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Globally, fertility awareness efforts include well-established risk factors for fertility problems. Risks disproportionately affecting women in the Global South, however, are neglected. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analyses of relevant risk factors to examine the association between risk factors and fertility problems. MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, regional databases and key organizational websites were used. Three authors screened and extracted data independently. Studies assessing exposure to risk (clinical, community-based samples) were included, and studies without control groups were excluded. Outcome of interest was fertility problems, e.g. inability to achieve pregnancy, live birth, neonatal death depending on study. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess study quality. A total of 3843 studies were identified, and 62 were included (58 in meta-analyses; n = 111,977). Results revealed the following: a ninefold risk of inability to become pregnant in genital tuberculosis (OR 8.91, 95% CI 1.89 to 42.12); an almost threefold risk in human immunodeficiency virus (OR 2.93, 95% CI 1.95 to 4.42) and bacterial vaginosis (OR 2.81, 95% CI 1.85 to 4.27); a twofold risk of tubal-factor infertility in female genital mutilation/cutting-Type II/III (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.03 to 4.15); and postnatal mortality in consanguinity (stillbirth, OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.57; neonatal death, OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.22 to 2.02). It seems that risk factors affected reproductive processes through multiple pathways. Health promotion encompassing relevant health indicators could enhance prevention and early detection of fertility problems in the Global South and disproportionately affected populations. The multifactorial risk profile reinforces the need to place fertility within global health initiatives., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objective: We examined what matters to families about the healthcare provided to preterm or LBW infants in hospital and the community, to ensure that care meets the needs of infants and parents., Methods: We searched databases to identify eligible studies examining the views and expectations of families. Study quality was assessed using the CASP checklist for qualitative studies. The GRADE-CERQual approach was used to assess confidence in review findings. Studies were sampled and data analysed using thematic synthesis., Results: 222 studies (227 papers) were eligible for inclusion. 54 studies (57 papers) were sampled based on data richness, methodological quality, and representation across settings. Eight analytical themes were identified. Confidence in results was moderate to high. What mattered was a positive outcome for the child; active involvement in care; being supported to cope at home after discharge; emotional support; the healthcare environment; information needs met; logistical support available; and positive relationships with staff., Conclusion: Although parents and family members reported a variety of experiences in the care of their infant, we found high consistency in what matters to families., Practice Implications: This review identifies approaches to improve experiences of parents which are consistent with the Family Centred Care model of healthcare., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Results of randomised controlled trials of newborn (age 1-3 days) vitamin A supplementation have been inconclusive. The WHO is coordinating three large randomised trials in Ghana, India, and Tanzania (Neovita trials). We present the findings of the Neovita trial in Ghana., Methods: This study was a population-based, individually randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana. The trial participants were infants aged at least 2 h, identified at home or facilities on the day of birth or in the next 2 days, able to feed orally, and likely to stay in the study area for at least 6 months. They were randomly assigned (ratio 1:1) to receive either one oral dose of vitamin A (50,000 IU) or placebo immediately after recruitment. The research team and parents of the infants were masked to treatment assignment. Follow-up home visits were undertaken every 4 weeks, when data were recorded for deaths, facility use, and care seeking. The primary outcome was post-supplementation mortality to 6 months of age. Analysis was by intention to treat. Potential adverse events were recorded at 1 and 3 days after supplementation. This trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR)CTRN12610000582055., Findings: We assessed 26,414 livebirths for eligibility between Aug 16, 2010, and Nov 7, 2011. We recruited 22,955 newborn infants, with 11,474 randomly assigned to receive vitamin A and 11,481 to receive placebo. Loss to follow-up was low with vital status at 6 months of age reported for 22,698 (98·9%) infants. We recorded 278 post-supplementation deaths to 6 months of age in the vitamin A group (mortality risk 24·5 in 1000 supplemented infants) and 248 deaths in the placebo group (mortality risk 21·8 per 1000 supplemented infants), relative risk (RR) 1·12 (95% CI 0·95-1·33; p=0·183) and risk difference (RD) 2·66 (95% CI -1·25 to 6·57; p=0·18). Adverse events within 3 days of supplementation did not differ by trial group. 122 infants died in the first 3 days after supplementation; 70 (0·6%) in the vitamin A and 52 (0·5%) in the placebo group (risk ratio [RR] 1·35, 95% CI 0·94-1·93, p=0·102). 53 infants were reported to have a bulging fontanelle; 32 (0·3%) in the vitamin A group and 21 (0·2%) in the placebo group (RR 1·53, 0·88-2·62, p=0·130)., Interpretation: The results of this trial do not support inclusion of newborn vitamin A supplementation as a child survival strategy in Ghana., Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant to the WHO., (Copyright © 2015 World Health Organization. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: A previous trial in Nepal showed that supplementation with vitamin A or its precursor (betacarotene) in women of reproductive age reduced pregnancy-related mortality by 44% (95% CI 16-63). We assessed the effect of vitamin A supplementation in women in Ghana., Methods: ObaapaVitA was a cluster-randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial undertaken in seven districts in Brong Ahafo Region in Ghana. The trial area was divided into 1086 small geographical clusters of compounds with fieldwork areas consisting of four contiguous clusters. All women of reproductive age (15-45 years) who gave informed consent and who planned to remain in the area for at least 3 months were recruited. Participants were randomly assigned by cluster of residence to receive a vitamin A supplement (25 000 IU retinol equivalents) or placebo capsule orally once every week. Randomisation was blocked and based on an independent, computer-generated list of numbers, with two clusters in each fieldwork area allocated to vitamin A supplementation and two to placebo. Capsules were distributed during home visits undertaken every 4 weeks, when data were gathered on pregnancies, births, and deaths. Primary outcomes were pregnancy-related mortality and all-cause female mortality. Cause of death was established by verbal post mortems. Analysis was by intention to treat (ITT) with random-effects regression to account for the cluster-randomised design. Adverse events were synonymous with the trial outcomes. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00211341., Findings: 544 clusters (104 484 women) were randomly assigned to vitamin A supplementation and 542 clusters (103 297 women) were assigned to placebo. The main reason for participant drop out was migration out of the study area. In the ITT analysis, there were 39 601 pregnancies and 138 pregnancy-related deaths in the vitamin A supplementation group (348 deaths per 100 000 pregnancies) compared with 39 234 pregnancies and 148 pregnancy-related deaths in the placebo group (377 per 100 000 pregnancies); adjusted odds ratio 0.92, 95% CI 0.73-1.17; p=0.51. 1326 women died in 292 560 woman-years in the vitamin A supplementation group (453 deaths per 100 000 years) compared with 1298 deaths in 289 310 woman-years in the placebo group (449 per 100 000 years); adjusted rate ratio 1.01, 0.93-1.09; p=0.85., Interpretation: The body of evidence, although limited, does not support inclusion of vitamin A supplementation for women in either safe motherhood or child survival strategies., Funding: UK Department for International Development, and USAID., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Strong associations between delayed initiation of breastfeeding and increased neonatal mortality (2-28 d) were recently reported in rural Ghana. Investigation into the biological plausibility of this relation and potential causal pathways is needed., Objective: The objective was to assess the effect of early infant feeding practices (delayed initiation, prelacteal feeding, established neonatal breastfeeding) on infection-specific neonatal mortality in breastfed neonates aged 2-28 d., Design: This prospective observational cohort study was based on 10 942 breastfed singleton neonates born between 1 July 2003 and 30 June 2004, who survived to day 2, and whose mothers were visited in the neonatal period. Verbal autopsies were used to ascertain the cause of death., Results: One hundred forty neonates died from day 2 to day 28; 93 died of infection and 47 of noninfectious causes. The risk of death as a result of infection increased with increasing delay in initiation of breastfeeding from 1 h to day 7; overall late initiation (after day 1) was associated with a 2.6-fold risk [adjusted odds ratio (adj OR): 2.61; 95% CI: 1.68, 4.04]. Partial breastfeeding was associated with a 5.7-fold adjusted risk of death as a result of infectious disease (adj OR: 5.73; 95% CI: 2.75, 11.91). No obvious associations were observed between these feeding practices and noninfection-specific mortality. Prelacteal feeding was not associated with infection (adj OR: 1.11; 95% CI: 0.66, 1.86) or noninfection-specific (adj OR: 1.33; 95% CI: 0.55, 3.22) mortality., Conclusions: This study provides the first epidemiologic evidence of a causal association between early breastfeeding and reduced infection-specific neonatal mortality in young human infants.