2 research outputs found

    The association of water carriage, water supply and sanitation usage with maternal and child health. A combined analysis of 49 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys from 41 countries

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    Background  Millions of people carry water home from off-plot sources each day and lack improved sanitation. Research on the health outcomes associated with water fetching is limited, and with usage of improved sanitation is inconclusive.  Objectives  To analyse the association of water fetching, unimproved water supplies, and usage of improved sanitation facilities with indicators of women’s and children’s health.  Methods  49 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys from 41 countries were merged, creating a data set of 2,740,855 people from 539,915 households. Multilevel, multivariable analyses were conducted, using logistic regression for binary outcomes, negative binomial regression for count data and ordinary linear regression for linear data. We adjusted for confounding factors and accounted for clustering at survey, cluster and household level.  Results  Compared to households in which no-one collects water, water fetching by any household member is associated with reduced odds of a woman giving birth in a health care facility (OR 0.88 to 0.90). Adults collecting water is associated with increased relative risk of childhood death (RR 1.04 to 1.05), children collecting water is associated with increased odds of diarrheal disease (OR 1.10 to 1.13) and women or girls collecting water is associated with reduced uptake of antenatal care (β-0.04 to -0.06) and increased odds of leaving a child under five alone for one or more hours, one or more days per week (OR 1.07 to 1.16). Unimproved water supply is associated with childhood diarhhoea (OR 1.05), but not child deaths, or growth scores. When the percentage of people using improved sanitation is more than 80% an association with reduced childhood death and stunting was observed, and when more than 60%, usage of improved sanitation was associated with reduction of diarhhoea and acute undernutrition.  Conclusion  Fetching water is associated with poorer maternal and child health outcomes, depending on who collects water. The percentage of people using improved sanitation seems to be more important than type of toilet facility, and must be high to observe an association with reduced child deaths and diarhhoea. Water access on premises, and near universal usage of improved sanitation, is associated with improvements to maternal and child health

    Factors associated with initiation and exclusive breastfeeding at hospital discharge: late preterm compared to 37 week gestation mother and infant cohort

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To investigate and examine the factors associated with initiation of, and exclusive breastfeeding at hospital discharge of, late preterm (34 <sup>0/7</sup> - 36 <sup>6/7</sup> weeks) compared to 37 week gestation (37 <sup>0/7</sup> - 37 <sup>6/7</sup> week) mother and baby pairs.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective population-based cohort study using a Perinatal National Minimum Data Set and clinical medical records review, at the Royal Hobart Hospital, Tasmania, Australia in 2006.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Late preterm and 37 week gestation infants had low rates of initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth, 31 (21.1%) and 61 (41.5%) respectively. After multiple regression analysis, late preterm infants were less likely to initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth (OR 0.3 95% CI 0.1, 0.7 p = 0.009) and were less likely to be discharged exclusively breastfeeding from hospital (OR 0.4 95% CI 0.1, 1.0 p = 0.04) compared to 37 week gestation infants.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A late preterm birth is predictive of breastfeeding failure, with late preterm infants at greater risk of not initiating breastfeeding and/or exclusively breastfeeding at hospital discharge, compared with those infants born at 37 weeks gestation. Stratifying breastfeeding outcomes by gestational age groups may help to identify those sub-populations at greatest risk of premature cessation of breastfeeding.</p
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