Around the world, the incidence of multiple pregnancies reaches its peak in the Central African countries and often represents an increased risk of death for women and children because of higher rates of obstetrical complications and poor management skills in those countries. We sought to assess the association between twins and early neonatal mortality compared with singleton pregnancies. We also assessed the role of skilled birth attendant and mode of delivery on early neonatal mortality in twin pregnancies.We conducted a secondary analysis of individual level data from 60 nationally-representative Demographic and Health Surveys including 521?867 singleton and 14?312 twin births. We investigated the occurrence of deaths within the first week of life in twins compared to singletons and the effect of place and attendance at birth; also, the role of caesarean sections against vaginal births was examined, globally and after countries stratification per caesarean sections rates. A multi-level logistic regression was used accounting for homogeneity within country, and homogeneity within twin pairs.Early neonatal mortality among twins was significantly higher when compared to singleton neonates (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 7.6; 95% confidence interval (CI)?=?7.0-8.3) in these 60 countries. Early neonatal mortality was also higher among twins than singletons when adjusting for birth weight in a subgroup analysis of those countries with data on birth weight (n?=?20; less than 20% of missing values) (aOR?=?2.8; 95% CI?=?2.2-3.5). For countries with high rates (>15%) of caesarean sections (CS), twins delivered vaginally in health facility had a statistically significant (aOR?=?4.8; 95% CI?=?2.4-9.4) increased risk of early neonatal mortality compared to twins delivered through caesarean sections. Home twin births without SBA was associated with increased mortality compared with delivering at home with SBA (aOR?=?1.3; 95% CI?=?1.0-1.8) and with vaginal birth in health facility (aOR?=?1.7; 95% CI?=?1.4-2.0).Institutional deliveries and increased access of caesarian sections may be considered for twin pregnancies in low- and middle- income countries to decrease early adverse neonatal outcomes.
Surgery in Swaziland.
Surgeons working in less developed countries have to manage a wider range of conditions than their colleagues in Britain. It is suggested that such an experience would be a valuable part of the education of a specialist in Britain. A personal series of surgical operations carried out in Swaziland is presented.
Women’s and Healthcare Workers’ Beliefs and Experiences Surrounding Abortion: The Case of Haiti.
Women in developing countries usually encounter serious inequities in terms of women’s health. To date, there is limited understanding of abortion from the perspective of Haitian women. As a limited-resource country, Haiti faces complex social issues and healthcare challenges. With abortion being illegal, many adult and teenage women seek clandestine abortions. The aim of this study was to explore and gain a greater understanding of women’s and healthcare workers’ beliefs and experiences about abortion in Haiti.Descriptive qualitative design was used to elicit information for the study. Eight focus groups were conducted with Haitian women and healthcare workers in five communities in the south of Haiti: Les Cayes, Aquin, St. Louis du Sud, Cavaillon, Maniche, and Ile a Vache. Participants were purposively selected and consented to participate and to be tape recorded. Content analysis followed using the verbatim transcripts, with triangulation of four researchers; saturation was reached with this number of focus groups.The transcripts revealed six main themes regarding beliefs and experiences about abortion in Haiti: cultural aspects, consumers, perils of care, and legal concerns. Both women and healthcare workers discussed the repercussions of illegal abortion and the role of the government and hospitals. Participants identified similar perils and complications of unsafe abortions, such as postpartum hemorrhage and infection.Results showed an urgent need to create a public health response that addresses different dimensions of abortion by engaging women and healthcare providers in rapid and concrete actions that promote access and safe care of women. It is imperative to conduct more research related to abortion in order to examine other associated factors to better understand the links between abortion and sexual health disparities among Haitian women. These results highlight the need for a rapid response to the need of this vulnerable group, who are experiencing high rates of mortality. This can also serve as a directive to approach this issue in other developing countries in the Caribbean region, particularly from its clinical relevance.Unsafe abortions are prevalent in developing countries; yet limited research exists on the topic. It is paramount to gain an understanding of the women’s and healthcare workers’ beliefs and experiences surrounding abortion, in order to develop interventions that prevent abortion complications in Haitian women.
Life after pelvic organ prolapse surgery: a qualitative study in Amhara region, Ethiopia
BACKGROUND:
Women living in resource constrained settings often have limited knowledge of and access to surgical treatment for pelvic organ prolapse. Additionally, little is known about experiences during recovery periods or about the reintegration process for women who do gain access to medical services, including surgery. This study aimed to explore women’s experiences related to recovery and reintegration after free surgical treatment for pelvic organ prolapse in a resource-constrained setting.
METHODS:
The study had a qualitative design and used in-depth interviews in the data collection with a purposive sample of 25 participants, including 12 women with pelvic organ prolapse. Recruitment took place at the University of Gondar Hospital, Ethiopia, where women with pelvic organ prolapse had been admitted for free surgical treatment. In-depth interviews were carried out with women at the hospital prior to surgery and in their homes 5-9 months following surgery. Interviews were also conducted with health-care providers (8), representatives from relevant organizations (3), and health authorities (2). The fieldwork was carried out in close collaboration with a local female interpreter.
RESULTS:
The majority of the women experienced a transformation after prolapse surgery. They went from a life dominated by fear of disclosure, discrimination, and divorce due to what was perceived as a shameful and strongly prohibitive condition both physically and socially, to a life of gradually regained physical health and reintegration into a social life. The strong mobilization of family-networks for most of the women facilitated work-related help and social support during the immediate post-surgery period as well as on a long-term basis. The women with less extensive social networks expressed greater challenges, and some struggled to meet their basic needs. All the women openly disclosed their health condition after surgery, and several actively engaged in creating awareness about the condition.
CONCLUSIONS:
Free surgical treatment substantially improved the health and social life for most of the study participants. The impact of the surgery extended to the communities in which the women lived through increased openness and awareness and thus had the potential to ensure increased disclosure among other women who suffer from this treatable condition.