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The Maternal Mortality Study conducts a hospital investigation of maternal deaths that occurred in 2020/2021 in the maternity hospitals sampled by the Birth in Brazil II survey, with the following objectives: estimate the maternal mortality underreporting; calculate a correction factor and the corrected (MMR); validate the causes of maternal mortality reported in the death certificate (DC); and analyze the factors associated with maternal mortality. The Birth in Brazil II includes approximately 24,250 puerperal women distributed in 465 public, private, and mixed hospitals with ≥ 100 live births/year in the five macroregions of Brazil. The Maternal Mortality Study data will be completed using the same Birth in Brazil II questionnaire, from the consultation of hospital records. Trained obstetricians will fill out a new DC (redone DC) from independent analysis of this questionnaire, comparing it to official data. The database of the investigated deaths will be related to the deaths listed in the Mortality Information System of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, allowing the estimation of underreporting and calculation of the corrected MMR. To calculate the reliability of the causes of death, the kappa test and prevalence-adjusted kappa with 95% confidence interval will be used. A case-control study to estimate the risk factors for maternal mortality will be developed with the investigated deaths (cases) and the controls obtained in the Birth in Brazil II survey, using conditional multiple logistic regression models. We expect this research to contribute to the correction of the underreporting of maternal mortality and to a better understanding of the determinants of the persistence of a high MMR in Brazil.

Brazil has made advances in obstetric care in public and private hospitals; however, weaknesses in this system still require attention. The Brazilian Ministry of Health, aware of this need, funded the second version of the Birth in Brazil survey. This study aimed to evaluate: prenatal, labor and birth, postpartum, and abortion care, comparing the results with those of Birth in Brazil I; and analyze the main determinants of perinatal morbidity and mortality; evaluate the care structure and processes of obstetrics and neonatology services in maternity hospitals; analyze the knowledge, practices, and attitudes of health professionals who provide birth and abortion care; and identify the main barriers and facilitators related to care of this nature in Brazil. With a national scope and a 2-stage probability sample: 1-hospitals and 2-women, stratified into 59 strata, 465 hospitals were selected with a total planned sample of around 24,255 women - 2,205 for abortion reasons and 22,050 for labor reasons. Data collection was conducted using six electronic instruments during hospital admission for labor or abortion, with two follow-up waves, at two and four months. In order to expand the number of cases of severe maternal morbidity, maternal and perinatal mortality, three case control studies were incorporated into Birth in Brazil II. The fieldwork began in November 2021 and is scheduled to end in 2023. It will allow a comparison between current labor and birth care results and those obtained in the first study and will evaluate the advances achieved in 10 years.

Pregnancy, parturition and birth bring major changes to the lives of mothers and fathers. This article presents a research protocol for estimating the prevalence of postpartum mental health outcomes in mothers and fathers, abuse and satisfaction in delivery/abortion care, and the correlations between them and socioeconomic, obstetric, and child health factors. As a 2-component research, it consists of a prospective cohort study with all postpartum women interviewed in the 465 maternity hospitals included at the Birth in Brazil II baseline survey conducted from 2021 to 2023, and a cross-sectional study with the newborns' fathers/partners. Interviews will be conducted via telephone or self-completion link sent by WhatsApp with the mother at 2 and 4 months after delivery/abortion. Partners will be approached three months after birth (excluding abortions, stillbirths and newborn death) using the telephone number informed by the mother at the maternity ward. Postpartum women will be inquired about symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, abuse during maternity care and quality of the mother-newborn bond. Maternal and neonatal morbidity, use of postnatal services, and satisfaction with maternity care are also investigated. Fathers will be asked to report on symptoms of depression and anxiety, and the quality of the relationship with the partner and the newborn. The information collected in this research stage may help to plan and improve care aimed at the postpartum health of the mother-father-child triad.

Brazil presents high maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Cases of severe maternal morbidity, maternal near miss, and perinatal deaths are important health indicators and share the same determinants, being closely related to living conditions and quality of perinatal care. This article aims to present the study protocol to estimate the perinatal mortality rate and the incidence of severe maternal morbidity and maternal near miss in the country, identifying its determinants. Cross-sectional study integrated into the research Birth in Brazil II, conducted from 2021 to 2023. This study will include 155 public, mixed and private maternities, accounting for more than 2,750 births per year, participating in the Birth in Brazil II survey. We will collect retrospective data from maternal and neonatal records of all hospitalizations within a 30-day period in these maternities, applying a screening form to identify cases of maternal morbidity and perinatal deaths. Medical record data of all identified cases will be collected after hospital discharge, using a standardized instrument. Cases of severe maternal morbidity and maternal near miss will be classified based on the definition adopted by the World Health Organization. The perinatal deaths rate and the incidence of severe maternal morbidity and maternal near miss will be estimated. Cases will be compared to controls obtained in the Birth in Brazil II survey, matched by hospital and duration of pregnancy, in order to identify factors associated with negative outcomes. Results are expected to contribute to the knowledge on maternal morbidity and perinatal deaths in Brazil, as well as the development of strategies to improve care.

Controversial results have been reported on the association between mode of delivery and patient satisfaction. This study investigates which mode of delivery leads to greater satisfaction with hospital admission for childbirth. A cohort study was conducted with data from the Birth in Brazil study, which began in 2011. A total of 23,046 postpartum women were included from a random sample of hospitals, selected by conglomerates with a three level stratification. At the first follow-up, 15,582 women were re-interviewed. Mode of delivery, dichotomized into vaginal or cesarean section, and confounders were collected before hospital discharge. The outcome maternal satisfaction, investigated as a 10-item unidimensional construct, was measured by the Hospital Birth Satisfaction Scale up to six months after discharge. We used a directed acyclic graph to define minimal adjustment variables for confounding. The effect of mode of delivery on satisfaction was estimated using a structural equation model with weighting by the inverse of the probability of selection, considering the complex sampling design. The weight was estimated considering the different sample selection probabilities, the losses to follow-up, and the propensity score, which was estimated in a logistic regression model. The analysis revealed no significant difference in satisfaction with hospitalization for childbirth between respondents who had vaginal delivery and cesarean section in the adjusted analysis (standardized coefficient = 0.089; p-value = 0.056). Therefore, women who had vaginal delivery and cesarean section were equally satisfied with their hospitalization for childbirth.

Background: Brazil's maternity care is highly medicalized, and obstetric interventions in labour and birth are high, mainly in private health system. The Adequate Birth Project (PPA-Projeto Parto Adequado) is quality improvement project designed to reduce unnecessary caesarian section rates in private hospitals in Brazil. This study evaluated the association between the participation of the PPA and the birth experience assessed by the women., Methods: It was carried out in 2017/2018 a hospital-based research with a convenience sample of 12 private hospitals among the 23 participants of the project. In this article, a sub-sample of 2348 mothers of 4878 postpartum women, including only women who desired vaginal birth at the ending of pregnancy was analyzed. Multigroup structural equation modelling was used for data analysis to compare vaginal birth and caesarean section. The latent variable was constructed from four items: participation in decisions, respectful treatment during labour and birth, satisfaction with the care during childbirth, satisfaction with care of the baby., Results: In the vaginal birth group, women who participated in PPA rated the birth experience better than women who did not participate (standardized coefficient: 0.388, p-value: 0.028). On the other hand, this effect was not observed (standardized coefficient: - 0.271, p-value: 0.085) in the caesarean section. Besides, the explicative models for a good birth experience varied to the type of childbirth. Among women with vaginal birth, complication during pregnancy and younger age were associated with a more positive birth experience. In contrast, for women with a caesarean section, access to information and participation in the pregnant group was associated with a better evaluation of the birth experience., Conclusions: The childbirth care model that encourages vaginal delivery and reduces unnecessary caesarean modulates the birth experience according to the type of birth. This study also highlights the importance of perceived control, support, and relationship with the health team shaping women's experience with labour and delivery. These factors may affect policy, practice, and research on childbirth care., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

This study analyzed late-term and post-term birth, evaluating the maternal profile, its characteristics, and maternal and neonatal complications. A total of 23,610 babies were selected from the Birth in Brazil study (2011), and a descriptive analysis of the study population was performed. The association between late-term and post-term birth and their outcomes was performed using logistic regressions (p-value < 0.05). The prevalence found was 7.4% for late-term and 2.5% for post-term birth, both of which were more frequent in the North and Northeast regions, in adolescents, black women, with low schooling, multiparous, cared for by the public sector. Late term pregnancies had a higher chance of induction of vaginal delivery (OR = 2.02; 95%CI: 1.67-2.45), of cesarean section (OR = 1.32; 95%CI: 1.16-1.52), of severe laceration (OR = 3.75; 95%CI: 1.36-10.36), and of oxygen therapy for newborns (OR = 1.52; 95%CI: 1.02-2.26). In post-term pregnancies, newborns had a lower chance of breastfeeding at birth (OR = 0.74; 95%CI: 0.56-0.97) and during hospitalization (OR = 0.62; 95%CI: 0.40-0.97) and a higher chance of being born small for the gestational age (OR = 4.01; 95%CI: 2.83-5.70). The results using only ultrasound as a measure of gestational age confirmed the previous findings. Late-term and post-term pregnancies occur more frequently in the North and Northeast regions and in women with greater social vulnerability, being associated with maternal and neonatal complications.

This study aimed to describe cesarean and repeated cesarean section rates in Brazil according to gestational age (GA) at birth and type of hospital. This is an ecologic study using data from the Brazilian Information System on Live Births and the 2017 National Registry of Health Facilities. Overall and repeated cesarean section rates were calculated and analyzed according to GA, region of residence, and type of hospital. Spearman correlations were performed between cesarean and repeated cesarean section rates by GA subgroups at birth (≤ 33, 34-36, 37-38, 39-41, and ≥ 42 weeks) and analyzed according to the type of hospital. Overall and repeated cesarean section rates were 55.1% and 85.3%, respectively. More than 60% of newborns between 37-38 weeks were delivered via cesarean section. Private hospitals in all regions showed the highest cesarean section rates, especially those in the Central-West Region, with more than 80% at all GAs. The overall cesarean section rate was highly correlated with all cesarean section rates of GA subgroups (r > 0.7, p < 0.01). Regarding repeated cesarean sections, the overall rate was strongly correlated with the rates of 37-38 and 39-41 weeks in public/mixed hospitals, differing from private hospitals, which showed moderate correlations. This finding indicates the decision for cesarean section is not based on clinical factors, which can cause unnecessary damage to the health of both the mother and the baby. Then, changes in the delivery care model, strengthening public policies, and encouragement of vaginal delivery after a cesarean section in subsequent pregnancies are important strategies to reduce cesarean section rates in Brazil.

Collaborative models (CM) focused on intrapartum care shared between both midwives and obstetricians have been proposed as a strategy to reduce these rates. Our aim was to compare use of evidence-based practices, obstetric interventions and c-section rates in two settings: a maternity hospital that applies a CM of care (MRJ) and data from a pool of maternity hospitals included in the Birth in Brazil Survey (NB) that do not adopt a CM. Data was abstracted from medical and administrative records in MRJ and from medical records and face-to-face interviews in NB. Differences were compared using chi-square test, with significance level set at p<0.05. MRJ showed a higher frequency of labour companionship, labour care provided by nurse midwives, non-pharmacological pain relief methods, food intake during labour, and less use of oxytocin, analgesia and amniotomy. More women also had second stage assisted by a nurse midwife and in a vertical position, as well as lower use of episiotomies and vacuum-extractor/forceps. The c-section rate was lower at MRJ. Shared care between midwives and obstetricians can be an effective strategy to improve quality of intrapartum care.

Objective: Describe and estimate the rate of recurrent preterm birth in Brazil according to the type of delivery, weighted by associated factors., Methods: We obtained data from the national hospital-based study "Birth in Brazil", conducted in 2011 and 2012, from interviews with 23,894 women. Initially, we used the chi-square test to verify the differences between newborns according to previous prematurity and type of recurrent prematurity. Sequentially, we applied the propensity score method to balance the groups according to the following covariates: maternal age, socio-economic status, smoking during pregnancy, parity, previous cesarean section, previous stillbirth or neonatal death, chronic hypertension and chronic diabetes. Finally, we performed multiple logistic regression to estimate the recorrence., Results: We analyzed 6,701 newborns. The rate of recurrence was 42.0%, considering all women with previous prematurity. Among the recurrent premature births, 62.2% were spontaneous and 37.8% were provider-initiated. After weighting by propensity score, we found that women with prematurity have 3.89 times the chance of having spontaneous recurrent preterm birth (ORaj = 3.89; 95%CI 3.01-5.03) and 3.47 times the chance of having provider-initiated recurrent preterm birth (ORaj = 3.47; 95%CI 2.59-4.66), compared to women who had full-term newborns., Conclusions: Previous prematurity showed to be a strong predictor for its recurrence. Thus, expanding and improving the monitoring and management of pregnant women who had occurrence of prematurity strongly influence the reduction of rates and, consequently, the reduction of infant morbidity and mortality risks in the country.

Studies on disrespect and abuse/mistreatment/obstetric violence during pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium have increased in recent decades. However, researchers interested in the subject face many theoretical and methodological difficulties. In this sense, this study aims to discuss and reflect on how issues related to definition and terminology, measurement, and public policies in Brazil have hindered research on this topic and the mitigation of these acts. The first problem addressed was the lack of consensus regarding the terminology and definition of this construct. This situation causes a cascading effect, impacting the use of non-validated measurement instruments and, consequently, a lack of accuracy and comparability between studies. Another issue mentioned is the lack of studies exploring the consequences of these acts on women's and newborn's health, which is one of the main gaps on the subject today. The absence of causal studies affects health decision-making, impairing the elaboration of specific public policies.

Background & Aims: Most Brazilian women fail to gain weight within recommendations during pregnancy but current guidelines about gestational weight gain was based on North American population analysis. There are no standardized recommendations developed from Brazilian population data, which should be particularly analysed due to ethnic and sociodemographic characteristics. This study analyses the gestational weight gain of Brazilian women with favourable obstetric and neonatal outcomes according to the pre-pregnancy body mass index, considering maternal sociodemographic characteristics., Methods: We analysed data from the Birth in Brazil: national survey into labour and birth study, a nationwide hospital-based cohort carried out in 266 Brazilian hospitals from February/2011 to July 2012, including adult pregnant women who have no chronic diseases and who have single foetal gestation, born alive and without malformation. Favourable obstetric and neonatal outcomes considered were gestational age at birth greater than or equal to 37 and less than 42 weeks, birthweight between 2500 g and 4000 g, and birthweight suitable for gestational age. Sociodemographic characteristics were obtained from medical records and interviews. Weight and height information was obtained from the prenatal card or self-reported. The pre-pregnancy BMI was classified in low weight, normal weight, overweight, obesity I, obesity II, and obesity III. For the missing cases on pre-pregnancy weight or height, body mass index was imputed by multiple imputation prediction model. Gestational weight gain was the difference between the last weight before delivery and the pre-pregnancy weight and was presented as mean and confidence interval, mean and standard deviation, and percentiles distribution (10th to 90th) for each pre-pregnancy body mass index, thus compared to Institute of Medicine recommendations., Results: The analysis included 8184 Brazilian women. The gestational weight gain was lower in women with less favoured social conditions. The mean gestational weight gain according to pre-pregnancy body mass index was within the Institute of Medicine recommendations, except for women with overweight or obesity class I, who have the mean weight gain higher than upper limit of the Institute of Medicine range. Gestational weight gain decreased with an increase in the categories of body mass index; the mean (±standard deviation) were: 15.41 kg (±5.53), 13.54 kg (±4.97), 12.45 kg (±5.86), 9.38 kg (±6.31), 7.15 kg (±6.43), and 5.04 kg (±7.10), for low weight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity I, II and III, respectively. Women had favourable obstetric and neonatal outcomes gaining less, within or more than the recommendations with higher range of variation amongst obesity classes I, II, and III which do not have specific ranges stated in Institute of Medicine guidelines., Conclusion: Brazilian women had favourable obstetric and neonatal outcomes gaining less, within or more than the Institute of Medicine recommendations. We highlight the need of population-based high-quality research to investigate the optimal GWG recommendations for this population., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2021 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper aims to compare best practices for healthy newborns in public and mixed hospitals affiliated with SUS, according to type of birth, between "Nascer no Brasil/2011" (NB - Birth in Brazil) and in the last assessment cycle of Rede Cegonha, here called "Avaliação da Rede Cegonha/2017" (ARC - Stork Network Assessment). NB included a sample with national representativeness of 266 hospitals, and ARC was conducted in 606 maternity hospitals included in the Rede Cegonha strategy, totaling 15,994 and 8,047 pairs of healthy mothers and newborns, respectively.Between the two studies, NB-2011 and ARC-2017, although the proportion of cesarean sections remained around 44%, the prevalence of skin-to-skin contact with newborns, breastfeeding in the delivery room and breastfeeding in the first 24h of life increased by 140%, 82% and 6%, respectively. The proportion of upper airway aspiration of newborns dropped 65%. The results indicate that the use of evidence-based guidelines for the care of healthy newborns has increased in clinical practice, considering the six-year period between the compared studies. Despite the progress, important challenges remain to ensure best practices for all women and newborns, especially in relation to cesarean births.

This article compares the findings of "Avaliação da Rede Cegonha" (ARC - Stork Network Assessment), an evaluative study on the Rede Cegonha (RC - Stork Network) program, with Nascer no Brasil (NB - Born in Brazil), a national survey on labor and birth, conducted in 2011-12, before the start implementation of RC. ARC was conducted in 2017, in 606 maternity hospitals involved in RC and NB included a sample with national representation of 266 hospitals. In the current analysis, we included the 136 SUS hospitals that participated in both studies, totaling 3,790 and 12,227 puerperal women. We perform comparisons of best practices and interventions in the management of labor and delivery using Pearson's chi-square test for independent samples. The prevalence of best practices was, on average, 150% higher in ARC than in NB, with a greater relative increase in less developed regions, for older, brown and black women and less educated. Regarding interventions, there was an average reduction of 30% between NB and ARC, with a greater relative reduction in less developed regions and less educated women. There was a significant improvement in the scenario of care for labor and childbirth, with a reduction in regional, educational and racial inequalities in access to appropriate technologies, suggesting that the RC intervention was effective.

This study aimed to assess whether nurses' presence in delivery care in maternity hospitals linked to the Rede Cegonha program promotes access to best obstetric practices during labor and delivery. We conducted an evaluative study in 2017 in all 606 SUS maternity hospitals that joined this strategic policy in all Brazilian states. We collected data from maternity hospital managers and puerperae. The analysis was performed at two levels: hospital with or without a nurse in delivery care; and professionals that attended vaginal delivery, whether doctors or nurses. We used best practices and interventions for vaginal deliveries and cesarean section rates as dependent variables. We included 5.016 subjects for analyses of vaginal deliveries and 9.692 to calculate cesarean section rates. Multiple regressions were adjusted for geographic region, maternity hospital size, and puerperae skin color and parity. Maternity hospitals with nurses in delivery care used more the partograph and less oxytocin, lithotomy, episiotomy, and cesarean section. Deliveries attended by nurses had more frequent use of the partograph and a lower likelihood of lithotomy and episiotomy. The inclusion of nurses in vaginal delivery care has successfully brought women closer to a more physiological and respectful delivery.

Background: Twin pregnancies account for 0.5-2.0% of all gestations worldwide. They have a negative impact on perinatal health indicators, mainly owing to the increased risk for preterm birth. However, population-based data from low/middle income countries are limited. The current paper aims to understand the health risks of twins, compared to singletons, amongst late preterms and early terms., Methods: Data is from "Birth in Brazil", a national inquiry into childbirth care conducted in 2011/2012 in 266 maternity hospitals. We included women with a live birth or a stillborn, and excluded births of triplets or more, totalling 23,746 singletons and 554 twins. We used multiple logistic regressions and adjusted for potential confounders., Results: Twins accounted for 1.2% of gestations and 2.3% of newborns. They had higher prevalence of low birth weight and intrauterine growth restriction, when compared to singletons, in all gestational age groups, except in the very premature ones (<34 weeks). Amongst late preterm's, twins had higher odds of jaundice (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.8-4.2) and antibiotic use (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-3.2). Amongst early-terms, twins had higher odds of oxygen therapy (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.3-5.9), admission to neonatal intensive care unit (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.5-6.5), transient tachypnoea (OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.5-9.2), jaundice (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.3-5.9) and antibiotic use (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.14.9). In relation to birth order, the second-born infant had an elevated likelihood of jaundice, antibiotic use and oxygen therapy, than the first-born infant., Conclusion: Although strongly mediated by gestational age, an independent risk remains for twins for most neonatal morbidities, when compared to singletons. These disadvantages seem to be more prominent in early-term newborns than in the late preterm ones., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Objective: Obesity has significant implications for the health of pregnant women. However, few studies have quantified its association with maternal mortality or examined the relevant underlying causes and the role of care, although this remains the most severe maternal outcome. Our objectives were to quantify the risk of maternal death by prepregnancy body mass index and to determine whether obesity affected the quality of care of the women who died., Desing: This is a national population-based case-control study in France. Cases were 364 maternal deaths from the 2007-2012 National Confidential Enquiry. Controls were 14,681 parturients from the nationally representative 2010 perinatal survey. We studied the association between categories of prepregnancy BMI and maternal death by multivariable logistic regression, estimating adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals, overall and by specific causes of death. Individual case reviews assessed the quality of care provided to the women who died, by obesity status., Results: Compared with women with normal BMI, underweight women (<18.5 kg/m 2 ) had an adjusted OR of death of 0.75 (95% CI, 0.42-1.33), overweight women (25-29.9 kg/m 2 ) 1.65 (95% CI, 1.24-2.19), women with class 1 obesity (30-34.9 kg/m 2 ) 2.22 (95% CI, 1.55-3.19) and those with class 2-3 obesity (≥35 kg/m 2 ) 3.40 (95% CI, 2.17-5.33). Analysis by cause showed significant excess risk of maternal death due to cardiovascular diseases, venous thromboembolism, hypertensive complications and stroke in women with obesity. Suboptimal care was as frequent among women with (35/62, 57%) as without obesity (136/244, 56%), but this inadequate management was directly related to obesity among 14/35 (40%) obese women with suboptimal care. Several opportunities for improvement were identified., Conclusions: The risk of maternal death increases with BMI; it multiplied by 1.6 in overweight women and more than tripled in pregnant women with severe obesity. Training clinicians in the specificities of care for pregnant women with obesity could improve their outcomes.

Risk-stratification screening for SGA has been proposed in high-income countries to prevent perinatal morbidity and mortality. There is paucity of data from middle-income settings. The aim of this study is to explore risk factors for SGA in Brazil and assess potential for risk stratification. This population-based study is a secondary analysis of Birth in Brazil study, conducted in 266 maternity units between 2011 and 2012. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed, and population attributable fraction estimated for early and all pregnancy factors. We calculated absolute risk, odds ratio, and population prevalence of single or combined factors stratified by parity. Factors associated with SGA were maternal lupus (OR adj 4.36, 95% CI [2.32-8.18]), hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (OR adj 2.72, 95% CI [2.28-3.24]), weight gain < 5 kg (OR adj 2.37, 95% CI [1.99-2.83]), smoking at late pregnancy (OR adj 2.04, 95% CI [1.60-2.59]), previous low birthweight (OR adj 2.22, 95% CI [1.79-2.75]), nulliparity (OR adj 1.81, 95% CI [1.60-2.05]), underweight (OR adj 1.61, 95% CI [1.36-1.92]) and socioeconomic status (SES) < 5th centile (OR adj 1.23, 95% CI [1.05-1.45]). Having two or more risk factors (prevalence of 4.4% and 8.0%) was associated with a 2 and fourfold increase in the risk for SGA in nulliparous and multiparous, respectively. Early and all pregnancy risk factors allow development of risk-stratification for SGA. Implementation of risk stratification coupled with specific strategies for reduction of risk and increased surveillance has the potential to contribute to the reduction of stillbirth in Brazil through increased detection of SGA, appropriate management and timely delivery.

Background & Aims: Monitoring gestational weight gain (GWG) is relevant for perinatal outcomes, especially in the context of increasing obesity and overweight in the female population. This study analyses the association between GWG in Brazilian women, according to different body mass index (BMI) categories, and different outcomes, including hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), gestational diabetes (GD) and caesarean section., Methods: Data on women from all the major regions of Brazil with a single pregnancy of a gestational age of 28 weeks or more and information available for anthropometric evaluation were included in the Birth in Brazil survey. Adequacy of GWG was assessed according to the percentile distribution of GWG of women with favourable neonatal outcomes, with the median of the distribution referred to as 100% adequacy in the GWG evaluation., Results: The study consisted of 18,953 women, 58.3% of whom were normal weight and 35.1% were overweight. The adequacy of GWG was better amongst the normal weight women (91.1%) and worse amongst those with class III obesity (46.0% with excessive GWG), with the latter showing the highest occurrence of adverse outcomes. Results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that weight gain above 200% of the median in the normal weight, overweight and obese women was positively associated with HDP and caesarean section, but not with GD., Conclusions: The proposed ranges of appropriate GWG associated with favourable neonatal outcomes based on the data from the Birth in Brazil survey proved good predictors of HDP and caesarean section amongst the women included in the study., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2020 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To verify regional inequalities regarding access and quality of prenatal and birth care in Brazilian public health services and associated perinatal outcomes., Methods: Birth in Brazil was a national hospital-based survey conducted between 2011 and 2012, which included 19,117 women with public-funded births. Regional differences in socio-demographic and obstetric characteristics, as well as differences in access and quality of prenatal and birth care were tested by the χ2 test. The following outcomes were assessed: spontaneous preterm birth, provider-initiated preterm birth, low birth weight, intrauterine growth restriction, Apgar in the 5th min < 8, neonatal and maternal near miss. Multiple and non-conditional logistic regressions were used for the analysis of the associated perinatal outcomes, with the results expressed in adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval., Results: Regional inequalities regarding access and quality of prenatal and birth care among users of public services are still evident in Brazil. Pilgrimage for birth associated with all perinatal outcomes studied, except for intrauterine growth restriction. The odds ratios ranged between 1.48 (95%CI 1.23-1.78) for neonatal near miss and 1.62 (95%CI 1.27-2.06) for provider-initiated preterm birth. Among women with clinical or obstetric complications, pilgrimage for birth associated with provider-initiated preterm birth and with Apgar in the 5th min < 8, odds ratio of 1.98 (95%CI 1.49-2.65) and 2.19 (95%CI 1.31-3.68), respectively. Inadequacy of prenatal care associated with spontaneous preterm birth in both groups of women, with or without clinical or obstetric complications., Conclusion: Improvements in the quality of prenatal care, appropriate coordination and comprehensive care at the time of birth have a potential to reduce prematurity rates and, consequently, infant morbidity and mortality rates in the country.

This article aims to assess the influence of hospital characteristics on the odds of performing an elective cesarean in the Southeast region of Brazil. Data were obtained from the Birth in Brazil study, conducted from February 2011 to October 2012. The current analysis includes the sample from Southeast Brazil, with 10,155 women. The group of women that underwent elective cesareans was compared to the women who went into labor or underwent labor induction, regardless they had intrapartum cesarean or vaginal delivery. Except for gestational age, all the obstetric characteristics analyzed were associated with elective cesarean. In this group, 60.5% had no prior cesarean and 64.7% had low-risk gestations. Among the births with public financing, there were higher odds of elective cesareans in women treated at hospitals with < 1,500 births/year (OR = 2.11; 95%CI: 1.37-3.26) and 1,500-2,999 births/year (OR = 1.45; 95%CI: 1.04-2.02) and in mixed hospitals (OR = 1.81; 95%CI: 1.37-2.39). In the mixed hospitals, the association was stronger when located in non-capital cities with > 3,000 births/year (OR = 3.45; 95%CI: 1.68-7.08), reaching the highest level in hospitals in non-capital cities with < 3,000 births/year (OR = 4.08; 95%CI: 2.61-6.37). Meanwhile, no association was seen between elective cesarean and public hospitals located in non-capital cities of the Southeast region. Prevalence rates of elective cesareans in public hospitals in Southeast Brazil are high when compared to other countries, and they are heavily influenced by hospital characteristics.

This study is a quantitative and qualitative assessment of data from the Brazilian Information System on Live Births (SINASC) in Brazil. Coverage of the data by municipality was estimated as the ratio between reported and estimated live births. Data quality in the SINASC was assessed via probabilistic linkage with the database from the Birth in Brazil study, 2011-2012, and kappa coefficients of agreement were calculated. In 2013, data coverage was high and homogeneous in all states of Brazil. However, the analysis according to municipalities (counties) showed greater spatial heterogeneity. As for completeness of information in SINASC, kappa coefficients were statistically different from zero for all the tested variables (p < 0.001), and marginal distributions of all the variables were similar in the two databases. Gestational age was the variable with the worst agreement, with a kappa value of 0.461. The indicator that describes the inconsistencies, measured by the sum of the square of the differences between the reported and expected prematurity rates by birthweight bracket, showed the highest value in the North of Brazil and the lowest in the South, pointing to geographic inequalities in measurement of gestational age.

The objective of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the hospital birth satisfaction scale with data from the first follow-up interview of the Birth in Brazil survey. The 11 questions of the scale were asked by telephone up to six months after discharge in a stratified random sample of 16,109 women residing in all five regions of the country. The sample was randomly divided into two halves. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was applied to the first half in order to identify the scale's factorial structure. The scree plot suggested the scale to be one-dimensional. The EFA demonstrated a good fit of the one-dimensional model. Factor loadings were greater than 0.5 for all items, except for the mean time transpired between leaving the home and arriving at the maternity hospital, which was excluded from the next analysis. The confirmatory factor analysis applied to the sample's second half with the remaining ten items had a good fit and the factor loadings were > 0.50 with p-values < 0.001. The associations between birth satisfaction and the external variables, the mother's education level (standardized coefficient = 0.073; p = 0.035), private insurance (SC = 0.183; p < 0.001) and having a companion at some point during the hospitalization for labor (SC = 0.193; p = 0.001) were all as expected. There was evidence of configural and metric invariance according to type of hospital (private or public) and type of delivery (cesarean or vaginal). These results showed that the hospital birth satisfaction scale in Brazil is a one-dimensional instrument composed of ten items.

This article aims to describe the preliminary results of two evaluations studies, one about the Stork Network program and the other about the Adequate Birth program, called Stork Network Assessment and Healthy Birth, and to identify possible improvements in comparison to the Birth in Brazil study. Both studies used a cross-sectional design and were conducted in 2017. The Stork Network Assessment study included all 606 public and mixed maternity hospitals from the Stork Network and a total of 10,675 postpartum women. The Healthy Birth study included a convenience sample of 12 private hospitals and 4,798 women. Indicators of labour and childbirth care were: presence of a companion person, care by obstetric nurse, use of partograph, use of non-pharmacological methods, walking during labor, eating, use of peripheral venous catheter, position for delivery, episiotomy, and Kristeller maneuver. The indicators were compared to those verified in Birth in Brazil, a nationwide population-based study in 2011-2012, before the start of the two intervention programs. Comparisons used the chi-square test for independent samples and 95% confidence interval. There was a significant increase in the number of women with access to appropriate technology for labour and childbirth from 2011 to 2017 and a reduction in harmful practices. The private sector also showed a decrease in cesarean rates and an increase in gestational age at birth. The study's results show that properly conducted public policies can change the scenario of care for labor and childbirth, helping to reduce in negative maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Objective: To assess the hospital, maternal, and obstetric characteristics associated with elective repeat cesarean delivery (ERCD) among women eligible for trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) delivery in Brazil., Methods: The present data were retrieved from the Birth in Brazil study, a national hospital-based cohort study conducted during 2011-2012. Data were collected from medical records and by interview. Univariate and hierarchical multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze factors associated with ERCD among women with a previous cesarean delivery who were eligible for TOLAC., Results: Among 2295 women considered eligible for TOLAC, 1516 (66.1%) had an ERCD; the overall cesarean delivery rate was 79.4%. In the private sector, almost all deliveries (95.3%) were performed by ERCD. In the public sector, ERCD was associated with socioeconomic (more years of schooling), obstetric (women's preference, no previous vaginal delivery, macrosomia), and hospital (mixed hospital, location in noncapital city, fewer than 1500 deliveries per year) characteristics., Conclusion: The ERCD rate in Brazil was high even in a low-risk group, indicating that nonclinical factors may be driving the decision for cesarean delivery. Efforts aiming to reduce cesarean deliveries in Brazil should target women with a previous cesarean delivery., (© 2018 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Background: In Brazilian private hospitals, caesarean section (CS) is almost universal (88%) and is integrated into the model of birth care. A quality improvement intervention, "Adequate Birth" (PPA), based on four driving components (governance, participation of women and families, reorganisation of care, and monitoring), has been implemented to help 23 hospitals reduce their CS rate. This is a protocol designed to evaluate the implementation of PPA and its effectiveness at reducing CS as a primary outcome of birth care., Methods: Case study of PPA intervention conducted in 2017/2018. We integrated quantitative and qualitative methods into data collection and analysis. For the quantitative stage, we selected a convenient sample of twelve hospitals. In each of these hospitals, we included 400 women. This resulted in a total sample of 4800 women. We used this sample to detect a 2.5% reduction in CS rate. We interviewed managers and puerperal women, and extracted data from hospital records. In the qualitative stage, we evaluated a subsample of eight hospitals by means of systematic observation and semi-structured interviews with managers, health professionals and women. We used specific forms for each of the four PPA driving components. Forms for managers and professionals addressed the decision-making process, implemented strategies, participatory process in strategy design, and healthcare practice. Forms for women and neonatal care addressed socio-economic, demographic and health condition; prenatal and birth care; tour of the hospital before delivery; labour expectation vs. real experience; and satisfaction with care received. We will estimate the degree of implementation of PPA strategies related to two of the four driving components: "participation of women and families" and "reorganisation of care". We will then assess its effect on CS rate and secondary outcomes for each of the twelve selected hospitals, and for the total sample. To allow for clinical, socio-demographic and obstetric characteristics in women, we will conduct multivariate analysis. Additionally, we will evaluate the influence of internal context variables (the PPA driving components "governance" and "monitoring") on the degree of implementation of the components "participation of women and families" and "reorganisation of care", by means of thematic content analysis. This analysis will include both quantitative and qualitative data., Discussion: The effectiveness of quality improvement interventions that reduce CS rates requires examination. This study will identify strategies that could promote healthier births.

Objectives: To estimate the national rate of early-term live births in Brazil and to evaluate the effect of birth at 37 and 38 weeks' gestation, as compared with 39 and 40 weeks' gestation on infant outcomes according to precursors of birth and the existence of maternal/fetal medical conditions., Design: National perinatal population-based cohort study., Setting: 266 maternity services located in the five Brazilian macroregions., Participants: 18 652 singleton live newborns from 37 0/7 to 40 6/7 weeks of gestation., Main Outcome Measures: Resuscitation in delivery room, oxygen therapy, transient tachypnoea, admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), hypoglycaemia, use of antibiotics, phototherapy, phototherapy after hospital discharge, neonatal death and breastfeeding., Results: Early terms accounted for 35% (95% CI 33.4% to 36.7%) of all live births. Among provider-initiated births in women without medical conditions, infants of 37 and 38 weeks' gestation had higher odds of oxygen therapy (adjusted OR (AOR) 2.93, 95% CI 1.72 to 4.98 and AOR 1.92 95% CI 1.18 to 3.13), along with admission to NICU (AOR 2.01, 95% CI 1.18 to 3.41 and AOR 1.56, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.60), neonatal death (AOR 14.40, 95% CI 1.94 to 106.69 and AOR 13.76,95% CI 2.84 to 66.75), hypoglycaemia in the first 48 hours of life (AOR 7.86, 95% CI 1.95 to 31.71 and AOR 5.76, 95% CI 1.63 to 20.32), transient tachypnoea (AOR 2.98, 95% CI 1.57 to 5.65 and AOR 2.12, 95% CI 1.00 to 4.48) and the need for phototherapy within the first 72 hours of life (AOR 3.59, 95% CI 1.95 to 6.60 and AOR 2.29, 95% CI 1.49 to 3.53), yet lower odds of breastfeeding up to 1 hour after birth (AOR 0.67, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.86 and AOR 0.87, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.99) and exclusive breastfeeding during hospital stay (AOR 0.68, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.89 and AOR 0.84, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.99)., Conclusion: Birth at 37 and 38 weeks' gestation increased the risk of most adverse infant outcomes analysed, especially among provider-initiated births and should be avoided before 39 weeks' gestation in healthy pregnancies., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

Background: Mass population screening for the early detection of cervical and breast cancer has been shown to be a safe and effective strategy worldwide and has reduced the incidence and mortality rates of these diseases. The aim of this study is to analyse the reach of screening tests for cervical and breast cancer according to sociodemographic variables and to analyse their correlation with a healthy lifestyle., Methods: We have analysed data collected from 31.845 women aged 18 and over, who were interviewed for the Brazilian National Health Survey, a nationwide household inquiry, which took place between August 2013 and February 2014. The Pap tests performed in the last 3 years in women aged between 25 and 64 and screening mammogram performed in the last 2 years in women aged between 50 and 69 were considered adequate. We identified habits that constitute a healthy lifestyle, such as the consumption of five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables, 30 min or more of leisurely physical activity and not smoking., Results: We observed that the Pap test (78.8 %) was more widespread than the screening mammogram (54.5 %), with significant geographical and social differences concerning access to health care. Access for such screening was higher for women living in more developed regions (Southeast and South), who were white-skinned, better educated, living with a partner and, especially, who were covered by private health insurance. Those who underwent the tests according to established protocols also had a healthy lifestyle, which corroborates the healthy behaviour pattern of damage prevention., Conclusion: Despite the progress made, social disparity still defines access to screening tests for cervical and breast cancer, with women covered by private health insurance tending to benefit the most. It is necessary to reduce social and regional inequalities and ensure a more uniform provision and access to the tests, especially for socially disadvantaged women, in order to reduce the incidence and mortality rate resulting from the aforementioned diseases.

Background: The rate of preterm birth has been increasing worldwide, including in Brazil. This constitutes a significant public health challenge because of the higher levels of morbidity and mortality and long-term health effects associated with preterm birth. This study describes and quantifies factors affecting spontaneous and provider-initiated preterm birth in Brazil., Methods: Data are from the 2011-2012 "Birth in Brazil" study, which used a national population-based sample of 23,940 women. We analyzed the variables following a three-level hierarchical methodology. For each level, we performed non-conditional multiple logistic regression for both spontaneous and provider-initiated preterm birth., Results: The rate of preterm birth was 11.5 %, (95 % confidence 10.3 % to 12.9 %) 60.7 % spontaneous - with spontaneous onset of labor or premature preterm rupture of membranes - and 39.3 % provider-initiated, with more than 90 % of the last group being pre-labor cesarean deliveries. Socio-demographic factors associated with spontaneous preterm birth were adolescent pregnancy, low total years of schooling, and inadequate prenatal care. Other risk factors were previous preterm birth (OR 3.74; 95 % CI 2.92-4.79), multiple pregnancy (OR 16.42; 95 % CI 10.56-25.53), abruptio placentae (OR 2.38; 95 % CI 1.27-4.47) and infections (OR 4.89; 95 % CI 1.72-13.88). In contrast, provider-initiated preterm birth was associated with private childbirth healthcare (OR 1.47; 95 % CI 1.09-1.97), advanced-age pregnancy (OR 1.27; 95 % CI 1.01-1.59), two or more prior cesarean deliveries (OR 1.64; 95 % CI 1.19-2.26), multiple pregnancy (OR 20.29; 95 % CI 12.58-32.72) and any maternal or fetal pathology (OR 6.84; 95 % CI 5.56-8.42)., Conclusion: The high proportion of provider-initiated preterm birth and its association with prior cesarean deliveries and all of the studied maternal/fetal pathologies suggest that a reduction of this type of prematurity may be possible. The association of spontaneous preterm birth with socially-disadvantaged groups reaffirms that the reduction of social and health inequalities should continue to be a national priority.

Background: Cesarean section (CS) rates are increasing worldwide but there is some concern with this trend because of potential maternal and perinatal risks. The Robson classification is the standard method to monitor and compare CS rates. Our objective was to analyze CS rates in Brazil according to source of payment for childbirth (public or private) using the Robson classification., Methods: Data are from the 2011-2012 "Birth in Brazil" study, which used a national hospital-based sample of 23,940 women. We categorized all women into Robson groups and reported the relative size of each Robson group, the CS rate in each group and the absolute and relative contributions made by each to the overall CS rate. Differences were analyzed through chi-square and Z-test with a significance level of < 0.05., Results: The overall CS rate in Brazil was 51.9 % (42.9 % in the public and 87.9 % in the private health sector). The Robson groups with the highest impact on Brazil's CS rate in both public and private sectors were group 2 (nulliparous, term, cephalic with induced or cesarean delivery before labor), group 5 (multiparous, term, cephalic presentation and previous cesarean section) and group 10 (cephalic preterm pregnancies), which accounted for more than 70 % of CS carried out in the country. High-risk women had significantly greater CS rates compared with low-risk women in almost all Robson groups in the public sector only., Conclusions: Public policies should be directed at reducing CS in nulliparous women, particularly by reducing the number of elective CS in these women, and encouraging vaginal birth after cesarean to reduce repeat CS in multiparous women.

The high vulnerability of incarcerated women is worsened when they are pregnant and give birth during imprisonment. This article traces the profile of incarcerated women living with their children in female prison units of the capitals and metropolitan regions of Brazil and describes pregnancy and childbirth conditions and healthcare practices while in incarceration. This study is an analysis of a series of cases resultant from a national census conducted between August 2012 and January 2014. This analysis included 241 mothers. Of these, 45% were younger than 25 years old, 57% were dark skinned, 53% had studied less than eight years and 83% were multiparous. At the time of incarceration, 89% were already pregnant and two thirds did not want the current pregnancy. Access to prenatal care was inadequate for 36% of the women. During their hospital stay, 15% referred to having suffered some type of violence (verbal, psychological, or physical). Only 15% of the mothers rated the care received during their hospital stay as excellent. They had low social/familial support and more than one third reported the use of handcuffs during their hospital stay. Incarcerated mothers received poorer healthcare during pregnancy and birth when compared with non-incarcerated users of the public sector. This study also found violations of human rights, especially during birth.

Background: A large proportion of the rise in prematurity worldwide is owing to late preterm births, which may be due to the expansion of obstetric interventions, especially pre-labour caesarean section. Late preterm births pose similar risks to overall prematurity, making this trend a concern. In this study, we describe factors associated with provider-initiated late preterm birth and verify differences in provider-initiated late preterm birth rates between public and private health services according to obstetric risk., Methods: This is a sub-analysis of a national population-based survey of postpartum women entitled "Birth in Brazil", performed between 2011 and 2012. We included 23,472 singleton live births. We performed non-conditional multiple logistic regressions assessing associated factors and analysing differences between public and private health services., Results: Provider-initiated births accounted for 38% of late preterm births; 32% in public health services and 61% in private health services. They were associated with previous preterm birth(s) and maternal pathologies for women receiving both public and private services and with maternal age ≥35 years for women receiving public services. Women receiving private health services had higher rates of provider-initiated late preterm birth (rate of 4.8%) when compared to the ones receiving public services (rate of 2.4%), regardless of obstetric risk-adjusted OR of 2.3 (CI 1.5-3.6) for women of low obstetric risk and adjusted OR of 1.6 (CI 1.1-2.3) for women of high obstetric risk., Conclusion: The high rates of provider-initiated late preterm birth suggests a considerable potential for reduction, as such prematurity can be avoided, especially in women of low obstetric risk. To promote healthy births, we advise introducing policies with incentives for the adoption of new models of birth care.

Background: Cesarean delivery rates continue to increase worldwide and reached 57% in Brazil in 2014. Although the safety of this surgery has improved in the last decades, this trend is a concern because it carries potential risks to women's health and may be a modifiable risk factor of maternal mortality. This paper aims to investigate the risk of postpartum maternal death directly associated with cesarean delivery in comparison to vaginal delivery in Brazil., Methods: This was a population-based case-control study performed in eight Brazilian states. To control for indication bias, deaths due to antenatal morbidity were excluded. We included 73 cases of postpartum maternal deaths from 2009-2012. Controls were selected from the Birth in Brazil Study, a 2011 nationwide survey including 9,221 postpartum women. We examined the association of cesarean section and postpartum maternal death by multivariate logistic regression, adjusting for confounders., Results: After controlling for indication bias and confounders, the risk of postpartum maternal death was almost three-fold higher with cesarean than vaginal delivery (OR 2.87, 95% CI 1.63-5.06), mainly due to deaths from postpartum hemorrhage and complications of anesthesia., Conclusion: Cesarean delivery is an independent risk factor of postpartum maternal death. Clinicians and patients should consider this fact in balancing the benefits and risks of the procedure.

Intracardiac transfusion of plasma, mononuclear cell fraction and blood of infected hamster donors induced visceral leishmaniasis in normal hamster receptors. At the moment of transfusion, the donors already showed all the typical signs of the disease: ascites, cachexia, as well as splenomegaly and a high parasite load in the spleen and liver. All transfused hamsters developed typical visceral leishmaniasis between 90 and 120 days, indicating that all blood products were infectious. Transfusion of the mononuclear cell fraction induced the highest values of parasitic load (spleen, 766 Leishman Donovan Units (LDU); liver, 2650 LDU), splenomegaly and hepatomegaly (spleen-liver/body relative weight: 1.130 and 6.870, respectively). Animals that received the plasma fraction also developed visceral leishmaniasis, showing similar parasitic load (spleen, 107 LDU; liver, 220 LDU) and spleen-liver/body relative weight (1.005 and 6.35, respectively) than those transfused with whole blood. The finding of typical Leishmania donovani infection in animals transfused with plasma demonstrates the possibility of the extracellular location of parasites, free in this blood fraction deprived of red and white blood cells. Fluorescence-assisted cell sorter analysis (FACS) of plasma showed the presence of particles corresponding in size to amastigotes, which fluoresced strongly with the serum of a patient with Kala-azar (73%), but not with normal serum.