and universal access to maternal and child health services has largely contributed to the existing high maternal and infant deaths. Access to basic obstetric care for pregnant women and their unborn babies is a key to reducing maternal and infants´ deaths, especially at the community-level. This calls for the strengthening of primary health care systems in all developing countries, including Ghana. Financial access and utilization of maternal and child health care services need action at the community-level across rural Ghana to avoid preventable deaths. Financial access and usage of maternal and child health services in rural Ghana is poor. Lack of financial access is a strong barrier to the use of maternal and child health services, particularly in rural Ghana. The sustainability of the national health insurance scheme is vital in ensuring full access to care in remote communities.

Magnitude of syphilis sero-status and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care in Jinka town public health facilities, Southern Ethiopia, 2020.

INTRODUCTION: Syphilis is one of the leading causes of perinatal morbidity and mortality and is one of the most important public health problems. There was no study showing syphilis serostatus and its related factors among pregnant women in the current study area. This study was aimed to assess the magnitude of syphilis serostatus and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care in Jinka town public health facilities. METHOD: Institution based cross-sectional study design was conducted in Jinka town public health facilities, southern Ethiopia from the 1st July to the 1st September, 2020. A systematic sampling technique was used to select 629 study subjects. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire through face-to-face interviews and records were reviewed to check syphilis test results. Data were coded and entered by using Epi-data version 4.432 and analyzed using SPSS version 25. The binary logistic regression model was used to investigate factors associated with syphilis. A p-value of < 0.05 at multivariable analysis was considered statistically significant. RESULT: In this study, syphilis sero-prevalence among pregnant women attending antenatal care clinics was 4.8% (95% CI: 3.12, 6.48). Rural residence [AOR: 2.873; 95%CI (1.171, 7.050)], alcohol use [AOR: 3.340; 95% CI (1.354, 8.241)] and having multiple sexual partner [AOR: 5.012; 95% CI (1.929, 13.020)] were statistically significantly associated with syphilis. CONCLUSION: Sero-prevalence of syphilis was high. Being a rural residence, having multiple sexual partners, alcohol use were factors associated with syphilis. Therefore, substantial efforts have to be made to provide regular health education for pregnant women at the antenatal clinic on the avoidance of risky behaviors and the risk of syphilis on their pregnancy.

Essential services provided and costs of facility-based maternity waiting homes in Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: the objective was to describe establishment cost, essential services provided and operating costs of maternity waiting homes (MWH) in Ethiopia. METHODS: a cross-sectional study was carried out from December 2017 to June 2018 in eight health facilities with maternity waiting homes (MWH) in the Gurage Zone of Ethiopia. MWH users exit interviews and observational checklists were used to collect data on essential services provided. Cost-related data were retrieved from relevant records in the health facilities. RESULTS: most clinical services and basic amenities were available and provided for MWH users. The average capital costs of a MWH were $2,245 US with fixed costs of $1,476 US per year. The personnel cost for a MWH was $1,439 US per year. The average annual running cost of a MWH was $1,303 US per year. The average estimated MWH utilization and delivery costs was $16.9 US per woman. CONCLUSION: most MWHs provided essential clinical services and basic amenities. The majority of the cost of a MWH was attributed to building construction costs. If building cost is annualized, the unit cost of a MWH service is in an acceptable range which encourage government considering expansion of the service in rural area.

Assessment of malaria infection among pregnant women and children below five years of age attending rural health facilities of Kenya: A cross-sectional survey in two counties of Kenya.

BACKGROUND: In Kenya, health service delivery and access to health care remains a challenge for vulnerable populations, particularly pregnant women and children below five years. The aim of this study, therefore, was to determine the positivity rate of Plasmodium falciparum parasites in pregnant women and children below five years of age seeking healthcare services at the rural health facilities of Kwale and Siaya counties as well as their access and uptake of malaria control integrated services, like antenatal care (ANC), offered in those facilities. METHODS: Cluster random sampling method was used to select pregnant women and children below five years receiving maternal and child health services using two cross-sectional surveys conducted in eleven rural health facilities in two malaria endemic counties in western and coastal regions of Kenya. Each consenting participant provided single blood sample for determining malaria parasitaemia using microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. RESULTS: Using PCR technique, the overall malaria positivity rate was 27.9% (95%CI: 20.9-37.2), and was 34.1% (95%CI: 27.1-42.9) and 22.0% (95%CI: 13.3-36.3) in children below five years and pregnant women respectively. Additionally, using microscopy, the overall positivity rate was 39.0% (95%CI: 29.5-51.6), and was 50.4% (95%CI: 39.4-64.5) and 30.6% (95%CI: 22.4-41.7) in children below five years and pregnant women respectively. Siaya County in western Kenya showed higher malaria positivity rates for both children (36.4% and 54.9%) and pregnant women (27.8% and 38.5%) using both PCR and microscopy diagnosis techniques respectively, compared to Kwale County that showed positivity rates of 27.2% and 37.9% for children and 5.2% and 8.6% for pregnant women similarly using both PCR and microscopy techniques respectively. Pregnant women presenting themselves for their first ANC visit were up to five times at risk of malaria infection, (adjusted odds ratio = 5.40, 95%CI: 0.96-30.50, p = 0.046). CONCLUSION: Despite evidence of ANC attendance and administration of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) dosage during these visits, malaria positivity rate was still high among pregnant women and children below five years in these two rural counties. These findings are important to the Kenyan National Malaria Control Programme and will help contribute to improvement of policies on integration of malaria control approaches in rural health facilities.

Does Timing of Antenatal Care Initiation and the Contents of Care Have Effect on Caesarean Delivery in Ethiopia? Findings from Demographic and Health Survey.

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) is an important preventive set of core healthcare services through pregnancy. Caesarean deliveries are significantly increasing in many low-, middle-, and high-income countries. However, overuse of the caesarean section service interferes with the quality and cost of the procedure. Hence, this study aimed to assess the effect of timing of first antenatal care initiation and the contents of care on caesarean delivery. Methods: A population level cross-sectional study was conducted with a total of 4757 study participants. The multivariable analysis was computed using the setup of 3 models. Results: The rate of caesarean section among women who initiated antenatal care in the first trimester was 1.32% (95% CI = 0.91-4.21). Women initiated antenatal care in the first trimester (AOR = 2.74; 95% CI = 1.49-6.2) and received contents of care (AOR = 1.98; 95% CI = 1.24-3.78])were more likely to have caesarean section delivery as compared to their counterparts. Conclusion: Caesarean section among women who initiated ANC in the first trimester is low. The finding suggests ANC initiated early (within 16 weeks) can have a positive impact on caesarean section delivery. In addition, being urban residents, primipara women, initiating antenatal care before 16 weeks, received contents of care, and having antenatal care visits three and more increase the odds of having caesarean section. As a result, different obstetric, medical, and surgical complications are detected and managed as early as possible.

Widespread implementation of a low-cost telehealth service in the delivery of antenatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interrupted time-series analysis.

BACKGROUND: Little evidence is available on the use of telehealth for antenatal care. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we developed and implemented a new antenatal care schedule integrating telehealth across all models of pregnancy care. To inform this clinical initiative, we aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of telehealth in antenatal care. METHODS: We analysed routinely collected health data on all women giving birth at Monash Health, a large health service in Victoria (Australia), using an interrupted time-series design. We assessed the impact of telehealth integration into antenatal care from March 23, 2020, across low-risk and high-risk care models. Allowing a 1-month implementation period from March 23, 2020, we compared the first 3 months of telehealth integrated care delivered between April 20 and July 26, 2020, with conventional care delivered between Jan 1, 2018, and March 22, 2020. The primary outcomes were detection and outcomes of fetal growth restriction, pre-eclampsia, and gestational diabetes. Secondary outcomes were stillbirth, neonatal intensive care unit admission, and preterm birth (birth before 37 weeks' gestation). FINDINGS: Between Jan 1, 2018, and March 22, 2020, 20 031 women gave birth at Monash Health during the conventional care period and 2292 women gave birth during the telehealth integrated care period. Of 20 154 antenatal consultations provided in the integrated care period, 10 731 (53%) were delivered via telehealth. Overall, compared with the conventional care period, no significant differences were identified in the integrated care period with regard to the number of babies with fetal growth restriction (birthweight below the 3rd percentile; 2% in the integrated care period vs 2% in the conventional care period, p=0·72, for low-risk care models; 5% in the integrated care period vs 5% in the conventional care period, p=0·50 for high-risk care models), number of stillbirths (1% vs 1%, p=0·79; 2% vs 2%, p=0·70), or pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia (3% vs 3%, p=0·70; 9% vs 7%, p=0·15), or gestational diabetes (22% vs 22%, p=0·89; 30% vs 26%, p=0·06). Interrupted time-series analysis showed a significant reduction in preterm birth among women in high-risk models (-0·68% change in incidence per week [95% CI -1·37 to -0·002]; p=0·049), but no significant differences were identified in other outcome measures for low-risk or high-risk care models after telehealth integration compared with conventional care. INTERPRETATION: Telehealth integrated antenatal care enabled the reduction of in-person consultations by 50% without compromising pregnancy outcomes. This care model can help to minimise in-person interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic, but should also be considered in post-pandemic health-care models. FUNDING: None.

The effects of ANC follow up on essential newborn care practices in east Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

In the situation of high maternal morbidity and mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa, less than 80% of pregnant women receive antenatal care services. To date, the overall effect of antenatal care (ANC) follow up on essential newborn practice have not been estimated in East Africa. Therefore, this study aims to identify the effect of ANC follow up on essential newborn care practice in East Africa. We reported this review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). We searched articles using PubMed, Cochrane library, African journal online (AJOL), and HINARI electronic databases as well as Google/Google scholar search engines. Heterogeneity and publication bias between studies were assessed using I2 test statistics and Egger's significance test. Forest plots were used to present the findings. In this review, 27 studies containing 34,440 study participants were included. The pooled estimate of essential newborn care practice was 38% (95% CI 30.10-45.89) in the study area. Women who had one or more antenatal care follow up were about 3.71 times more likely practiced essential newborn care compared to women who had no ANC follow up [OR 3.71, 95% CI 2.35, 5.88]. Similarly, women who had four or more ANC follow up were 2.11 times more likely practiced essential newborn care compared to women who had less than four ANC follow up (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.33, 3.35). Our study showed that the practice of ENBC was low in East Africa. Accordingly, those women who had more antenatal follow up were more likely practiced Essential newborn care. Thus, to improve the practice of essential newborn care more emphasis should be given on increasing antenatal care follow up of pregnant women in East Africa.

Stigma, Structural Vulnerability, and "What Matters Most" Among Women Living With HIV in Botswana, 2017.

Objectives. To explore whether beneficial health care policies, when implemented in the context of gender inequality, yield unintended structural consequences that stigmatize and ostracize women with HIV from "what matters most" in local culture. Methods. We conducted 46 in-depth interviews and 5 focus groups (38 individuals) with men and women living with and without HIV in Gaborone, Botswana, in 2017. Results. Cultural imperatives to bear children bring pregnant women into contact with free antenatal services including routine HIV testing, where their HIV status is discovered before their male partners'. National HIV policies have therefore unintentionally reinforced disadvantage among women with HIV, whereby men delay or avoid testing by using their partner's status as a proxy for their own, thus facilitating blame toward women diagnosed with HIV. Gossip then defines these women as "promiscuous" and as violating the essence of womanhood. We identified cultural and structural ways to resist stigma for these women. Conclusions. Necessary HIV testing during antenatal care has inadvertently perpetuated a structural vulnerability that propagates stigma toward women. Individual- and structural-level interventions can address stigma unintentionally reinforced by health care policies.

Participatory research for the development of information, education and communication tools to promote intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Mozambique.

BACKGROUND: To improve the coverage of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) in Africa, Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) developed, tested and validated a new packaging of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), as well as specific communications tools designed to improve knowledge of IPTp and the motivation of women to adhere to it, particularly if it is distributed by community health workers (CHW). METHODS: This article describes and analyses the results of an empirical research carried out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Nigeria and Mozambique, to evaluate the perception and social acceptability of SP for healthcare providers, CHW and pregnant women, and to assess the ability of the new SP packaging and the communications tools to change their perception of SP and improve their attitudes towards IPTp. RESULTS: The results indicate that SP's new individual packaging was perceived by pregnant women and healthcare providers as a "hygienic" and "safe", with a specific identity. The graphics used in IPTp communications tools were modified according to the respondents' feedback to make them more culturally and socially sensitive, and then validated. However, although the new blister packaging and IPTp communications tools generated greater confidence and motivation, SP side effects as well as preconceived ideas, particularly regarding its efficacy, remain a challenge that must be addressed to improve IPTp acceptance and compliance by healthcare providers and pregnant women. CONCLUSION: This participatory approach to social research based on ongoing feedback to the graphic designer provided more empirical evidence to improve and adapt the textual and visual content of communication tools (SP blister packaging, leaflet, user guide) to local contexts and user preferences. Tested and validated in different socio-cultural and socio-political contexts, these tools provide a good basis for the promotion of IPTp in Africa.

Birth plan presentation to hospitals and its relation to obstetric outcomes and selected pain relief methods during childbirth.

BACKGROUND: The information on birth plan (BP) usage in Spanish hospitals is scant. AIM: To identify the percentage of pregnant women presenting a BP at five hospitals in Spain, the reasons why some women failed to do so and how BP presentation relates to obstetric outcomes and selected pain relief methods. METHODS: In this descriptive, multi-centre study, data were retrospectively collected. During the postpartum visits at primary healthcare centres in various health districts in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain), a data collection sheet about obstetric outcomes and analgesia was administered to 432 mothers who had completed a BP during their pregnancies. The main outcome was the rate of BP presentation to the hospital. The sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics and pain relief measures were compared to identify any differences between mothers who presented a BP and those who did not. RESULTS: A total of 422 (99.7%) women were studied; 51.2% of women (95% confidence interval (CI): 46.4-55.9) had presented a BP. The main reason for not presenting a BP was because the hospital midwives did not request them (61.2%). No differences were observed in BP presentation according to age, the country of origin, education, employment or hospital. Mothers who presented a BP were more likely to start breastfeeding in the birthing room (82.4% vs. 73.3%; p = 0.024). Epidural analgesia was the most common method used for pain relief (88.9%), and women who presented a BP attempted to use concomitant non-pharmacological methods more often (50.5% vs. 38.8%; p = 0.012). CONCLUSION: Almost half of the mothers failed to present a BP, usually because midwives did not request it.

Pregnant women's perspectives on integrating preventive oral health in prenatal care.

BACKGROUND: Oral diseases are considered a silent epidemic including among pregnant women. Given the prevalence of oral conditions among pregnant women and the reported association with adverse pregnancy outcomes, there have been suggestions for the inclusion of preventive oral care in routine prenatal care. However, due to the different administrative and funding structure for oral health and prenatal care in Canada, progress towards this integration has been slow. Our study sought to qualitatively explore the views of pregnant women in British Columbia (BC) on the strategies for integrating preventive oral health care into prenatal care services. METHODS: A qualitative approach was utilized involving semi-structured interviews with fourteen (14) purposefully selected pregnant women in Vancouver and Surrey, BC. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. The transcripts were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach. Study validity was ensured via memoing, field-notes, and member checking. RESULTS: Interviews ranged from 28 to 65 min producing over 140 pages of transcripts. Analysis resulted in three major themes: oral health experiences during pregnancy, perspectives on integration and integrated prenatal oral care, and strategies for addressing prenatal oral health care. A majority of participants were supportive of integrating preventive oral care in routine prenatal services, with referrals identified as a critical strategy. Oral health education was recognized as important before, during, and after pregnancy; oral health assessments should therefore be included in the prenatal care checklist. Limited funding was acknowledged as a barrier to oral health care access, which may explain why few participants visited their dentists during pregnancy. Interprofessional education surfaced as a bridge to provide prenatal oral health education. CONCLUSION: Pregnant women interviewed in this study support the inclusion of educational and preventive oral care during prenatal care, although their views differed on how such inclusion can be achieved in BC. They advocated the establishment of a referral system as an acceptable strategy for providing integrated prenatal oral health care.

The efficacy of reduced-visit prenatal care model during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: While this reduced-visit prenatal care model during the COVID-19 pandemic is well-intentioned, there is still a lack of relevant evidence to prove its effectiveness. Therefore, in order to provide new evidence-based medical evidence for clinical treatment, we undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of reduced-visit prenatal care model during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The online literature will be searched using the following combination of medical subject heading terms: "prenatal care" OR "prenatal nursing" AND "reduced-visit" OR "reduce visit" OR "virtual visit." MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science will be searched without any language restrictions. A standard data extraction form is used independently by 2 reviewers to retrieve the relevant data from the articles. The outcome measures are as following: pregnancy-related stress, satisfaction with care, quality of care. The present study will be performed by Review Manager Software (RevMan Version 5.3, The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark). P < .05 is set as the significance level. RESULTS: It is hypothesized that reduced-visit prenatal care model will provide similar outcomes compared with traditional care model. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our review will be reported strictly following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria and the review will add to the existing literature by showing compelling evidence and improved guidance in clinic settings. OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER: 10.17605/OSF.IO/WYMB7.

Mothers and their children's health (MATCH): a study protocol for a population-based longitudinal cohort.

BACKGROUND: The quality of prenatal care is critical for the prevention of adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), only 64 % of women worldwide have access to over four sessions of prenatal care throughout their pregnancy. Thus, studies that address factors affecting maternal and child health status before and after pregnancy are of immense importance. The primary aim of the mothers and their children's health (MATCH) cohort study is to evaluate the effect of nutrition, sleep quality, and lifestyle on maternal and neonatal outcomes. METHODS: A prospective cohort of > 2500 pregnant women in the first trimester (before 12 weeks' gestation) will be recruited at Arash Women's Hospital in Tehran, Iran between February 2020 and August 2021. All eligible pregnant women will be followed from their first trimester of pregnancy until delivery at four time points and assessed through a series of in-person visits with interviewer-administered questionnaires and telephone interviews. Detailed data will be collected on maternal demographics, lifestyle, medical history, reproductive history, obstetric history, dietary intake, sleep pattern, blood specimens, and anthropometric measurements, alongside paternal demographics, lifestyle, and family history. The outcomes will include antenatal, peripartum, and postnatal maternal complications and infant growth and neurodevelopment. DISCUSSION: The results of the MATCH cohort study will support the development of contextual interventions that can enhance antenatal, peripartum, and postnatal status, neonatal outcomes, and longevity mother and child.

Person-centered antenatal care and associated factors in Rwanda: a secondary analysis of program data.

BACKGROUND: Research suggests that women's experience of antenatal care is an important component of high-quality antenatal care. Person-centered antenatal care (PCANC) reflects care that is both respectful of, and responsive to, the preferences, needs, and values of pregnant women. Little is known in Rwanda about either the extent to which PCANC is practiced or the factors that might determine its use. This is the first study to quantitatively examine the extent of and the factors associated with PCANC in Rwanda. METHODS: We used quantitative data from a randomized control trial in Rwanda. A total of 2150 surveys were collected and analyzed from 36 health centers across five districts. We excluded women who were less than 16 years old, were referred to higher levels of antenatal care or had incomplete survey responses. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to test the hypothesis that certain participant characteristics would predict high PCANC. RESULTS: PCANC level was found to be sub-optimal with one third of women leaving antenatal care (ANC) with questions or confused and one fourth feeling disrespected. In bivariate analysis, social support, greater parity, being in the traditional care (control group), and being from Burera district significantly predict high PCANC. Additionally, in the multivariate analysis, being in the traditional care group and the district in which women received care were significantly associated with PCANC. CONCLUSIONS: This quantitative analysis indicates sub-optimal levels of PCANC amongst our study population in Rwanda. We find lower levels of PCANC to be regional and defined by the patient characteristics parity and social support. Given the benefits of PCANC, improvements in PCANC through provider training in Rwanda might promote an institutional culture shift towards a more person-centered model of care.

Using Telehealth Approaches to Address Social Determinants of Health and Improve Pregnancy and Postpartum Outcomes.

Telehealth has expanded its reach significantly since its inception due to the advances in technology over the last few decades. Social determinants of health (SDOH) negatively impact the health of pregnant and postpartum women and need to be considered when deploying telehealth strategies. In this article, we describe telehealth modalities and their application to improve the SDOH that impact pregnancy and postpartum outcomes. Physicians and patients alike report satisfaction with telehealth as it improves access to education, disease monitoring, specialty care, prenatal and postpartum care. Ten years ago, we developed a program, Moms2B, to eliminate disparities in pregnancy outcomes for underserved women. Using a case study, we describe how Moms2B, devoted to improve the SDOH for pregnant women, transitioned from an in-person to a virtual format. Telehealth benefited women before the recent coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and increasingly after emergency authorizations has allowed telehealth to flourish.

The impact of COVID-19 on prenatal care in the United States: Qualitative analysis from a survey of 2519 pregnant women.

OBJECTIVE: To explore if and how women perceived their prenatal care to have changed as a result of COVID-19 and the impact of those changes on pregnant women. DESIGN: Qualitative analysis of open-ended prompts included as part of an anonymous, online, cross-sectional survey of pregnant women in the United States. SETTING: Online survey with participants from 47 states within the U.S. PARTICIPANTS: Self-identified pregnant women recruited through Facebook, Twitter, and other online sources. MEASUREMENTS AND FINDINGS: An anonymous, online survey of pregnant women (distributed April 3 - 24, 2020) included an open-ended prompt asking women to tell us how COVID-19 had affected their prenatal care. Open-ended narrative responses were downloaded into Excel and coded using the Attride-Sterling Framework. 2519 pregnant women from 47 states responded to the survey, 88.4% of whom had at least one previous birth. Mean age was 32.7 years, mean weeks pregnant was 24.3 weeks, and mean number of prenatal visits at the point of the survey was 6.5. Predominant themes of the open narratives included COVID-19's role in creating structural changes within the healthcare system (reported spontaneously by 2075 respondents), behavioral changes among both pregnant women and their providers (reported by 429 respondents), and emotional consequences for women who were pregnant (reported by 503 respondents) during the pandemic. Changes resulting from COVID-19 varied widely by provider, and women's perceptions of the impact on quality of care ranged from perceiving care as extremely compromised to perceiving it to be improved as a result of the pandemic. KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Women who are pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic have faced enormous upheaval as hospitals and healthcare providers have struggled to meet the simultaneous and often competing demands of infection prevention, pandemic preparedness, high patient volumes of extremely sick patients, and the needs of 'non-urgent' pregnant patients. In some settings, women described very few changes, whereas others reported radical changes implemented seemingly overnight. While infection rates may drive variable responses, these inconsistencies raise important questions regarding the need for local, state, national, or even global recommendations for the care of pregnant women during a global pandemic such as COVID-19.