Maternal and Newborn Health Research Roundup – April 2025

1.

Dietary outcomes of moderately wasted children treated in a food voucher program in Cameroon’s Far North: a three-month longitudinal study 

A longitudinal study published in BMC Nutrition evaluates the dietary outcomes of moderately wasted children treated through a food voucher program in Cameroon’s Far North. The research, which followed 474 children over three months, found that the likelihood of children aged 6-23 months meeting minimum dietary diversity increased from 19.9% to 100%. For older children, dietary diversity scores improved from 3.2 to 5.1. Negative perceptions of food safety and sharing food baskets with other family members were associated with poorer dietary outcomes. The study highlights the effectiveness of food voucher programs in improving dietary diversity among moderately wasted children. (March 2025)

2.

Pregnancy-Related Deaths in the US, 2018-2022 

The study conducted in the United States examines the alarming rise in pregnancy-related deaths from 2018 to 2022. Researchers found a 27.7% increase in mortality rates, with stark racial disparities revealing that American Indian/Alaska Native women face nearly four times higher mortality rates than white women. The study highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions to address these disparities and improve maternal health outcomes across the country. (April 2025)

3.

Prevalence, trends, and maternal risk factors of adverse birth outcomes from a hospital-based birth defects surveillance system in Kampala, Uganda, 2015–2022  

The study conducted in Kampala, Uganda, examines the prevalence, trends, and maternal risk factors of adverse birth outcomes (ABOs) from 2015 to 2022. Researchers analyzed data from 222,427 births, identifying significant associations between ABOs and factors such as young maternal age, maternal HIV status, and late or no antenatal care (ANC) attendance. The study found that preterm birth, low birth weight, small for gestational age, and stillbirth were prevalent, with higher risks linked to adolescent mothers, HIV-positive women, and those with inadequate ANC. These findings underscore the importance of targeted interventions to improve maternal health and reduce adverse birth outcomes. (April 2025)

4.

Violence against healthcare workers in Kenya: a cross-sectional sub-analysis of the global vishwas study 

A recent cross-sectional sub-analysis conducted in Kenya reveals that nearly half of healthcare workers (HCWs) surveyed have experienced workplace violence, underscoring a growing crisis in healthcare safety. Drawing from over 1,400 participants across 40 counties, the research found verbal and emotional abuse to be the most common forms of violence, primarily perpetrated by patients or their relatives. Despite high awareness of safety protocols, only a fraction of incidents were reported, and many HCWs struggled with effectively implementing these guidelines. The study also links increased violence following the COVID-19 pandemic, which worsened job satisfaction and highlighted systemic gaps in workplace protections for HCWs. (March 2025)

5.

The impact of aid sanctions on maternal and child mortality, 1990–2019: a panel analysis 

Researchers assessed prevalence of aid sanctions globally from 1990–2019 and estimated impact on development assistance, as well as impact on mortality rates. Relative to the control group, sanctions reduced official development assistance by US$213 million per year for the average target country. Aid sanctions resulted in an additional 129.3 infant deaths per 100,000 livebirths, 47.1 under-5 deaths per 100,000 livebirths, and 10.9 maternal deaths per 100,000 livebirths, per year. Episodes lasting 5 years were estimated to negate ~30% of improvements in infant and under-5 mortality seen in the average LMIC and ~60% of improvements in maternal mortality. These findings support assessing health impacts during aid sanctions and highlight the need to monitor impacts of aid policies. (May 2025)