Adverse perinatal events observed in obese pregnant women in the Metro West Region

Includes bibliographical references.Background. Obesity is increasing globally and is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30 kgms/m². It’s prevalence in the Metro West Maternity service is unknown. Objective .To assess the prevalence of obesity and determine its association with adverse perinatal and maternal outcomes among pregnant women in the Metro West Region, Cape Town, South Africa Study Design. This was a retrospective observational study that compared perinatal outcomes in women with normal pregnancy BMI to outcomes in women with high pregnancy BMI. Setting. Mitchells Plain and Guguletu Midwife Obstetric Units, Mowbray Maternity Hospital and Groote Schuur Hospital, Metro West Region, Cape Town, South Africa Population. A total of 970 pregnant women divided into BMI groups that had their first antenatal booking visit between January and April 2011. Methods. A list of folder numbers was compiled from the antenatal booking registry at the two MOUs. From the list, maternal folders were then traced through the CLINICOM tracking system, MOU delivery registers, antenatal clinic transfer registers and labour ward transfer registers to find place of delivery or outcome of pregnancy. Maternal and perinatal characteristics were then extracted from the folders into the data collection sheet and data was analysed by STATA. Descriptive statistics included proportions with percentages and median with interquartile ranges. Inferential statistics included Chisquared tests, Fisher Exact tests, Kruskal Wallis test, univariate and multivariable logistic regressions. Main outcome measures. Perinatal outcomes (stillbirth, macrosomia, shoulder dystocia, 5 minute Apgar Score less than 7, congenital abnormalities) observed in obese and morbidly obese compared to normal BMI pregnant women

Screening for infectious maternal morbidity - knowledge, attitudes and perceptions among healthcare providers and managers in Malawi: a qualitative study.

Maternal morbidity and mortality related to infection is an international public health concern, but detection and assessment is often difficult as part of routine maternity care in many low- and middle-income countries due to lack of easily accessible diagnostics. Front-line healthcare providers are key for the early identification and management of the unwell woman who may have infection. We sought to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of the use of screening tools to detect infectious maternal morbidity during and after pregnancy as part of routine antenatal and postnatal care. Enabling factors, barriers, and potential management options for the use of early warning scores were explored. Key informant interviews (n = 10) and two focus group discussions (n = 14) were conducted with healthcare providers and managers (total = 24) working in one large tertiary public hospital in Blantyre, Malawi. Transcribed interviews were coded by topic and then grouped into categories. Thematic framework analysis was undertaken to identify emerging themes. Most healthcare providers are aware of the importance of the early detection of infection and would seek to better identify women with infection if resources were available to do so. In current practice, an early warning score was used in the high dependency unit only. Routine screening was not in place in the antenatal or postnatal departments. Barriers to implementing routine screening included lack of trained staff and time, lack of thermometers, and difficulties with the interpretation of the early warning scores. A locally adapted early warning screening tool was considered an enabler to implementing routine screening for infectious morbidity. Local ownership and clinical leadership were considered essential for successful and sustainable implementation for clinical change. Although healthcare providers considered infection during and after pregnancy and childbirth a danger sign and significant morbidity, standardised screening for infectious maternal morbidity was not part of routine antenatal or postnatal care. The establishment of such a service requires the availability of free and easy to access rapid diagnostic testing, training in interpretation of results, as well as affordable targeted treatment. The implementation of early warning scores and processes developed in high-income countries need careful consideration and validation when applied to women accessing care in low resource settings

Implementation of a novel ultrasound training programme for midwives in Malawi:A mixed methods evaluation using the RE-AIM framework

IntroductionDespite recommendation that all women receive an ultrasound in pregnancy prior to 24 weeks', this remains unavailable to many women in low-income countries where trained practitioners are scarce. Although many programmes have demonstrated efficacy, few have achieved longterm sustainability, with a lack of information about how best to implement such programmes. This mixed-methods study aimed to evaluate the implementation of a novel education package to teach ultrasound-naive midwives in Malawi basic obstetric ultrasound, assessing its impact in the context of the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework.MethodsThe study ran across six sites in Malawi between October 2020 and June 2021, encompassing three phases; pre-implementation, implementation and post-implementation. Twenty nine midwives underwent a bespoke education package with matched pre and post course surveys assessed their knowledge, attitudes and confidence and "hands on" assessments evaluating practical skills. Training evaluation forms and in-depth interviews explored their satisfaction with the package, with repeat assessment and remote image review evaluating maintenance of skills.Results28/29 midwives completed the training, with significant increases in knowledge, confidence and practical skills. Adherence to the education package varied, however many changes to the proposed methodology were adaptive and appeared to facilitate the efficacy of the programme. Unfortunately, despite reporting approval regarding the training itself, satisfaction regarding supervision and follow up was mixed, reflecting the difficulties encountered with providing ongoing in-person and remote support.ConclusionThis programme was successful in improving trainees' knowledge, confidence and skill in performing basic obstetric ultrasound, largely on account of an adaptive approach to implementation. The maintenance of ongoing support was challenging, reflected by trainee dissatisfaction. By evaluating the success of this education package based on its implementation and not just its efficacy, we have generated new insights into the barriers to sustainable upscale, specifically those surrounding maintenance

Midwife‐Led Ultrasound Scanning to Date Pregnancy in Malawi: Development of a Novel Training Program

The use of ultrasound to determine gestational age is fundamental to the optimum management of pregnancy and is recommended for all women by the World Health Organization. However, this modality remains unavailable to many women in low-income countries where trained practitioners are scarce. Although previous initiatives have demonstrated efficacy in training midwives and technicians to perform antenatal ultrasound, these programs have often been too long and too complex to be realistic within the specific constraints of this context, highlighting the need for a novel and pragmatic approach. We describe the development and piloting of a bespoke course to teach midwives 3 fundamental components of early antenatal ultrasound scanning: (1) to identify the number of fetuses, (2) to confirm fetal viability, and (3) to determine gestational age. Having established that 5 days is insufficient, we propose that the minimum duration required to train ultrasound-naive midwives to competency is 10 days. Our completed program therefore consists of one and one-half days of didactic teaching, followed by 8 and one-half days of supervised hands-on practical training in which trainees are assessed on their skills. This package has subsequently been successfully implemented across 6 sites in Malawi, where 28 midwives have achieved competency. By describing the processes involved in our cross-continental collaboration, we explain how unexpected challenges helped shape and improve our program, demonstrating the value of preimplementation piloting and a pragmatic and adaptive approach

Training in Ultrasound to Determine Gestational Age (TUDA): Evaluation of a Novel Education Package to Teach Ultrasound-Naive Midwives Basic Obstetric Ultrasound in Malawi

IntroductionAlthough ultrasound to determine gestational age is fundamental to the optimum management of pregnancy and is recommended for all women by the World Health Organisation, it remains unavailable to many women in low-income countries where trained practitioners are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate a novel, context-specific education package to teach midwives basic obstetric ultrasound, including the determination of gestational age by measurement of fetal femur length.MethodsThe study was conducted across six sites in Malawi in January 2021. Following a virtual “training of the trainers”, local teams delivered a 10-day programme encompassing both didactic and “hands on” components. Matched pre and post course tests assessed participants' knowledge of key concepts, with Objective Structured Clinical Examinations used to evaluate practical skills. To achieve a pass, trainees were required to establish the gestational age to within ±7 days of an experienced practitioner and achieve an overall score of &amp;gt;65% on five consecutive occasions. A matched pre and post course survey explored participants' attitudes and confidence in performing ultrasound examinations.ResultsOf the 29 midwives who participated, 28 finished the programme and met the criteria specified to pass. 22 midwives completed the matched knowledge tests, with the mean (SD) score increasing from 10.2 (3.3) to 18 (2.5) after training (P &amp;lt;0.0001). Mean difference 7.9, 95% CI 6.5–9.2. Midwives passed 87% of the Observed Structured Clinical Examinations, establishing the gestational age to within ±7 days of an experienced practitioner in 89% of assessments. Beliefs regarding the importance of antenatal ultrasound increased post course (p = 0.02), as did confidence in performing ultrasound examinations (p &amp;lt;0.0001).ConclusionThis study demonstrates not only that ultrasound-naive practitioners can be taught to perform basic obstetric ultrasound dating scans, confidently and competently, after 10 days of training, but also that local teams can be orientated to successfully deliver the programme virtually. Previous ultrasound training initiatives, while often more comprehensive in their syllabus, have been of considerably longer duration and this is likely to be a barrier to upscaling opportunities. We propose that this focused training increases the potential for widescale and sustainable implementation.</jats:sec

Strategic Design Development for Malawian Public Health Center Labor & Delivery Suites

Introduction: Maternity ward pre-, peri-, and postnatal room sharing creates concerns regarding maternal privacy (particularly confidentiality and dignity), paternal involvement in birthing process, and staff workflow efficiency. This study aimed to understand the current state of the aforementioned concerns and their impact on maternal child bonding and maternal mental health at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH). Methods: At discharge, mothers of birth (MOBs) were surveyed on pre-, peri-, and postnatal experience with regard to privacy and paternal involvement in the birthing process, and then assessed using the Mother to Infant Bonding Scale and Edinburg Depression Scale. Father of births (FOBs) or male partners present at discharge were surveyed on quality of experience, level and duration of involvement in the birthing process, and reason for choosing such involvement. All surveys were administered until saturation was reached and then analyzed with inductive thematic analysis. Paths of clinicians and nurse/midwives were mapped using GPS-enabled pedometers for two dayshifts and two nightshifts each. Results: Common themes identified among MOBs (N = 35) included… Major themes identified among FOBs (N = 35) included… An average of ___ and ___ steps per day were taken by clinicians (N = 4) and nurse/midwives (N = 4), respectively, with most time spent … and inefficiencies identified in… Conclusion: Improvements to privacy in the QECH maternity ward are necessary to preserve MOB dignity and confidentiality and promote inclusion of FOBs and male partners in the birthing process. Architectural solutions are necessary to reduce existing inefficiencies in average staff workflow

Diagnostic point-of-care ultrasound in medical inpatients at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Malawi: an observational study of practice and evaluation of implementation

Background: In less well-resourced settings, where access to radiology services is limited, point-of-care ultra-sound (POCUS) can be used to assess patients and guide clinical management. The aim of this study was to describe ultrasound practice in the assessment of medical inpatients at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi, and evaluate uptake and impact of POCUS following the introduction of a training programme at the college of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi. Methods: A weekly prospective record review of sequential adult medical inpatients who had received an ultrasound examination was conducted. Results: Of 835 patients screened, 250 patients were included; 267 ultrasound examinations were performed,of which 133 (50%) were POCUS (defined as performed by a clinician at the bedside). The time from request toperformance of examination was shorter for POCUS examinations than radiology department ultrasound (RDUS)(median 0 [IQR 0–2, range 0–11] vs 2 [IQR 1–4, range 0–15] d, p=0.002); 104/133 (78.2%) POCUS and 90/133(67.7%) RDUS examinations were deemed to have an impact on management. Conclusion: Following the introduction of a training programme in POCUS, half of all ultrasound examinations were delivered as POCUS. POCUS was performed rapidly and impacted on patient management. POCUS may relieve the burden on radiology services in less well-resourced settings

Implementation of a novel ultrasound training programme for midwives in Malawi: A mixed methods evaluation using the RE-AIM framework

INTRODUCTION: Despite recommendation that all women receive an ultrasound in pregnancy prior to 24 weeks', this remains unavailable to many women in low-income countries where trained practitioners are scarce. Although many programmes have demonstrated efficacy, few have achieved longterm sustainability, with a lack of information about how best to implement such programmes. This mixed-methods study aimed to evaluate the implementation of a novel education package to teach ultrasound-naive midwives in Malawi basic obstetric ultrasound, assessing its impact in the context of the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. METHODS: The study ran across six sites in Malawi between October 2020 and June 2021, encompassing three phases; pre-implementation, implementation and post-implementation. Twenty nine midwives underwent a bespoke education package with matched pre and post course surveys assessed their knowledge, attitudes and confidence and "hands on" assessments evaluating practical skills. Training evaluation forms and in-depth interviews explored their satisfaction with the package, with repeat assessment and remote image review evaluating maintenance of skills. RESULTS: 28/29 midwives completed the training, with significant increases in knowledge, confidence and practical skills. Adherence to the education package varied, however many changes to the proposed methodology were adaptive and appeared to facilitate the efficacy of the programme. Unfortunately, despite reporting approval regarding the training itself, satisfaction regarding supervision and follow up was mixed, reflecting the difficulties encountered with providing ongoing in-person and remote support. CONCLUSION: This programme was successful in improving trainees' knowledge, confidence and skill in performing basic obstetric ultrasound, largely on account of an adaptive approach to implementation. The maintenance of ongoing support was challenging, reflected by trainee dissatisfaction. By evaluating the success of this education package based on its implementation and not just its efficacy, we have generated new insights into the barriers to sustainable upscale, specifically those surrounding maintenance

Aetiology and use of antibiotics in pregnancy-related infections: results of the WHO Global Maternal Sepsis Study (GLOSS), 1-week inception cohort

Background Pregnancy-related infections are important contributors to maternal sepsis and mortality. We aimed to describe clinical, microbiological characteristics and use of antibiotics by source of infection and country income, among hospitalized women with suspected or confirmed pregnancy-related infections. Methods We used data from WHO Global Maternal Sepsis Study (GLOSS) on maternal infections in hospitalized women, in 52 low-middle- and high-income countries conducted between November 28th and December 4th, 2017, to describe the frequencies and medians of maternal demographic, obstetric, and clinical characteristics and outcomes, methods of infection diagnosis and causative pathogens, of single source pregnancy-related infection, other than breast, and initial use of therapeutic antibiotics. We included 1456 women. Results We found infections of the genital (n = 745/1456, 51.2%) and the urinary tracts (UTI) (n = 531/1456, 36.5%) to be the most frequent. UTI (n = 339/531, 63.8%) and post-caesarean skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) (n = 99/180, 55.0%) were the sources with more culture samples taken and microbiological confirmations. Escherichia coli was the major uropathogen (n = 103/118, 87.3%) and Staphylococcus aureus (n = 21/44, 47.7%) was the commonest pathogen in SSTI. For 13.1% (n = 191) of women, antibiotics were not prescribed on the same day of infection suspicion. Cephalosporins (n = 283/531, 53.3%) were the commonest antibiotic class prescribed for UTI, while metronidazole (n = 303/925, 32.8%) was the most prescribed for all other sources. Ceftriaxone with metronidazole was the commonest combination for the genital tract (n = 98/745, 13.2%) and SSTI (n = 22/180, 12.2%). Metronidazole (n = 137/235, 58.3%) was the most prescribed antibiotic in low-income countries while cephalosporins and co-amoxiclav (n = 129/186, 69.4%) were more commonly prescribed in high-income countries. Conclusions Differences in antibiotics used across countries could be due to availability, local guidelines, prescribing culture, cost, and access to microbiology laboratory, despite having found similar sources and pathogens as previous studies. Better dissemination of recommendations in line with antimicrobial stewardship programmes might improve antibiotic prescription

Interventions to reduce preterm birth and stillbirth, and improve outcomes for babies born preterm in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review

BACKGROUND: Reducing preterm birth and stillbirth and improving outcomes for babies born too soon is essential to reduce under-5 mortality globally. In the context of a rapidly evolving evidence base and problems with extrapolating efficacy data from high- to low-income settings, an assessment of the evidence for maternal and newborn interventions specific to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is required. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was done. We included all studies performed in LMICs since the Every Newborn Action Plan, between 2013 - 2018, which reported on interventions where the outcome assessed was reduction in preterm birth or stillbirth incidence and/or a reduction in preterm infant neonatal mortality. Evidence was categorised according to maternal or neonatal intervention groups and a narrative synthesis conducted. RESULTS: 179 studies (147 primary evidence studies and 32 systematic reviews) were identified in 82 LMICs. 81 studies reported on maternal interventions and 98 reported on neonatal interventions. Interventions in pregnant mothers which resulted in significant reductions in preterm birth and stillbirth were (i) multiple micronutrient supplementation and (ii) enhanced quality of antenatal care. Routine antenatal ultrasound in LMICs increased identification of fetal antenatal conditions but did not reduce stillbirth or preterm birth due to the absence of services to manage these diagnoses. Interventions in pre-term neonates which improved their survival included (i) feeding support including probiotics and (ii) thermal regulation. Improved provision of neonatal resuscitation did not improve pre-term mortality rates, highlighting the importance of post-resuscitation care. Community mobilisation, for example through community education packages, was found to be an effective way of delivering interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence supports the implementation of several low-cost interventions with the potential to deliver reductions in preterm birth and stillbirth and improve outcomes for preterm babies in LMICs. These, however, must be complemented by overall health systems strengthening to be effective. Quality improvement methodology and learning health systems approaches can provide important means of understanding and tackling implementation challenges within local contexts. Further pragmatic efficacy trials of interventions in LMICs are essential, particularly for interventions not previously tested in these contexts