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Individuals have faced unprecedented uncertainty and risk surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, and decision-making dilemmas have been complicated by quickly evolving and often contradictory recommendations for staying healthy. Using tenets of problematic integration theory and risk orders theory, we analyzed interview data from 50 mothers who gave birth during the pandemic to understand how uncertainty and risk perceptions shaped their decision-making about keeping themselves and their infants healthy in the first year after birth. Results describe how some mothers in our sample made sense of their decision-making to prioritize first-order risks to their own and their family's physical health, and other mothers prioritized second-order risks to their relationships and identities. We also discuss the social nature of mitigating risk during the COVID-19 pandemic and the catalysts for shifting risk perceptions. Theoretical and practical implications include improving public health messaging and clinical conversations to enable individuals to effectively manage social and identity needs alongside serious threats to physical health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: HIV case finding is an essential component for ending AIDS, but there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of such a strategy in the pediatric population. We sought to determine HIV positivity rates among children according to entry points in Cameroon. Methods: A facility-based survey was conducted from January 2015 to December 2019 among mother–child couples at various entry points of health facilities in six regions of Cameroon. A questionnaire was administered to parents/guardians. Children were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Positivity rates were compared between entry points. Associations were quantified using the unadjusted positivity ratio (PR) for univariate analyses and the adjusted positivity ratio (aPR) for multiple Poisson regression analyses with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). p-values < 0.05 were considered significant. Results: Overall, 24,097 children were enrolled. Among them, 75.91% were tested through the HIV prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) program, followed by outpatient (13.27%) and immunization (6.27%) services. In total, PMTCT, immunization, and outpatient services accounted for 95.39% of children. The overall positivity was 5.71%, with significant differences (p < 0.001) between entry points. Univariate analysis showed that inpatient service (PR = 1.45; 95% CI: [1.08, 1.94]; p = 0.014), infant welfare (PR = 0.43; 95% CI: [0.28, 0.66]; p < 0.001), immunization (PR = 0.56; 95% CI: [0.45, 0.70]; p < 0.001), and PMTCT (PR = 0.41; 95% CI: [0.37, 0.46]; p < 0.001) were associated with HIV transmission. After adjusting for other covariates, only PMTCT was associated with transmission (aPR = 0.66; 95% CI: [0.51, 0.86]; p = 0.002). Conclusions: While PMTCT accounts for most tested children, high HIV positivity rates were found among children presenting at inpatient, nutrition, and outpatient services and HIV care units. Thus, systematic HIV testing should be proposed for all sick children presenting at the hospital who have escaped the PMTCT cascade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hypertensive disorder of pregnancy and leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide, preeclampsia (PE) impacts approximately one in 25 pregnancies. Biomedical researchers continue to look for concrete causes and effective treatments for PE, but the experience of PE—the personal and socially constructed meanings surrounding the condition—remains under-researched. Using a symbolic interactionism approach, we examined Instagram posts accompanying the #preeclampsiasurvivor hashtag during Preeclampsia Awareness Month. Themes emerging from interpretive analysis of 98 posts (160 images) included the role of PE in redefining a woman's relationship to her body, reifying a woman's connection to her child, and illuminating the transitive aspects of a childbearing woman's identity. Additionally, PE survivors turned to Instagram to speak to an imagined, 'generalized sisterhood' of women sharing a common set of experiences. Our study is unique in its examination of the lived experiences of PE survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maternal and child malnutrition represents a public health problem in Mexico Primary care (PC) is responsible for introducing women and children under five to the health system, detecting diseases on time, and providing medical services, including pharmacological treatment if necessary. Providing these services with quality is essential to improve maternal and child health. This study evaluated the quality of nutritional care during preconception, pregnancy, postpartum, infancy, and preschool age at the PC health units across six Mexican states between 2020 and 2021. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study with a mixed approach in units of the Secretary of Health to assess the quality of nutritional care during preconception, pregnancy, postpartum, childhood, and preschool age. The level of quality was calculated by the percentage of compliance with 16 indicators that integrated a Quality Index of Maternal and Child Nutritional Care (ICANMI, by its Spanish acronym). Compliance by indicator, by life stage, and overall was categorized using the following cut-off points: poor quality (≤ 70%), insufficient quality (71-89%), and good quality (≥ 90%). The perceptions of the barriers and facilitators that affect maternal and child nutrition were evaluated through semi-structured interviews with health professionals (HP) and users. All qualitative instruments were developed with a gender and intercultural perspective. Results: Considering the whole sample studied, maternal and child nutritional care quality during the five life stages evaluated was bad (compliance: ≤12%), reflected in the ICANMI, which had a compliance of 8.3%. Principal barriers identified to providing high-quality nutritional care were the lack of knowledge and training of health professionals, shortages of equipment, medicine, personnel, and materials, the disappearance of the social cash transfer program Prospera, the absence of local indigenous language translators to support communication between doctor and patient, and the persistence of machismo and other practices of control over women. Conclusions: These findings underscore the need for initiatives to improve the quality of nutritional care in PC facilities across Chihuahua, State of Mexico, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Yucatan. It is necessary for government and health authorities, along with various stakeholders, to collaboratively devise, implement, and assess intercultural and gender-oriented policies and programs geared towards ensuring the health infrastructure and enhancing the training of health professionals to diagnose and treat the prevalence and occurrence of diverse forms of malnutrition in both maternal and child populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To quantify self-reported difficulty accessing Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)-issued infant formula among participants early in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, to determine if infant formula redemption was associated with self-reported difficulty accessing infant formula, and to quantify changes in formula redemption during the 2022–2023 US infant formula shortages. A cross-sectional study and time series data. Families participating in the WIC program in the Los Angeles metropolitan area from November 2019 to June 2023. Families with infants (aged 0–12 months) issued infant formula by WIC with a completed 2020 Los Angeles County WIC Survey (n = 1,897) or issued infant formula by a large WIC program in Southern California between November 2019 and June 2023 (n = 109,135). Incidence of ≥ 30% reduction in infant formula redemption and interval-scaled infant formula redemption. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children formula redemption data were matched to 2020 Los Angeles County WIC Survey data to determine if self-reported difficulty accessing infant formula was associated with administrative infant formula redemption data using negative binomial regression and were used to quantify the prevalence and severity of incomplete formula redemption during 2020–2023 formula shortages using ordinal logistic regression (outcome: interval-scaled formula redemption). Few (13.0%) caregivers reported difficulty accessing the WIC-issued formula early in the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2.8% who reported an unresolved shortage early in the COVID-19 pandemic had 201% higher rates of ≥ 30% declines in formula redemption (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 3.01; 95% confidence interval, 1.57–5.79, P < 0.001) than those with no difficulties. Incomplete formula redemption odds were significantly elevated throughout the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to January 2022 and increased further during the 2022–2023 infant formula shortages from February 2022 to June 2023, reaching 342% higher in October 2022 than February 2020 (odds ratio, 4.42; 95% confidence interval, 4.14–4.72; P < 0.001). Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children redemption data are an adequate proxy for population-level infant formula access issues among households with low income but are insufficiently sensitive for screening at a household level. US formula shortages (2020–2023) demonstrate the need for improved coordination between nutrition assistance programs, regulatory bodies, and commercial food systems, particularly during acute supply crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pregnant, postpartum, and lactating people, and infants have unique needs during public health emergencies, including nuclear and radiological incidents. This report provides information on the CDC Division of Reproductive Health's emergency preparedness and response activities to address the needs of women of reproductive age (aged 15–49 years), people who are pregnant, postpartum, or lactating, and infants during a radiation emergency. Highlighted preparedness activities include: (1) development of a quick reference guide to inform key questions about pregnant, postpartum, and lactating people, and infants during radiation emergencies; and (2) exercising the role of reproductive health experts during nuclear and radiological incident preparedness activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is an essential nutrition assistance program that has led to successful health outcomes and healthcare access. To alleviate discomfort associated with WIC shopping at stores, the Congress mandated the transition to electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card system from paper vouchers. This study aimed to explore the experiences of WIC recipients in using EBT cards in stores. WIC recipients from one WIC clinic in northern New Jersey (N = 220) participated in this study. An online survey was framed under the theory of planned behavior to probe their underlying behavioral, normative, and control beliefs of using EBT cards. Using content analyses, dominating themes of each belief were extracted. Participants composed of Hispanic (91.2%) with mean age of 31.68 (SD = 7.69). Most frequently mentioned advantages of using EBT cards were convenience and ease (34.3%) followed by fast and efficient (28.5%). Participants noted that most people would approve of using EBT cards (70%), especially those who receive the benefits and approve of the public assistance (16.7%). They stated that having improved store inventory and an increase in WIC-authorized stores (17.2%) would make the EBT cards use easy. The transition to EBT cars allowed purchase flexibility, alleviated stigma and the purchase process burdens, but the challenges associated with WIC app usage and store specific issues remained. These challenges should be addressed in future intervention to enable WIC recipients more engaged in using the EBT cards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1925, one of the first infant welfare clinics to specifically serve Arab children in Palestine opened in the city of Ramallah. This article examines how that institution brought together various political ideologies that used the Palestinian child's body as a vehicle for a modern future. The clinic targeted poor children and mothers in an attempt to eradicate local knowledge and indigenous practices of infant care in the name of progress and science. Supported and funded by American missionaries, Palestinian philanthropists, local medical practitioners, colonial administrators, and Zionist health organizations, it produced conceptions of modern Palestinian childhood at the intersections of Zionist settler colonialism, interwar global humanitarianism, and indigenous political claims. The Ramallah clinic, along with other infant welfare projects in Palestine, offers a complicated view of the on-the-ground operation of settler colonial projects and the role of children within them. Based on a study of the different constituencies involved in opening the clinic, this article argues that discourses of infant health became means for articulating different – and sometimes opposing – political futures. In doing so, this article illuminates how settler colonialism interacted with, shaped, and was shaped by other local and global forms of coloniality as well as resistance to colonial structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Thecurrent manuscript explores barriers to care for pregnant and post-partum women experiencing co-occurring intimate partner violence and opioid use disorder through the lens of providers who work with this unique population. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study consisting of 49 semi-structured, open-ended interviews with service providers working across contexts (e.g., IPV, prenatal care, substance use, addiction medicine, law enforcement, criminal justice, welfare services, etc.). Results: Participants reported three main types of barriers which can impact outcomes and reduce care for pregnant and post-partum women with co-occurring IPV and OUD (Co-IPV/OUD). 1) Barriers that make it difficult for pregnant or post-partum women to seek, receive, and successfully engage in care for both IPV and OUD. Barriers that providers encounter in trying to care for and/or treat pregnant and post-partum women with Co-IPV/OUD. Lastly, barriers which present a challenge to providing comprehensive, coordinated care for pregnant or post-partum women with Co-IPV/OUD. Conclusion: We conclude that finding ways to improve coordinated or integrated care for IPV and OUD is vital to outcomes for this population, and initiatives which support providers' ability to work across different service contexts are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the scientific literature and debate on social investment, public childcare provision plays a pivotal role. At the same time, critics have argued that social investment is often unable to reduce social inequalities and, to the contrary, tends to reproduce them (the so-called 'Matthew effect'). The article focuses on a specific facet of social investment policies: their capacity to support mothers' employment and its effect on social inequality, by investigating empirically to what extent an expansion of public childcare can help to increase women's labour market participation and how this eventual support is homogenously distributed among different mothers' profiles. To give a convincing answer to such a question requires careful attention to methodology, in order to avoid drawing the wrong conclusions. Whereas existing research has predominately focused on cross-national variation and has often been static in nature, the present study assesses the effects of public childcare expansion on women's labour market participation and employment by examining region-specific within-variation over time of public childcare coverage. The study relies on data from the European Social Survey (2002–2018) that were integrated with an original collection of regional-level information on public childcare. It finds a positive association between increases in public childcare coverage and mothers' labour market participation. Furthermore, it shows that public childcare helps to fight social inequalities among households with young children. Low-educated mothers are the ones who profit most from an increase in public childcare, and positive employment effects are most pronounced at lower levels of childcare coverage. Therefore, this contribution highlights the importance of public childcare policies as an equalizer in society, especially in contexts in which an intervention is most needed, because expanding childcare fosters mothers' labour market participation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the Iowa Children and Family Collaborative, formed to improve outcomes for women who are pregnant and their children when parental substance use is present, and its successes, challenges and outcomes, providing an example of cross-system collaboration to improve child and family outcomes. Topics include the theoretical framework, the evaluation methods for pregnancy screens and children's assessments and the SART system, used as an integrated service delivery approach.

Purpose: To better understand the sensory impact of retinal exam components typically experienced by infants undergoing various retinopathy of prematurity staging examinations, adults concerned for infant welfare and exam quality underwent similar exams to compare their perceived stress.Patients and Methods: Adults directly involved with ROP exams and infant stress reduction had cardiac monitoring and concomitant ordinal self symptom-score (1– 10 Likert) during 15 components of the exam including lid speculum, various scleral depressors, indirect ophthalmoscopy, goniolens and direct ophthalmoscopy and retinal photography (Phoenix ICON) with or without topical anesthesia.Results: Nine adults provided impressions and cardiac rhythm gathered supine over 15 minutes. Pain score for topical anesthetic 2 was less than for tropicamide 4. Lid specula numb scored a median 2 level (from 1 to 10) pain but without anesthetic scored 6. The goniolens numb scored 3. Scleral depression numb scored 3– 4 but increased to 7 without topical anesthesia. Direct ophthalmoscope scored 3 through the goniolens and the retinal camera scored 4 pain. Brightness with low 350 Lux indirect scored 6– 8 numb and 9 brightness without anesthetic. Full bright indirect, direct ophthalmoscope and the retinal camera all had Lux of 3000– 4000 and were scored brightness 9, 7 and 10, respectively. Adults had minimal oculocardiac reflex during on-globe retinal examination methods (range 98% to 102%).Conclusion: Topical anesthesia provided a moderate reduction in pain during on-globe lid-speculum, scleral depressed indirect examination. There was a synergistic augmented sensory response between pain and brightness. Adults did not show the bradycardia typically elicited by retinal examinations in premature infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resumen: Frente a la expectativa de que los Estados ratificantes son los únicos que cumplen los convenios internacionales, en este artículo se defiende la tesis de que los Estados no ratificantes, para aumentar su legitimidad, adecuan sus normas a los convenios de la OIT. Mediante una nueva base de datos históricos, se analiza la evolución de las disposiciones sobre la licencia de maternidad en 160 países de 1883 a 2018 a la luz de la adopción por la Conferencia Internacional del Trabajo de los convenios sobre la protección de la maternidad. Los resultados empíricos confirman que, poco después, tanto los Estados ratificantes como los no ratificantes mejoraron sus políticas conexas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy is a major public health problem known to cause maternal morbidity and adverse birth outcomes, and it may also have lasting consequences on infant development. However, the impact of the maternal hematological environment on fetal and infant hemoglobin and iron stores in the first year of life remains unclear. This review of the epidemiological evidence found that severe maternal iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy is associated with lower ferritin, and to a lesser degree hemoglobin levels, in infants at birth. Emerging data also suggests that severe anemia in pregnancy increases the risk of iron deficiency and anemia in infants 6–12 months of age, although longitudinal studies are limited. Effective anemia prevention in pregnancy, such as iron supplementation, could reduce the risk of infant anemia and iron deficiency during the first year of life; however, more evidence is needed to determine the functional impact of iron supplementation in pregnancy on infant hematological indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the local mixed economy of healthcare in two of England's largest cities – Leeds and Sheffield – between the late Edwardian period and the outbreak of the Second World War. It examines the level of service provision across the period to identify areas of strength and weakness and considers the extent to which these were determined by local political priorities. It examines indicators of success, such as falling death and infant mortality rates, increased access to treatment in hospitals and clinics and improved outcomes for those treated. Finally, it assesses the degree to which the mixed economy was able to develop a coordinated approach despite limited and ineffective central state direction. In particular, it looks at how local authorities and voluntary providers worked together in areas like Infant and Child Welfare, Maternity provision and general acute treatment to build the healthy city. Overall it suggests that this mixed economy, operating within a policy environment shaped by local urban cultures and needs, was able to deliver extensive health care improvements which belie the conventional pessimistic assessments of the period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mil Días (A Thousand Days) is a programme for the first thousand days of life, from gestation to 2 years of age, targeted at highly vulnerable children and/or mothers and pregnant women. The programme was implemented in August 2015 in the municipality of San Miguel, in Argentina. Mil Días is designed in a holistic and intersectoral way. The main form of intervention is through home visits, but other benefits are available depending on the 51 vulnerability criteria by which participants are admitted to the programme, most of which are related to health issues. Exits of the programme occur when the mother and/or child have reversed the deprivation/s of the entrance‐criteria. Methods: This paper provides an analysis of the programme's primary data between August 2015 and May 2019, with a total of 1,111 programme participants. First, we perform a statistical analysis of the targeted population of the programme. Second, using a logistic regression, we study factors associated to the withdrawal from the programme. Third, using survival analysis, we study the correlates of time to graduation from the programme. Results: We find that the programme is well‐targeted, as participants exhibit higher deprivation levels than those exhibited by beneficiaries of social programmes in general in the same municipality. We also find that programme participants in situations of most extreme vulnerability are more likely to abandon the programme and that successful exits from the programme take longer for more complex cases. Conclusions: Mil Días–San Miguel is a programme for early childhood development in Argentina, which was pioneer when it was first introduced. It is well targeted and exhibits encouraging results despite complex cases taking longer to sucessfully exit the programme. In addition, the poorest poor participants are more likely to abandon the programme and so additional actions could be taken to retain them, as intended by the 'Leave No One Behind' 2030 commitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: COVID 19 pandemic has challenged the resilience of the most effective health systems in the world. The Ethiopian Ministry of health tried to ensure the continuation of essential maternal health services during the pandemic. Despite several individual studies conducted on the impact of COVID 19 on maternal health services, no evidence can summarize the extent of impact as a nation and which essential maternal health service is most affected. Method: A systematic review was conducted to summarize the extent of disruption of essential maternal health services and identify the most affected service in the era of the COVID pandemic in Ethiopia. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis guidelines were followed. Comprehensive literature was searched using international databases PubMed, Google scholar, and African Online Journal to retrieve related articles. Descriptive analysis was made to answer the review objective. Result: Overall, 498 articles were retrieved using our search strategy and finally 8 articles were included in the review. We found, ANC (26.35%), skilled birth attendance (23.46%), PNC (30%), family planning (14%), and abortion care (23.7%) maximum disruption of service utilization due to the pandemic. PNC service was the most significantly affected service unit followed by the ANC unit. Conclusion: Essential maternal health services have been significantly disrupted due to COVID 19 pandemic in Ethiopia. It is expected from all stakeholders to prioritize safe and accessible maternity care during the pandemic and the aftermath and take lesson to reduce maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition, the author illuminates the work undertaken by voluntary organisations such as the Anti-Tuberculosis League and Social Service League in the provision of healthcare and medical relief to the mill workers. These two chapters would have significantly benefitted from engaging with Priyanka Srivastava's 2018 work, The Wellbeing of the Labor Force in Bombay, which makes a crucial contribution to labour health histories. The book opens by briefly tracing the history of health in the Presidency and underscores that colonial public health policy was characterised by intrinsic racial biases, ad hoc medical interventions and coercive public health measures. [Extracted from the article]

Utilizing group oral histories from nineteen women who were pregnant and living in areas of social and economic deprivation in Glasgow, Scotland, between the late 1970s and early 2000s, this article analyses the difficulties the women faced in accessing information about pregnancy and welfare entitlements. It reveals a disconnect between women's knowledge about reproduction and maternal health and welfare benefits and the political initiatives designed to improve antenatal care and pregnancy outcomes in Britain since the 1980 Short Report. This divide was widened by a broader Scottish culture of reticence around sex education and the ongoing moral influence of the churches. The article clarifies the class-blind English arguments within the patient consumer model that was promoted since the 1960s. It demonstrates how marginal groups were ill equipped to participate as patient consumers, either individually or as a collective group. More broadly, this article gives voice to an underrepresented group and highlights how these women utilized adaptive decision-making to navigate their pregnancy journeys in a society with uneven maternity and welfare provision and inhibitions about sex education. By highlighting the realities of marginality and lived experiences, it adds nuance to conventional welfare and policy histories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author addresses ways to move forward to achieve optimal nutritional status during the first 1000 days, which is critical because children experience more growth and development in that time period. Topics discussed include main themes that emerged in a series of international articles that drew attention to the critical impact of maternal and child nutrition during the first 1000 days, and barriers and opportunities to be considered in advancing the quality of nutrition during that period.

Background and Objectives: From 2013 to 2017, a national Breakthrough Series (BTS) collaborative in Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting programs developed a toolkit that led to improvements in maternal depression outcomes. In 2018, Alabama's home visiting program (First Teacher) aimed to reproduce these impacts with a state-led BTS that enrolled 8 local implementing agencies (LIAs) serving more than 500 families. Methods: LIAs tested changes in practices using Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles and tracked data regarding depression screening, referrals, service access, and symptom improvement via run charts. First Teacher administered a post-collaborative survey to assess LIA team members' satisfaction with their BTS experience. Results: Alabama's BTS resulted in positive shifts in maternal depression referrals, service access, and symptom improvement. Change ideas that supported these shifts included the use of a screening script, motivational interviewing, "Mothers and Babies," and a registry. LIAs noted that BTS tools and resources helped build capacity to address the difficult and frequently stigmatized topic of maternal depression. Conclusion: Findings from this study indicate that evidence- and experience-based practices regarding maternal depression screening, referrals, and service access can lead to symptom improvement among mothers enrolled in a state-based home visiting program. Results of this investigation corroborate findings from previous studies while also incorporating feedback from LIAs about the BTS experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, guidance recommends the integration of mental health into maternal and child healthcare to address common maternal mental health problems during the perinatal period. However, implementing this in the real-world requires substantial resource allocations. The aim of this study was to estimate the likely costs and consequences linked to scaling the delivery of treatment (in the form of psychosocial interventions) during the perinatal period. Simulation modelling. England. Costs and consequences were modelled for three scenarios of assumed provision of services, whereby one referred to the projected provision under current government plans, with no additional scaling up of treatment. The other two scenarios referred to additional scaling of treatment: in one scenario, this referred to the provision of treatment by midwives and health visitors trained in the routine enquiry about mental health and delivery of psychosocial interventions; in the other scenario this referred to an expanded provision by primary mental health services. For each scenario and in yearly intervals (covering a ten-year period, 2015 to 2024), unit cots and outcomes were assigned to the activities women were assumed to receive (routine enquiry, assessment, treatment, care coordination). All costs were in 2020 pounds sterling. Data sources for the modelling included: published findings from randomised controlled trials; national unit cost source; national statistics; and expert consultation. If the projected treatment gap was to be addressed, an estimated additional 111,154 (50,031) women would be accessing treatment in 2015 (2024). Estimated total costs (including cost offsets) in the scenario of projected provision under current government plans would be £73.5 million in 2015 and £95.2 million in 2024, whilst quality-adjusted life years gained would be 901 and 928 respectively. Addressing the treatment gap through provision by trained midwives and health visitors could mean additional costs of £7.3 million in 2015 but lower costs of £18.4 million in 2024. The additional quality-adjusted life years gained are estimated at 2096 in 2015 and 1418 in 2024. A scenario in which the treatment gap would be met by primary mental health services was likely to be more costly and delivered less health gains. Findings from this modelling study suggest that scaling the integration of mental health care into routinely delivered care for women during the perinatal period might be economically viable. N/A. Integrating mental health into maternal and child healthcare might generate economic benefits new study by @a_annettemaria and @knappem @CPEC_LSE finds #increasing access to treatment for women with perinatal mental health problems [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Links dyad data to consider the health of pregnant persons and infants as a unit. • Less than adequate prenatal care was associated with higher risk of infant removal. • WIC participation was associated with lower risk of infant removal. • Focusing on modifiable protective factors can reduce likelihood of infant removal. • Plans of Safe Care can help keep children safely at home and families together. A 5-year retrospective cohort study (n = 4,178) was conducted to identify trends and outcomes associated with child welfare-involved maternal-infant dyads affected by perinatal substance use in Colorado. Two linked data sources were used: (1) vital records birth and death certificate data on live births between 2013 and 2019 and (2) child welfare data from the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System. Data integration and de-identification work was accomplished by the Linked Information Network of Colorado and authorized by state legislation. Two tools were available for identity resolution: (1) the Senzing identity resolution application and (2) SQL queries. Binary logistic regression was used to explore how a birthing person's demographic characteristics, use of prenatal care, Special Nutrition Program for Woman, Infants, and Children (WIC) enrollment during pregnancy, health of birthing person during pregnancy and delivery, and the newborn's health at the time of birth related to child welfare removal within the first 60 days. Factors associated with an increased risk of infant removal include less than adequate prenatal care, lower household income, low participation in WIC, and greater medical fragility of the newborn. For infants removed from the home, the rate of placement with relatives while in foster care decreased by 15 % (2016–2019). This is a concern as placing children with relatives is shown to promote healthy child development. Findings bring into focus opportunities for prevention, treatment, and support of maternal-infant dyads affected by substance use during the perinatal period and offers insight into early entry points for preventing the need for family separation by child welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the cumulative effects of poverty on children's socio-emotional outcomes from ages 5 to 12, using U.S. National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data (N = 6941). Two definitions of poverty were used: absolute poverty as defined by the federal poverty threshold, and relative poverty defined as income less than 50 percent of median household income. (1) Does cumulative poverty, measured in absolute and relative terms, have any impact on children's socio-emotional outcomes? (2) Does this association increase/decrease as children become older? Relative poverty had a stronger adverse effect on children's social-emotional development than absolute poverty, and the adverse effect of relative poverty was bigger when children were older. Child and maternal characteristics affected children's socio-emotional development. The income threshold for absolute poverty is lower than that for relative poverty; using a relative poverty threshold might better identify individuals with limited resources that are at risk of having adverse socio-emotional outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on Palestinian mothers in Israel participating in a nonmandatory welfare-to-work program, the study addresses whether these women experience economic abuse from their intimate partner/ex-partner, as well as whether they perceive the program as an opportunity to escape economic abuse and move toward economic independence. Based on interviews of 26 mothers and three trainers, the findings revealed dual economic abuse: in the domestic sphere and at the structural level (the labor market and welfare laws). The findings also suggest that the assistance the women receive from the welfare-to-work program has been insufficient to extricate them from their abusive situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improved collaboration between child welfare and health care offers the possibility of improved child well-being after child welfare involvement. To pilot a collaborative practice model between CPS caseworkers and pediatric primary care providers (PCPs). Infants remaining at home following child welfare involvement in 2 regions of a Western state were randomly assigned to collaborative vs. standard practice between 11/2017 and 03/2019. CPS caseworkers were trained and randomized into standard vs collaborative practice model developed to promote information sharing between caseworkers and PCPs. A mixed-methods evaluation integrated administrative and qualitative data from child welfare, caregivers, caseworkers and PCPs. Outcomes evaluated included practice implementation; caregiver, caseworker, and PCP satisfaction with collaborative practice; and preliminary descriptions of practice impact. There were 423 eligible cases randomized to either collaborative or standard practice. Uptake of all elements of the collaborative practice by caseworkers was limited. There were no significant differences in parental satisfaction with caseworkers, parental communication with PCPs regarding social risks or CPS involvement or repeat CPS investigations within 6 months of case closure identified between practice arms. Qualitative themes regarding facilitators of and barriers to implementation were explored from both PCP and CPS caseworker perspectives. Limited uptake challenges our ability to identify potential benefits of a collaborative practice for infant health or welfare outcomes. CPS caseworkers and pediatric PCPs report barriers to implementation as well as potential benefits for children and families with a more successful collaborative practice model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prenatal substance use can have negative health consequences for both mother and child and may also increase the likelihood of child welfare involvement. The rate of newborns with substance exposure has increased dramatically. As of 2016, federal law requires notification of all infants to child welfare agencies so that a plan of safe care can be developed and referrals to services can be offered. Child welfare agencies have not historically collected consistent, systematic data identifying substance exposed newborns. We utilized a unique strategy to identify substance exposed newborns with child welfare involvement. We used data from the National Child Abuse & Detection System (NCANDS) which captures N = 3,189,034 unique child protective services investigations for children under the age of 1 between 2004 and 2017. We calculated the incidence of substance exposed newborns investigated by child welfare agencies and compared with other administrative data on prenatal substance exposure. We also analyzed this rate by infant demographic characteristics (race/ethnicity, sex, rurality). Between 2004 and 2017, approximately 13 % of infants reported to child protective services were likely reported because of substance exposure at birth, and the rate of substance exposed newborns with child welfare involvement increased from 3.79 to 12.90 per 1000 births, an increase of 240 %, over this period. Understanding the extent of the substance use crisis for child welfare involvement is important for policymakers to support children and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection despite being a vaccine preventable disease remains a global public health problem. In Cameroon, the hepatitis B vaccine was introduced in the expanded program on immunisation in 2005, but there has been limited evaluation of the HBV surface antibody response post vaccination.Objective: We investigated the immune response to hepatitis B vaccine in infants who received the DPT-Hep B-Hib vaccine, and we assessed HBsAg carriage in non-responders. We also investigated factors associated with non-response or poor response.Methods: Using a hospital based cross sectional design and a structured questionnaire over a four-month period (January to April 2019), we collected data to determine factors associated with hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) response from infants aged 6 to 9 months attending infant welfare clinics (IWC) at the Buea and Limbe regional hospitals. We collected venous blood and measured anti-HBs titres using a quantitative Foresight® ELISA. We entered and analysed data using EpiData version 3.1 and SPSS version 25 respectively.Results: Of the 161 infants enrolled, 159 (98.8%) developed anti-HBs antibodies. Of these 159, 157 (97.5%) and 117 (72.7%) developed ≥ 10.0 mIU/ml (seroprotection) and ≥ 100.0 mIU/ml anti-HBs titres respectively. Being younger (6 months old) was associated with seroprotection (Cramer V = 0.322, p = 0.001). Spearman rho's relational analysis showed that immunity against HBV reduced as the duration since the last dose increased (r = -0.172; P = 0.029). However, a Firth logistic regression showed no significant association of factors with inadequate immunity. All 12 (7.5%) infants exposed to HBV at birth, received the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, including four who received HBIG, and all were protected. Four infants (2.5%) had anti-HBs titres < 10.0 mIU/mL (non-responders) but had no peculiarity.Conclusion: The seroprotective rate following hepatitis B vaccination of infants is high even in exposed infants. Our study suggests that Cameroon's HBV vaccine in the Expanded Program on Immunisation (EPI) is effective against HBV, although we could not account for the 2.5% non-response rate. Large scale studies are needed to further explore non-response to the vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study represents the first empirical investigation of the mechanisms – a Hostile-Helpless (HH) attachment and reflective functioning (RF) – through which childhood abuse and neglect (CA&N) experiences may impact a mother's likelihood to commit filicide. The sample was comprised of 46 mentally ill mothers. Differences in attachment-derived risk variables between filicidal mothers (FM) and non-filicidal mothers (NFM) were also examined. FM (n = 23) reported lower RF, higher HH attachment, and a more severe history of CA&N, compared to NFM (n = 23), but did not differ on the severity of childhood experiences of loss of and/or separation from attachment figures. Bayesian analysis indicated that the mediated effect of more severe CA&N on the likelihood of committing filicide through higher HH attachment was significantly amplified by lower RF. A developmental interpretation of filicide is proposed and clinical implications for prevention and attachment-based interventions with at-risk mother–child dyads are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor maternal mental health and well-being during early stages of parenting impact child developmental outcomes. The primary objective of this study was to explore protective resources that may confer resilience among mothers living in low resourced neighborhoods in New Zealand. A purposive, non-probabilistic sampling method was used to recruit an ethnically representative sample of mothers with children under the age of five living in high deprivation neighborhoods in Auckland, New Zealand (n = 74). Data was collected via focus groups and interviews. Analyses consisted of both a deductive, theory-driven approach, and an inductive, data-driven approach. The most frequently mentioned resources that supported positive mental health and well-being included: 1) social support, and specifically family and instrumental support; 2) neighborhood cohesion, including collective efficacy and neighborhood permanence; and 3) alignment with social and cultural norms, though tensions surrounding cultural identity were also identified as sources of stress by some mothers. These findings highlight how the socioecological context impacts subjective perceptions of environmental demands and modifiable factors that may be promoted to improve maternal mental health and well-being and subsequent child health and development outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I BCLM: Forging Ahead i is a £30 million project at the Black Country Living Museum (BCLM) in Dudley, West Midlands, telling the story of the Black Country region, 1945-1968. 2 S. Briercliffe, 'BCLM: Forging Ahead: Building a New Urban History of the Black Country', I Urban History i , 48, 2 (2021), 334-50 ; S. Briercliffe. I Forging Ahead: Austerity to Prosperity in the Black Country, 1945-1968 i (Alcester: History West Midlands, 2021). [Extracted from the article]

Objectives: Resources for care among women are crucial for children's growth and development. The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to determine if: (1) the factor structure of measures of maternal resources for care was comparable across countries and consistent with the theoretical constructs and (2) the measures showed equivalence across contexts. Methods: The study included 4400, 4029 and 2746 women from Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Ethiopia, respectively. The measures of resources for care were maternal education, knowledge, height, body mass index, mental well-being, financial autonomy, decision-making, employment, support in chores, and perceived support. Results: The factor analysis demonstrated that a two-factor solution best explained the structure of resources for care in all three countries. The first factor was associated with financial autonomy and employment in all three countries and with decision-making in two countries. The second factor was associated with education and knowledge in all three countries. The measures of resources for care had measurement equivalence across countries. Conclusion for Practice: Resources for care were structurally similar and measurement equivalent across countries and can be used for measurement in low- and middle-income countries. Additional work examining the structure and cross-context equivalence of resources for care in other settings is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nigeria has unimpressive maternal and child health indicators. Compliance with the WHO guidelines on the minimum number of antenatal care (ANC) contacts could improve these indicators. We assessed the compliance with WHO recommended standards on ANC contacts in Nigeria and identify the associated factors.Methods: Nationally representative cross-sectional data during pregnancy of 21,785 most recent births within five years preceding the 2018 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey was used. The number of ANC contacts was categorised into "None", "1-3", "4-7" and "8 or more" contacts based on subsequent WHO guidelines. Descriptive statistics, bivariable and multivariable multinomial logistic regression was used at p = 0.05.Results: About 25 % of the women had no ANC contact, 58 % had at least 4 contacts while only 20 % had 8 or more ANC contacts. The highest rate of 8 or more ANC contacts was in Osun (80.2 %), Lagos (76.8 %), and Imo (72.0 %) while the lowest rates were in Kebbi (0.2 %), Zamfara (1.1 %) and Yobe (1.3 %). Respondents with higher education were twelve times (adjusted relative risk (aRR): 12.46, 95 % CI: 7.33-21.2), having secondary education was thrice (aRR: 2.91, 95 % CI: 2.35-3.60), and having primary education was twice (aRR: 2.17, 95 % CI: 1.77-2.66) more likely to make at least 8 contacts than those with no education. Respondents from households in the richest and middle wealth categories were 129 and 67 % more likely to make 8 or more ANC contacts compared to those from households in the lowest wealth category respectively. The likelihood of making 8 ANC contacts was 89 and 47 % higher among respondents from communities in the least and middle disadvantaged groups, respectively,  compared to the most disadvantaged group. Other significant variables were spouse education, health care decision making, media access, ethnicity, religion, and other community factors.Conclusions: Compliance with WHO guidelines on the minimum number of ANC contacts in Nigeria is poor. Thus, Nigeria has a long walk to attaining sustainable development goal's targets on child and maternal health. We recommend that the maternal and child health programmers should review existing policies and develop new policies to adopt, implement and tackle the challenges of adherence to the WHO recommended minimum of 8 ANC contacts. Women's education, socioeconomic status and adequate mobilization of families should be prioritized. There is a need for urgent intervention to narrow the identified inequalities and substantial disparities in the characteristics of pregnant women across the regions and states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, public health expenditure (PHE) is closely associated with Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child Health, and Nutrition (RMNCHN) and Family Planning (FP) outcomes. In India, the role of PHE in shaping the progress towards the attainment of RMNCHN and FP-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is not widely documented. Using the four consecutive rounds of National Family Health Survey (NFHS), we have investigated the progress in RMNCHN and FP indicators and their association with PHE by applying robust econometric modelling. The findings suggest that although there is noticeable progress in the RMNCHN indicators from 1992–93–2015–16, India has failed to achieve RMNCHN targets related to Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Lack of noteworthy correlation between FP indicators and PHE supports the argument that post National Rural Health Mission (2005), the core family welfare expenditure suffered a setback despite the absolute rise in PHE. However, correlation plots and the multivariate panel data regression analyses affirm that even with a moderate rise, PHE emerges as an important predictor of RMNCHN outcomes in the country. Thus, the road to achieving RMNCHN and FP-related SDGs demands to avoid austerity on PHE and strengthen the integration of RMNCHN and FP programmes at the operational level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As early adolescents have limited capacities for self-regulating electronic media use (EMU), parental monitoring is needed. However, research has shown that parents do not exert much monitoring over their children's EMU. A theory-based approach may help to identify key predictors of parental monitoring and its effects on adolescents' EMU. Applying the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA), this study examined maternal psycho-social predictors of maternal monitoring of EMU and, subsequently, children's EMU.Methods: In Switzerland, 105 mother-adolescent dyads participated in an observational study with two time points (baseline, T1, and follow-up, T2) two weeks apart. Mothers (Mage = 43.83 years, SD = 4.45) reported on their HAPA variables and their children's EMU. Adolescents (Mage = 12.13 years, SD = 0.99; 60 girls and 45 boys) also reported their EMU.Results: Maternal outcome expectancies (T1) for less EMU were positively related (β = 0.25) with their intention to monitor EMU (T1). Further, intention was positively associated (β = 0.45) with planning to monitor EMU (T1) which in turn predicted marginally (β = 0.18) maternal monitoring (T2). No significant associations were found between maternal monitoring (T2) and adolescents' EMU (T2) reported by mothers and adolescents.Conclusions: Contrary to hypotheses derived from the HAPA, findings demonstrate that not all the HAPA variables are linked to maternal monitoring of adolescents' EMU. More research is thus needed to identify antecedents and consequences of different strategies of maternal monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early help or early intervention is increasingly recommended for safeguarding children living with domestic violence, but little is known about what is effective. This article discusses findings from an evaluation of a pioneering early help service in North West England. This new service aimed to improve the safety and wellbeing of families (mothers and children) who were assessed as below the level of 'high risk' domestic violence and below the threshold for a child protection order. Between January 2014 and March 2015, families (473 mothers and 541 children) were identified within multiagency safeguarding hubs and referred to the early help service. The service that emerged was somewhat different to the service expected. This article discusses findings from qualitative data gathered from 39 participants (mothers, children and service providers) involved in the programme. Three main issues emerged as themes from the interviews: the benefits of having any service at all for children living with domestic violence who slip off the agendas of professionals working with child protection and high‐risk domestic violence; the importance of flexibility of key worker‐led service delivery; and the suitability of current group work and therapeutic models for meeting the varied needs of families affected by domestic violence. Key Practitioner Messages: Children, mothers and service providers reported both a perceived need for early help and a positive impact from domestic violence early help services on child health and emotional wellbeing.The ability of services to flex their delivery model in response to the needs of families is important for supporting engagement of, and fostering a sense of control for, families receiving support.Confidentiality, reliability, respect and trust are key factors in developing an effective key worker‐family relationship. 'Discusses findings from an evaluation of a pioneering early help service in North West England' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Self-Determination Theory explained youth engagement in child welfare meetings. • Family meeting practices functioned differently in promoting youth engagement. • Youth engagement was more likely when conditions met basic psychological needs. • Caseworkers need support from the child welfare system to engage youth. Youth in foster care are often excluded from participating in planning for their permanent homes and making other decisions about their lives. In the past decade, there has been an increasing call for laws, policies, and practices that ensure a youth's right to participation in child welfare and other youth-serving systems. Child welfare, which is often associated with trauma, lack of power, and other disadvantages for involved families, is a complicated context for engaging youth in the processes intended to protect them. From the motivational perspective of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), child welfare workers can understand promoting engagement as creating conditions that meet a youth's basic psychological needs. The current study used SDT as a framework to analyze in-depth interviews with youth about their experiences with family case planning meetings. Findings explain why different family meeting practices promoted or undermined youth engagement by creating certain contextual conditions (warm/caring, structured/predictable, and supportive of genuine preferences). Some family meeting practices functioned differently in promoting youth engagement depending on the extent to which youth experienced their needs being met. SDT offers both a way to understand casework practices in terms of the conditions they create, and a framework for reflecting on why certain practices operate in different ways for different youth. Workers who understand that engagement stems from meeting individual needs will be better able to promote youth participation in family meetings and their well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Variation in pediatric medical care is common and contributes to differences in abstract patient outcomes. Site-to-site variation in the characteristics and care of infants with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) has yet to be quantified. Our objective was to describe site-to-site variation in maternal-infant characteristics, infant management, and outcomes for infants with NOWS. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 1377 infants born between July 1, 2016, and June 30, 2017, who were $36 weeks' gestation, with NOWS (evidence of opioid exposure and NOWS scoring within the first 120 hours of life) born at or transferred to 1 of 30 participating hospitals nationwide. Site-to-site variation for each parameter within the 3 domains was measured as the range of individual site-level means, medians, or proportions. RESULTS: Sites varied widely in the proportion of infants whose mothers received adequate prenatal care (31.3%-100%), medication-assisted treatment (5.9%-100%), and prenatal counseling (1.9%-75.5%). Sites varied in the proportion of infants with toxicology screening (50%-100%) and proportion of infants receiving pharmacologic therapy (6.7%-100%), secondary medications (1.1%-69.2%), and nonpharmacologic interventions including fortified feeds (2.9%-90%) and maternal breast milk (22.2%-83.3%). The mean length of stay varied across sites (2-28.8 days), as did the proportion of infants discharged with their parents (33.3%-91.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Considerable site-to-site variation exists in all 3 domains. The magnitude of the observed variation makes it unlikely that all infants are receiving efficient and effective care for NOWS. This variation should be considered in future clinical trial development, practice implementation, and policy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Health disparities research has demonstrated a negative relationship between racial discrimination and African American women's maternal health outcomes. Yet, the relationship between racial discrimination and preterm labor, a key measure of maternal health, remains understudied. This study sought to examine the associations between preterm labor and direct and vicarious racial discrimination among African American women at three life stages: childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Methods: Logistic regression methods were used to analyze cross-sectional data from the African American Women's Heart & Health Study (AAWHHS; N = 173). The AAWHHS includes detailed maternal health information on a community sample of African American women residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Results: Findings indicated each unit increase in adolescent direct racial discrimination was associated with a 48% increase in the odds of preterm labor (OR: 1.480, 95% CI 1.002–2.187, p < 0.05) and each unit increase in childhood vicarious racial discrimination was associated with a 45% increase in the odds of preterm labor (OR: 1.453, 95% CI 1.010–2.092, p < 0.05) after adjusting for number of pregnancies and socioeconomic variables. Discussion: This study provides evidence of an association between life-stage racial discrimination and preterm labor risk among African American women, underscoring a need to consider how both directly and vicariously experienced racial discrimination at different developmental periods impact racial disparities in birth outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article features Viv Evans, a health education officer who has contributed to the field of addiction science. She delivered training courses to teachers on alcohol and drug education when she was deputy director of the defunct Teachers Advisory Council on Alcohol and Drug Education. In 2002, Evans moved to Adfam where she became its chief executive. She was a member of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and chaired projects related to substance abuse.

Dominant social, cultural, and professional discourses view motherhood as the core of a woman's identity. Thus, the identity of women who do not meet the general expectations of motherhood might be negatively affected. Specifically, mothers who are welfare clients may violate the prevailing norms concerning the maternal role. This qualitative study explores how Israeli mothers who are welfare clients construct their maternal identity. Studies of mothers who are clients of welfare services suggest that they feel blamed for being "bad" or "unfit" mothers. However, women occasionally negotiate or challenge the negative perceptions that are forced on them by hegemonic discourses of motherhood. We postulate that such women experience a troubled maternal identity that they negotiate through interactions with others. Accordingly, this study set to explore how Israeli mothers who are welfare clients negotiate their maternal identity in the context of motherhood and welfare discourses. Fourteen participants were interviewed, and the findings illustrate the vulnerability of the mothers and their strategies to construct a positive maternal identity. We discuss the findings in light of the concept of troubled identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to set the context for the studies that follow by assessing the historiography on children and childhood in modern France (including works produced by foreign as well as French authors). The first section identifies topics with the highest and lowest profiles in the existing literature. In particular, it focuses on the former, documenting the wealth of French studies of the infant welfare movement, education and the impact of revolution and warfare on the young. The second section questions the influence the history of childhood has had on historical studies overall in France. It argues that to date, 'top-down' studies, concerned with the role of adults in childhood matters, have been more prominent than those looking from the 'bottom-up', emphasizing the agency and voices of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expanding childcare is often considered as a suitable way to enhance employment opportunities for mothers with young children as well as to reduce child poverty. In this study, the authors critically investigate this assertion by simulating a set of scenarios of increasing subsidized childcare slots and mothers' employment. For a variety of European welfare states, the impact on poverty and on the government's budget is estimated using the European microsimulation model EUROMOD. The findings suggest that to achieve significant poverty reductions among young children, both additional childcare slots and increased mothers' employment should be well targeted. The expenditures for additional childcare slots can to a large extent be recovered by the government receipts generated by the additional employment; however, there appears to be a trade-off between the extra revenue that can be generated and the extent of poverty reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fetal and infant brain development determine the trajectory of the organism across the lifespan. Optimal maternal and infant nutrition during the period of rapid brain development is vital to the integrity of the neural substrate for subsequent lifelong functions. The goal of this review is to educate the reader on the effects of fetal and infant nutrition on the developing human brain. A review of the literature reveals 6 nutrients that have been studied with respect to maternal nutrition and subsequent offspring brain development: folate, iodine, iron, vitamin D, choline, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3). The research is discussed with a focus on the timing of nutrient needs (preconception, prenatally, and postnatally) as well as potential confounding and unobserved variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the uniquely short lactations of true seals, pups acquire a greater proportion of maternal body resources, at a greater rate, than in any other group of mammals. Mothers in many species enter a period of anorexia but must preserve sufficient reserves to fuel hunting and thermoregulation for return to cold seas. Moreover, pups may undergo a period of development after weaning during which they have no maternal care or nutrition. This nutritionally closed system presents a potentially extreme case of conflict between maternal survival and adequate provisioning of offspring, likely presenting strains on their metabolisms. We examined the serum metabolomes of five mother and pup pairs of Atlantic grey seals, Halichoerus grypus, from birth to weaning. Changes with time were particularly evident in pups, with indications of strain in the fat and energy metabolisms of both. Crucially, pups accumulate certain compounds to levels that are dramatically greater than in mothers. These include compounds that pups cannot synthesise themselves, such as pyridoxine/vitamin B6, taurine, some essential amino acids, and a conditionally essential amino acid and its precursor. Fasting mothers therefore appear to mediate stockpiling of critical metabolites in their pups, potentially depleting their own reserves and prompting cessation of lactation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the twentieth century Hong Kong's population expanded dramatically. Yet, it was only after one million refugees from China settled in the 1950s that the colonial Government undertook population control. Imposing immigration restrictions was straightforward, but curbing unprecedented natural growth proved problematic. On the one side, supporting family planning risked alienating pro-life Catholic organizations, many channelling necessary relief for the refugees in an anti-communist mission for the USA. While on the other, indigenous infant welfare, which reduced infant mortality, could not be neglected further, in part because of the postwar resetting of race relations, its importance in improving public health, and the attention given to the refugee crisis by world public opinion. Hence, the paradox of an overpopulated British colony investing in infant welfare, not in family planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women who use drugs during pregnancy are required to intersect with numerous services in relation to their and their unborn child's well-being. The purpose of this article is to stimulate practitioner debate and consideration of the ways in which substance using women engage with diverse services and specific professional groups during pregnancy and the extent to which they may comply with the various treatment plans developed for them – or not. Drawing on literature, different ways to conceptualise engagement and compliance in health and welfare interventions are discussed and key practice issues related to these concepts are identified for this client cohort. Insights from an amalgamated case exemplar informed by practice and the available literature comprehensively draws together and highlights the personal challenges women face, whilst at the same time required to navigate inconsistent expectations between the health, alcohol and other drugs treatment and child protection systems, along with the ever-present threat of removal of their infant at birth. The role of social workers in hospital and community settings in bridging the perceived divide between clients and child protection services and also in promoting collaboration is explored. Recommendations for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The financial crisis of 2008, has led central governments in industrialized nations to seek to reduce public expenditure at the same time that demands upon the welfare state are increasing. Using the example of statutory social work with children and families in England, this article explores whether the concept of rationing might be a more useful way of describing practices at the front line that seek to meet the objectives of policymakers, while also being financially responsible. In doing so, the article challenges social work to see austerity as less of a descriptor of the straightened financial times we live in but rather as an ideology that is seeking to reshape the very nature of the welfare state and to push responsibility for dealing with the consequences of these decisions away from politicians and policymakers onto front line staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the history of human infancy, its development and mortality, including the framework for its biopolitical formation in the U.S. Topics discussed include the history of medical discourse surrounding newborn life, its inception as a biopolitical subject with the establishment of neonatal care at hospitals and diagnostic technology to determine dates of conception, and the political dimension of material feminism and its connection to the materiality of infant life.