Maternal Health News and Research

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Would boosting the oxytocin (OT) hormonal system lead to longer breast-feeding?

There's little controversy about the benefits of breastfeeding infants over giving them formula. Mother's milk is the perfect food, providing exactly the correct nourishment for newborns, while protecting them from many illnesses.

19 Jul 2005

West named inaugural George G. Graham Professor in infant and child nutrition

On May 27, 2005, Keith P. West, Jr., DrPH, MPH, RD, was installed as the inaugural George G. Graham Professor in Infant and Child Nutrition at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. West is a professor with the Department of International Health and its Center for Human Nutrition.

6 Jun 2005

Medical interventions during pregnancy and childbirth may not be the best way to improve newborn survival

In Brazil neonatal mortality declined in the 1980’s but rates have virtually remained unchanged since the 1990’s. Fernando Barros (Hospital de Clinicas, Montevideo, Uruguay) and colleagues studied births in 1992, 1993, and 2004 in the Brazilian city of Pelotas. They found that important changes in maternal characteristics occurred over the 22 years covered by the study.

3 Mar 2005

Medicines used to treat parasitic infections have much wider benefits than was previously thought

Encouraging new data from the wider distribution of anti-parasite drugs in pregnant women and very young children demonstrates that medicines commonly used to treat parasitic infections have much wider benefits than was previously thought.

4 Dec 2004

Direct cash payments to poor families improves the takeup of antenatal and infant health services

Results of a study from Honduras in this week’s issue of THE LANCET show how direct cash payments from government to poor families improves the takeup of antenatal and infant health services.

4 Dec 2004

Africa is fighting back against vitamin and mineral deficiencies

A report released yesterday says that Africa is fighting back against vitamin and mineral deficiencies, saving millions of women and children from death and debilitation through simple, cost effective strategies such as fortifying staple foods. But millions of children can still be helped if current strategies and partnerships are extended to reach every country and every child.

8 Oct 2004

Every minute of every day, at least one woman in developing countries dies in childbirth

Today, WHO and the Partnership for Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health are intensifying support to countries around the world to ensure that a woman does not die while giving birth to her child.

29 Sep 2004

PAHO outlines health challenges ahead

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Dr. Mirta Roses today presented a report summarizing PAHO's work over the past year in the Americas, during a special session of a meeting of the region's ministers of health taking place at PAHO headquarters this week.

28 Sep 2004

Many low-income countries are unlikely to reach the health targets set for 2015

Many low-income countries are unlikely to reach the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) health targets set for 2015; the main reasons for this are fragile health systems and insufficient investments in understanding how to strengthen them, suggest authors of a Public Health article in this week’s issue of THE LANCET.

2 Sep 2004

Support of humanitarian organisations to refugees in developing countries may inadvertently be creating a two-tier health system

With the host population having to cope with poorer health facilities than that provided by aid agencies to refugees.

15 Aug 2004

Regional initiative targets syphilis

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) launched a new regional plan of action to eliminate congenital syphilis from the Americas during the Global Health Council conference "Youth and Health: Generation on the Edge," held June 1 to 4 in Washington, D.C.

21 Jul 2004

WHO says more pregnant women getting antenatal care

The number of pregnant women in developing countries receiving antenatal care during pregnancy has increased significantly since 1990, signalling that an untapped opportunity exists to reach poor women with a whole package of life-saving health services, according to a joint report issued today by UNICEF and the World Health Organization.

30 Mar 2004