Respondent driven sampling (RDS) is employed to recruit populations that are hard-to-reach, "hidden," or without a sampling frame. For new mothers (those with infants <6 months) in countries without national health care systems or registries, there is no sampling frame, and random samples may only be attained through costly strategies, e.g., random-dial calling.

Unmarried mothers who raise their children alone in South Korea experience various difficulties in maintaining their health. Improving the health of unmarried mothers, who are socioeconomically vulnerable, is important not only for them but also for the healthy growth and development of their children. We aimed to implement a natural wellness group program using an interactive real-time video platform for unmarried mothers and to verify its effects.

Small-scale coastal fisheries contribute directly and indirectly to the food and nutrition security of marine-dependent households. Fishers can apportion part of their catch for household consumption or use the income earned to purchase staples and other desired foods. Fish are an important animal-source food rich in micronutrients essential for cognitive development of children and for adult health, and a valuable addition to rice-based diets. Furthermore, the engagement of women in fisheries value chains and increased control over income may facilitate decision-making which improves nutrition outcomes for women and their children. Despite these contributions, food insecurity remains prevalent in many low and middle income fish-producing countries. This paper reports findings from an exploration of the interplaying factors leading to food and nutrition insecurity in three marine-dependent coastal communities in eastern Indonesia, focusing on the consumption pathway, that is, the contribution of fish to the diets and nutrition of women and children. The research was undertaken as a mixed-methods case study. The study found that over 50% of mother-child pairs failed to meet the minimum recommended dietary diversity, and, while fish was the main animal-source food in diets, the introduction of fish to infant and young child diets was delayed due to fears of allergies and illnesses. Moreover, access to nutrient-dense foods was affected by variable and insufficient income from fisheries-based livelihoods, isolation from markets, and the broader food environment. Given the shift towards 'nutrition-sensitive interventions' to improve the livelihoods and well-being of fisher households, these results highlight the need for analysis of the intra-household sharing of fish within fisher households, culturally-appropriate strategies to improve the quality of family and especially complementary foods, and efforts to increase physical access to nutrient-dense foods.

Soil-transmitted helminthes (STHs) are the major public health problems that affect the health of pregnant women and their incoming newborns. In Ethiopia, about 33.35% of pregnant women were affected by these infections. Utilization of deworming medication during pregnancy is the main strategy endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to reduce the burden of STH-induced anemia and its related complications. However, information related to the coverage and its individual as well as community-level factors on the utilization of deworming medication among pregnant mothers with at least one antenatal care (ANC) visit is limited in Ethiopia.

Maternal undernutrition results in elevated blood pressure (BP) and endothelial dysfunction in adult offspring. However, few studies have investigated interventions during early life to ameliorate the programming of hypertension and vascular disorders. We have utilised a model of maternal undernutrition to examine the effects of pre-weaning growth hormone (GH) treatment on BP and vascular function in adulthood. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either a standard control diet (CON) or 50% of CON intake throughout pregnancy (UN). From neonatal day 3 until weaning (day 21), CON and UN pups received either saline (CON-S, UN-S) or GH (2.5 ug/g/day)(CON-GH, UN-GH). All dams were fed ad libitum throughout lactation. Male offspring were fed a standard diet until the end of the study. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured at day 150 by tail cuff plethysmography. At day 160, intact mesenteric vessels mounted on a pressure myograph. Responses to pressure, agonist-induced constriction and endothelium-dependent vasodilators were investigated to determine vascular function. SBP was increased in UN-S groups and normalised in UN-GH groups (CON-S 121±2 mmHg, CON-GH 115±3, UN-S 146±3, UN-GH 127±2). Pressure mediated dilation was reduced in UN-S offspring and normalised in UN-GH groups. Vessels from UN-S offspring demonstrated a reduced constrictor response to phenylephrine and reduced vasodilator response to acetylcholine (ACh). Furthermore, UN-S offspring vessels displayed a reduced vasodilator response in the presence of L-NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester (L-NAME), carbenoxolone (CBX), L-NAME and CBX, Tram-34 and Apamin. UN-GH vessels showed little difference in responses when compared to CON and significantly increased vasodilator responses when compared to UN-S offspring. Pre-weaning GH treatment reverses the negative effects of maternal UN on SBP and vasomotor function in adult offspring. These data suggest that developmental cardiovascular programming is potentially reversible by early life GH treatment and that GH can reverse the vascular adaptations resulting from maternal undernutrition.

The perceived risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) can motivate individuals to adopt preventive health behaviors. Compared with fathers, mothers of young children often experience unique risk factors for developing T2DM: pregnancy-related weight gain, lifestyle changes related to child care, and the increased incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus. Understanding how actual risk factors affect the perceived risk of developing T2DM can foster effective diabetes prevention interventions for this population. The aims of this study were to describe the risk, perceived and actual, of developing T2DM and to explore the influencing factors of perceived risk for Chinese mothers of preschool children in China.

Decisions made at the household level, for example, to seek antenatal care or breastfeed, can have a direct impact on the health of mothers and newborns. The SMART Community-based Initiatives program in Egypt worked with community development associations to encourage better household decision-making by training community health workers to disseminate information and encourage healthy practices during home visits, group sessions, and community activities with pregnant women, mothers of young children, and their families. A quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the program, with household surveys conducted before and after the intervention in intervention and comparison areas. Survey questions asked about women's knowledge and behaviors related to maternal and newborn care and child nutrition and, at the endline, exposure to SMART activities. Exposure to program activities was high in intervention areas of Upper Egypt: 91% of respondents reported receiving home visits and 84% attended group sessions. In Lower Egypt, these figures were 58% and 48%, respectively. Knowledge of danger signs related to pregnancy, delivery, and newborn illness increased significantly more in intervention than comparison areas in both regions (with one exception in Lower Egypt), after controlling for child's age and woman's education; this pattern also occurred for two of five behaviors (antenatal care visits and consumption of iron-folate tablets). Findings suggest that there may have been a significant dose-response relationship between exposure to SMART activities and certain knowledge and behavioral indicators, especially in Upper Egypt. The findings demonstrate the ability of civil society organizations with minimal health programming experience to increase knowledge and promote healthy behaviors among pregnant women and new mothers. The SMART approach offers a promising strategy to fill gaps in health education and counseling and strengthen community support for behavior change.

Development and maturation of submandibular salivary glands are influenced by intrauterine diabetic environment. Several studies investigated the effects of diabetes on the salivary glands. However, the effects of maternal diabetes on the submandibular glands of the offspring was not properly examined. Therefore, the present study was designed to describe the changes in the development of the submandibular glands of the offspring of diabetic mothers. The submandibular glands of the offspring of Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic female rats were examined at two and four weeks after birth. Detection of mRNA demonstrated that maternal diabetes affects the level of different indicators. The reduction of expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF); a protein mitogen, cytokeratin 5 (CK5); an epithelial cell progenitor, CK7 and aquaporin 5 (AQP5); differentiation markers and B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2); an antiapoptotic marker were found. Increase in Bcl2-associated X protein (Bax); an apoptotic marker was detected. These changes indicate their effects on saliva secretion, glands tumorigenesis, growth of normal oral flora and oral microbes, with decreased protein synthesis and production of xerostomia and dental caries. Loss of normal glandular architecture, significant increase in fibrosis, by the detection of collagen fibers, and stagnation of secretory granules were found with atrophic changes in the acinar cells. Marked defect of polysaccharides in the acinar cells, denoting functional changes, was manifested by significant reduction of the intensity of periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) reaction. The positive immunoreactivity of caspase-3, denoting cellular apoptosis, and minimal reaction of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α SMA) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were evident in the offspring of diabetic mothers. We conclude that maternal diabetes produces degenerative effects in the structure and function of the submandibular salivary glands of the offspring, reflecting possible influences on their secretory activity affecting oral and digestive health.

Women planning to become pregnant, who are pregnant, and who are breastfeeding are more hesitant to take COVID-19 vaccines compared to other women globally.

Appropriate complementary feeding has the potential to prevent 6 percent of all under five deaths particularly in developing countries. However, infant and young child feeding practices in Ethiopia are suboptimal. Data on complementary feeding practices in Horro district are also lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to determine magnitude and determinants of appropriate complementary feeding practice among mothers of children age 6-23 months in Horro district, Western Ethiopia.

First-time mothers often need help with breastfeeding and may feel isolated and uncertain about whom they can turn to for help with breastfeeding challenges. Exploration of whether access to breastfeeding advice helps new mothers initiate and continue breastfeeding is necessary. This study investigated the associations between ease of access to breastfeeding advice for first-time mothers and breastfeeding initiation and duration.

Bone marrow insulin sensitivity may be an important factor for bone health in addition to bone mineral density especially in insulin resistant conditions. First we aimed to study if prenatal maternal obesity plays a role in determining bone marrow insulin sensitivity in elderly female offspring. Secondly we studied if a four-month individualized resistance training intervention increases bone marrow insulin sensitivity in elderly female offspring and whether this possible positive outcome is regulated by the offspring’s mother’s obesity status. 37 frail elderly females (mean age 71.9 ± 3.1 years) of which 20 were offspring of lean/normal-weight mothers (OLM, maternal BMI ≤ 26.3 kg/m2) and 17 were offspring of obese/overweight mothers (OOM, maternal BMI ≥ 28.1 kg/m2) were studied before and after a four-month individualized resistance training intervention. Nine age- and sex-matched non-frail controls (maternal BMI ≤ 26.3 kg/m2) were studied at baseline. Femoral bone marrow (FBM) and vertebral bone marrow (VBM) insulin sensitivity were measured using [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography with computer tomography under hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp. We found that bone marrow insulin sensitivity was not related to maternal obesity status but FBM insulin sensitivity correlated with whole body insulin sensitivity (R = 0.487, p = 0.001). A four-month resistance training intervention increased FBM insulin sensitivity by 47% (p = 0.006) only in OOM, while VBM insulin sensitivity remained unchanged regardless of the maternal obesity status. In conclusion, FBM and VBM glucose metabolism reacts differently to a four-month resistance training intervention in elderly women according to their maternal obesity status.

In order to minimize the maternal and child mortality rate, the presence of skilled birth attendants (SBA) during delivery is essential. By 2022, 4th health, population and nutrition sector programme in Bangladesh aims to increase the percentage of deliveries performed by SBA to 65 percent. The objective of the present study was to determine the rate and associated factors of usage SBA among Bangladeshi mothers during their delivery.

Bacterial contribution to oral disease has been studied in young children, but there is a lack of data addressing the developmental perspective in edentulous infants. Our primary objectives were to use pyrosequencing to phylogenetically characterize the salivary bacterial microbiome of edentulous infants and to make comparisons against their mothers. Saliva samples were collected from 5 edentulous infants (mean age = 4.6±1.2 mo old) and their mothers or primary care givers (mean age = 30.8±9.5 y old). Salivary DNA was extracted, used to generate DNA amplicons of the V4-V6 hypervariable region of the bacterial 16S rDNA gene, and subjected to 454-pyrosequencing. On average, over 80,000 sequences per sample were generated. High bacterial diversity was noted in the saliva of adults [1012 operational taxonomical units (OTU) at 3% divergence] and infants (578 OTU at 3% divergence). Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Fusobacteria were predominant bacterial phyla present in all samples. A total of 397 bacterial genera were present in our dataset. Of the 28 genera different (P<0.05) between infants and adults, 27 had a greater prevalence in adults. The exception was Streptococcus, which was the predominant genera in infant saliva (62.2% in infants vs. 20.4% in adults; P<0.05). Veillonella, Neisseria, Rothia, Haemophilus, Gemella, Granulicatella, Leptotrichia, and Fusobacterium were also predominant genera in infant samples, while Haemophilus, Neisseria, Veillonella, Fusobacterium, Oribacterium, Rothia, Treponema, and Actinomyces were predominant in adults. Our data demonstrate that although the adult saliva bacterial microbiome had a greater OTU count than infants, a rich bacterial community exists in the infant oral cavity prior to tooth eruption. Streptococcus, Veillonella, and Neisseria are the predominant bacterial genera present in infants. Further research is required to characterize the development of oral microbiota early in life and identify environmental factors that impact colonization and oral and gastrointestinal disease risk.

The Nurse Family Partnership Program developed in the USA, designed to improve mother and infant/child outcomes, has reported lower rates of child protection system involvement. The study tested the hypothesis that an adapted Nurse Family Partnership Program implemented in an Aboriginal community in Central Australia (the FPP) would improve Child Protection outcomes.

Diabetes mellitus complicates pregnancies, leading to diseases in adult life in the offspring. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is increased in diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, and hypertension. We tested whether maternal diabetes causes increased ADMA in rats, resulting in kidney disease and hypertension in the adult offspring, and whether these can be prevented by maternal citrulline supplementation. Newborn female and pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with streptozotocin (STZ), which made up the nSTZ and STZ models, respectively. For the STZ model, 4 groups of male offspring were killed at age 3 months: the control, STZ, and Cit and STZ+Cit (control and STZ rats treated with 0.25% l-citrulline solution, respectively) groups. The nSTZ rats had lower nephron numbers. The renal level of ADMA was higher in the nSTZ rats than in controls. The STZ group developed kidney injury, renal hypertrophy, and elevated blood pressure at the age of 12 weeks. These conditions were found to be associated with increased ADMA levels, decreased nitric oxide (NO) production, and decreased dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) activity in the kidney. In addition, ADMA caused a nephron deficit in cultured rat metanephroi. Maternal citrulline supplementation prevented hypertension and kidney injury, increased the renal DDAH-2 protein level, and restored the levels of ADMA and NO in the STZ+Cit group. Reduced nephron number and increased ADMA contribute to adult kidney disease and hypertension in offspring of mothers with STZ-induced diabetes. Manipulation of the ADMA-NO pathway by citrulline supplementation may be a potential approach to prevent these conditions.

Parents' perception that their child may be vulnerable to serious life-threatening illnesses can have negative effects on how they exercise their parenting. No studies have yet been carried out on parent´s perception of their child's vulnerability, when the child has not suffered a severe illness. This study tries to analyze the relationship between parent´s perception of their children´s vulnerability and parental competence, and analyzes the mediating role of postnatal depression and parental stress.

The objective of this study is to test the extent to which, under different opportunities for market participation, the diversity of plant species rural households grow or collect (on-farm diversity), and the variety of foods mothers purchase (market diversity) are associated with their dietary diversity.

Undernutrition is responsible for a significant proportion of maternal and child morbidity and mortality. Lactating women are nutritionally vulnerable groups because this period places a high nutritional demand on the mother and leads to nutritional stress. Poor nutrition during lactation has a significant negative consequence to mothers and children's survival, growth, and development. Therefore this study aimed to assess the nutritional status of lactating mothers and associated factors in pastoral community, Afar region, Ethiopia.

We previously reported no benefit of early weaning for HIV-free survival of children born to HIV-infected mothers in intent-to-treat analyses. Since early weaning was poorly accepted, we conducted a secondary analysis to investigate whether beneficial effects may have been hidden.