introduction preterm birth is still a major health problem throughout the world. preterm birth results in 75% of neonatal mortality. we sought to identify risk factors which cause preterm birth. materials and methods this cross-sectional study assessed all preterm neonates born in asali hospital in khorram abad (either by nvd or c/s) during the first 6 months of 2007. sampling method was census...

background to develop the culture of breastfeeding, it is needed to know the level of maternal knowledge. hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate maternal knowledge and attitude toward exclusive breastfeeding in six months after birth in shiraz, iran. materials and methods this was a cross-sectional study carried out on mothers who referred to health centers. four health centers were selec...

Background & Aims: Maternal mortality is a tragedy which threatens human life. It is an indicator of womenʼs health and development of society as well. Therefore, prevention of maternal deaths is one of the main goals in many countries, including Iran. The aim of this study was to review and analyze the recorded data on maternal mortality in the country, in order to improve the management of ma...

BACKGROUND The Millennium Development Goals call for a 75% reduction in maternal mortality between 1990 and 2015. Skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric care, including Caesarean section, are two of the most important interventions to reduce maternal mortality. Although international pressure is rising to increase donor assistance for essential health services in developing countries,...

OBJECTIVE to explore the challenges and barriers faced by Palestinian maternal health-care providers (HCPs) to the provision of quality maternal health-care services through a case study of a Palestinian public referral hospital in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. DESIGN AND METHOD descriptive qualitative study. The data are from a broader study, conducted in 2005 at the same hospital as p...

BACKGROUND This paper explores the multilevel factors associated with maternal health utilization in India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh. 3 key utilization practices: registration of pregnancy, receipt of antenatal care, and delivery at home are examined for district and individual level predictors. The data is based on 5666 household surveys conducted as part of a baseline evaluation of...

The quality of spousal relationship may influence the acceptance of the status of pregnancies and the decision to procure abortion; however, this relationship has largely been unexplored. The objective of this paper is to assess the influence of specific dimensions of relationship quality on abortion procurement. Data from the 2010 Family Health and Wealth Survey site were used to assess the as...

BACKGROUND Kenya abolished delivery fees in all public health facilities through a presidential directive effective on June 1, 2013 with an aim of promoting health facility delivery service utilization and reducing pregnancy-related mortality in the country. This paper aims to provide a brief overview of this policy's effect on health facility delivery service utilization and maternal mortality...

This series of papers focuses on a quality of care framework for maternal health, and systematically reviews the evidence of interventions aimed at improving care at the community-, district- and factility-levels. While the systematic reviews highlight the effectiveness of specific quality improvement efforts on maternal and newborn health, it also illlustrates the dearth of evidence on communi...

BACKGROUND The New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) includes a maternal care benefits package that is associated with increasing maternal health services. The local compensation policies have been frequently adjusted in recent years. This study examined the association between the NCMS maternal-services policy adjustment and expense reimbursement in Yuyao, China. METHODS Two household ...