abstract background: improving the utilization rate of antenatal care is a critical strategy for achieving the reproductive health goals in iran. the aim of this study was to assess the utilization rate of antenatal care (anc) by women after health sector reform (hsr) interventions in rural areas of islamic republic of iran (ir iran). materials and methods: this is a retrospective cross-section...

background: the aim of this preliminary study was to assess the safety and efficacy of high-dose oral vitamin d3 supplementation during pregnancy in women with multiple sclerosis (ms) in isfahan, iran. methods: in a single center open-label randomized, controlled clinical phase i/ii pilot study, 15 pregnant women with confirmed ms with low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d (25(oh)d) levels were randoml...

Preparation for pregnancy and management of modifiable risk factors result in favorable pregnancy and childbirth outcomes. Regarding this, the present study aimed to determine preconception lifestyle status and its predictors among women contemplating pregnancy. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 201 women aged 18-35 years contemplating pregnancy for the coming year. The data were coll...

In light of the emphasis on increased efficiency in the delivery of hospital-based healthcare services in Canada, healthcare administrators need to advocate for greater care in the community. The implementation of an antenatal home-care program for women with high-risk pregnancies at the Ottawa Hospital presented the opportunity to develop a comprehensive framework to evaluate the value and out...

The postpartum period is a critical time to address high unmet family planning need and to reduce the risks of closely spaced pregnancies. Practical tools are included in the new resource for integrating postpartum family planning at points when women have frequent health system contact, including during antenatal care, labor and delivery, postnatal care, immunization, and child health care.

The purpose of this study was to further knowledge of health care seeking behavior among pregnant women in rural Haiti. Eighty-two pregnant women were interviewed to assess care seeking behaviors during pregnancy, satisfaction with services, reliance on social networks, and management of pregnancy-related illness. Twenty-five percent reported not seeking care in the formal health sector for a p...

BACKGROUND In June of 2010, an antenatal ultrasound program to perform basic screening for high-risk pregnancies was introduced at a community health care center in rural Uganda. Whether the addition of ultrasound scanning to antenatal visits at the health center would encourage or discourage potential patients was unknown. Our study sought to evaluate trends in the numbers of antenatal visits ...

Despite poverty and limited access to health care, evidence is growing that patients in low-income countries are taking a more active role in their selection of health care providers. Urban areas such as Nairobi, Kenya offer a rich context for studying these "active" patients because of the large number of heterogeneous providers available. We use a unique panel dataset from 2015 in which 402 p...