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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2020) | Viewed by 14190

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Prof. Dr. Hideya Kodama

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Department of Maternity Child Nursing, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Science, 1-1-1 Hondo, Akita-shi 010-8543, Japan
Interests: lifelong developmental nursing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The purpose of today’s maternal healthcare and perinatal medicine is not merely ending pregnancy and parturition safely. The goal of fostering a healthy next generation is becoming more and more important than ever. This is why, in recent years, there has been an increasing interest in maternal mental health, nursing by exclusive breastfeeding and natural parenting styles worldwide. In addition, the epidemiological observation that an adverse intrauterine environment affects the psychophysiological development of infants by the programming effects and may lead to the future development of lifestyle-related diseases reaffirm the importance of maternal healthcare for the next generation.

This Special Issue seeks papers on health science of pregnant women and children, new clinical approaches for perinatal and parental care, and epidemiological surveys concerning the life of the mother and children. We also welcome high-quality systematic reviews related to these matters. I would be very happy if this Special Issue serves as a trigger for considering more effective ways of maternal and child healthcare in the future.

Prof. Hideya Kodama
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Maternal healthcare
Perinatal care
Maternal physiology
Maternal mental health
Childcare environment
Breastfeeding
Parenting style
Programming effects
Development of infant
Epidemiological survey for mother and children

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 645 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prevalence and Barriers to Ending Female Genital Cutting: The Case of Afar and Amhara Regions of Ethiopia

by Sintayehu Abebe, Muluken Dessalegn, Yeshitila Hailu and Misrak Makonnen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(21), 7960; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17217960 - 29 Oct 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3958

Abstract

Female genital cutting (FGC) remains highly prevalent in Ethiopia, in spite of a slowly decreasing trend over the last decade. In an effort to inform and strengthen FGC interventions in Ethiopia, this study aimed to assess FGC prevalence in cross-administrative border* districts and to explore barriers to ending FGC. A mixed methods, cross-sectional study was employed in three districts in the Afar and Amhara regions in Ethiopia. A sample of 408 women with female children under the age of 15 were included in the study. Additionally, 21 key informant interviews and three focus group discussions were held with local government officials and community stakeholders. The study found that the prevalence of FGC among mothers interviewed was 98%. Seventy-four percent of the female children of participants had undergone FGC. Of the youngest (last born) female children, 64.7% had experienced FGC. The participation of respondents in cross-administrative FGC practices ranged from 4% to 17%. Quantitative analysis found that knowledge and attitude towards FGC, level of literacy, place of residence, and religious denomination were associated with FGC practice. The study also found that the lack of participatory involvement of local women in programs that aim to end FGC and the lack of suitable legal penalties for those who practice FGC exacerbate the problem. A significant proportion of participants support the continuation of FGC practices in their communities. This finding indicates that FGC practice is likely to persist unless new approaches to intervention are implemented. It is recommended that a comprehensive response that couples community empowerment with strong enforcement of legislation is administered in order to effectively end FGC in Ethiopia by 2025, in alignment with the national plan against Harmful Traditional Practices. * Cross-administrative border means a border between two regional states in Ethiopia. In this document, it refers to the movement of people between Amhara and Afar regional states. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Maternal and Child Healthcare)

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11 pages, 329 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Is Parent Engagement with a Child Health Home-Based Record Associated with Parents Perceived Attitude towards Health Professionals and Satisfaction with the Record? A Cross-Sectional Survey of Parents in New South Wales, Australia

by Muhammad Chutiyami, Shirley Wyver and Janaki Amin

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(15), 5520; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17155520 - 30 Jul 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2204

Abstract

We examined parent views of health professionals and satisfaction toward use of a child health home-based record and the influence on parent engagement with the record. A cross-sectional survey of 202 parents was conducted across New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were conducted to identify predictors of parent engagement with the record book using odds ratio (OR) at 95% confidence interval (CI) and 0.05 significance level. Parents reported utilizing the record book regularly for routine health checks (63.4%), reading the record (37.2%), and writing information (40.1%). The majority of parents (91.6%) were satisfied with the record. Parents perceived nurses/midwives as most likely to use/refer to the record (59.4%) compared to pediatricians (34.1%), general practitioners (GP) (33.7%), or other professionals (7.9%). Parents were less likely to read the record book if they perceived the GP to have a lower commitment (Adjusted OR = 0.636, 95% CI 0.429–0.942). Parents who perceived nurses/midwives’ willingness to use/refer to the record were more likely to take the record book for routine checks (Adjusted OR = 0.728, 95% CI 0.536–0.989). Both parent perceived professionals’ attitude and satisfaction significantly influenced information input in the home-based record. The results indicate that improvements in parent engagement with a child health home-based record is strongly associated with health professionals’ commitment to use/refer to the record during consultations/checks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Maternal and Child Healthcare)

9 pages, 879 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Preventive Effect of Lactoferrin-Containing Yogurt on Gastroenteritis in Nursery School Children—Intervention Study for 15 Weeks

by Teruomi Tsukahara, Anri Fujimori, Yuka Misawa, Hirotsugu Oda, Koji Yamauchi, Fumiaki Abe and Tetsuo Nomiyama

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(7), 2534; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17072534 - 7 Apr 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3689

Abstract

To evaluate the effects of bovine lactoferrin (LF)-containing yogurt on gastroenteritis in nursery school children during the winter season, we conducted a randomized prospective study. A total of 1296 children were randomized into a group in which LF was provided in yogurt (LF group, n = 661) and a non-LF consumption group (control group, n = 635). The LF group was given LF-containing yogurt (100 mg/day) on all 5 weekdays for approximately 15 weeks, and the control group consumed fruit jelly instead of the yogurt. The final totals of 578 children as the LF group and 584 as the control group were analyzed. The total number of children who were absent from school due to vomiting was significantly lower in the LF group compared to the control, accounting for ≥3 days in any week: 10/234 (4.3%) vs. 49/584 (8.4%), respectively; p = 0.04. Regarding the relationship between absences due to vomiting and the consumption of the LF-containing yogurt, the adjusted odds ratio for absence due to vomiting was 2.48 (95% CI: 1.19–5.14) in the LF children who consumed LF-containing yogurt ≤2 days/week compared to the LF children who consumed the yogurt ≥ 3 days/week. The consumption of LF-containing yogurt (100 mg/day) for ≥3 days/week might help alleviate the symptom of vomiting in nursery school children during the winter. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Maternal and Child Healthcare)

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13 pages, 506 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Iron and Iodine Status in Pregnant Women from A Developing Country and Its Relation to Pregnancy Outcomes

by Sehar Iqbal, Petra Rust, Lisbeth Weitensfelder, Inayat Ali, Michael Kundi, Hanns Moshammer and Cem Ekmekcioglu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(22), 4414; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16224414 - 11 Nov 2019

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3638

Abstract

Birth related complications and comorbidities are highly associated with a poor nutritional status of pregnant women, whereas iron and iodine are among especially important trace elements for healthy maternal and fetal outcomes. The study compares the status of iron, iodine, and related functional parameters in pregnant and non-pregnant women from a developing country and associates the data with pregnancy complications. The concentrations of ferritin, hemoglobin (Hb), total triiodothyronine (TT3), total thyroxine (TT4), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were determined in the blood serum of 80 pregnant women at the time of delivery and compared with 40 non-pregnant healthy controls. Spot urine samples were taken to evaluate the urinary iodine concentration (UIC). In pregnant women, ferritin, Hb concentrations, and UIC were significantly lower, and TT4 values were significantly higher compared to controls. Higher Hb levels were tendentially associated with a reduced risk for pregnancy complications (OR = 0.747, CI (95%) 0.556–1.004; p = 0.053). Regarding covariates, only previous miscarriages were marginally associated with pregnancy complications. High consumption of dairy products was associated with lower Hb and ferritin values. Our results suggest that pregnant women from a developing country have lower iron status with Hb levels being possibly associated with pregnancy complications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Maternal and Child Healthcare)

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