12 research outputs found
Adolescent girlsâ perceptions of breastfeeding in two low-income periurban communities in South Africa
In South Africa, exclusive breastfeeding rates are low, and
rates of teenage pregnancy are high. Educational policy enables mothersâ return to school, which conflicts with policy
emphasizing exclusive breastfeeding. We elicited adolescent
womenâs perceptions and experiences of infant feeding
choices, and conducted six focus groups (N Œ 57) in two periurban settlements. Participants knew arguments in favor of
and against breast and formula-feeding, but in practice, mixed
feeding occurred early after birth. While completion of high
school was emphasized, exclusive breastfeeding was viewed
as impractical. Congruent education policies and infant feeding policies/guidelines must address the constraints and contexts of adolescent mothers
Investigating the disjoint between education and health policy for infant feeding among teenage mothers in South Africa: a case for intersectoral work
Background: Many low-and-middle-income countries, including South Africa, have high rates of teenage pregâ
nancy. Following the World Health Organisation recommendations, South African health policy on infant feeding
promotes exclusive breastfeeding until six months of age, with gradual weaning. At the same time, South Africaâs
education department, in the interest of learners, promotes adolescentsâ early return to school post-partum. Yet infant
feeding at school is currently not perceived as a realistic option.
Methods: Recognising his this policy tension, we aimed to explore how policies are interpreted and implemented
by the health and education sectors through interviews with key informants who produce, interpret and implement
these policies. Using an interview guide developed for this study, we conducted in-depth interviews with 24 health
policy makers, managers in both sectors, school principals and nursing staf who manage adolescent mothers (aged
16-19) and their babies. Data was analysed using thematic analysis.
Results: Informants from both sectors expressed discomfort at pregnant learners remaining in school late in pregâ
nancy and were uncertain about policy regarding when to return to school and how long to breast-feed. Educators
reported that new mothers typically returned to school within a fortnight after delivery and that breastfeeding was
not common. While health professionals highlighted the benefts of extended breastfeeding for infants and mothers,
they recognised the potential confict between the need for the mother to return to school and the recommendaâ
tion for longer breastfeeding. Additionally, the need for ongoing support of young mothers and their families was
highlighted.
Conclusions: Our fndings suggest educators should actively encourage school attendance in a healthy pregnant
adolescent until delivery with later return to school, and health providers should focus attention on breastfeeding for
the initial 4-6weeks postpartum, followed by guided support of formula-feeding. We encourage the active engageâ
ment of adolescentsâ mothers and extended families who are often involved in infant feeding and care decisions. Eduâ
cation and health departments must engage to facilitate the interests of both the mother and infant: some exclusive
infant feeding together with a supported return to school for the adolescent mothe
Flow cytometry for microbial sensing in environmental sustainability applications: current status and future prospects
Practical and accurate microbial assessment of environmental systems is predicated on the detection and quantification of various microbial parameters in complex matrices. Traditional growth-based assays, considered to be both slow and biased, are increasingly being replaced by optical detection methods such as flow cytometry. Flow cytometry (FCM) offers high-speed multi-parametric data acquisition, compatibility with current molecular-based microbial detection technologies, and is a proven technology platform. The unique technical properties of flow cytometry have allowed the discrimination of bacteria based on nucleic acid staining, microbial identification based on genomic and immunologic characteristics, and determination of cell viability. For this technology to achieve the ultimate goal of monitoring the microbial ecology of distributed systems, it will be necessary to develop a fully functional, low cost, and networkable microsystem platform capable of rapid detection of multiple species of microorganisms simultaneously under realistic environmental conditions. One such microsystem, miniaturized and integrated in accordance with recent advances in micro-electro-mechanical systems technology, is named the Micro Integrated Flow Cytometer. This manuscript is a minireview of the current status and future prospects for environmental application of flow cytometry in general, and micro-flow cytometry in particular.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75610/1/j.femsec.2004.01.014.pd
Mapping Cumulative Environmental Risks: Examples from The EU NoMiracle Project
We present examples of cumulative chemical risk mapping methods developed within the NoMiracle project. The different examples illustrate the application of the concentration addition (CA) approach to pesticides at different scale, the integration in space of cumulative risks to individual organisms under the CA assumption, and two techniques to (1) integrate risks using data-driven, parametric statistical methods, and (2) cluster together areas with similar occurrence of different risk factors, respectively. The examples are used to discuss some general issues, particularly on the conventional nature of cumulative risk maps, and may provide some suggestions for the practice of cumulative risk mapping
Biogeochemical cycling of sulphur in karst and transfer into speleothem archives at Grotta di Ernesto, Italy
Trace amounts of sulphur in speleothems suggest that stalagmites may act as archives of sulphur deposition, thereby recording aspects of atmospheric variability in sulphur content. Accurate interpretation of this novel sulphur archive depends upon understanding how biogeochemical cycling in the soil and epikarst above the cave may modify the precursor atmospheric values of sulphur concentration and isotopic composition prior to incorporation into the speleothem record. Dual isotope analysis of ÎŽ34S-SO4 and ÎŽ18O-SO4 is used to trace biogeochemical transformations of atmospheric sulphur through the cave system at Grotta di Ernesto in the Italian Alps and builds towards a framework for interpretation of speleothem sulphur archives which depends on overlying ecosystem dynamics and karst hydrological properties. A three component model of atmospheric signal modification is proposed to be driven by 1. vegetation and soil cycling, 2. the degree of groundwater mixing in the karst aquifer; and 3. redox status. The relative influence of each process is specific to individual drip flow sites and associated stalagmites, rendering each suphur archive a unique signal of environmental conditions. Under conditions found in the soil and epikarst above Grotta di Ernesto, the dual isotope signatures of sulphate sulphur and oxygen incorporated into speleothem carbonate, closely reflect past conditions of industrial sulphur loading to the atmosphere and the extent of signal modification through biogeochemical cycling and aquifer mixing