Maternal and Child Health Research

Prevalence of pregnancy UTIs underscores need for better screening, treatment in low- and middle-income countries

April 7, 2020
Prenatal screening for urinary tract infections (UTIs) is standard practice in high-income countries because of the risk that untreated UTIs pose during pregnancy. But women in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are still in need of screening and treatment that is accessible and accurate due to social and environmental risk factors that may contribute to the high prevalence of UTIs in pregnancy.

Who gets admitted to medical education in low- and middle-income countries — and why does it matter?

March 31, 2020
Recent studies have found that doctors and nurses in low- and middle-income countries are often absent from work, sometimes seek unauthorized payments for services, and may treat patients in disrespectful or abusive ways. UNC researchers suggest a solution: reforming medical education practices to focus on admitting students who are motivated by a strong desire to serve the needs of their community, rather than by receiving external rewards.

New research could help caregivers identify exclusive breastfeeding challenges in the first week of life

March 11, 2020
While breastfeeding is recommended as the sole source of nutrition in the first six months of a baby's life, for some new moms, that is not always possible. Dr. Alison Stuebe and her research team have identified a set of clues that can help clinicians recognize in as early as the first week when feeding interventions and supplemental nutrition may be necessary.

Governments need rigorous and consistent standards to address environmental health for people who are displaced

March 6, 2020
Forcibly displaced people face a number of environmental health challenges that can vastly differ depending on the response by the countries that host them. New research from the Gillings School calls for a consistent and thorough set of standards that can address these challenges holistically.

Distress, trauma are common themes among mothers of very preterm and low birthweight babies, UNC study finds

February 10, 2020
Having a baby in the NICU can exacerbate postpartum distress related to birth trauma and disrupt lactation, according to new study that includes research from Dr. Aunchalee Palmquist.

Report offers promising approaches to make adolescent health programs more effective

January 25, 2020
The United States Department of Health and Human Services should focus funding on holistic, evidence-based, population-wide adolescent health programs that consider adolescent risk-taking as normative, according to a new report.

Sustainability is key for long-term success of Nigerian family planning initiatives

December 13, 2019
Family planning programs in Nigeria are successful in influencing the population to incorporate the practice of family planning and increase the use of contraception, but a plan to address the sustainability of these effects is necessary for long-term success, according to research from Dr. Ilene Speizer.

Provider perspectives are vital to solving widespread absenteeism in Kenyan health care clinics

October 8, 2019
“Our recent and very preliminary data suggest that between 25 and 50 percent of public sector health care providers in western Kenya are absent at any given time,” says Dr. Katherine Tumlinson.

Can a screening for social determinants of health effectively inform children's health care?

October 7, 2019
A study by students and faculty at the UNC Gillings School explored whether screening tools that examine social determinants of health in children can accurately identify early indicators of risk. Based on the researchers' comprehensive review of existing literature, it remains unclear whether such screenings — which aim to consider risk factors outside traditional medical information — inform better care for children.

Palmquist co-authors breastfeeding brief for UNICEF on family-friendly work policies

September 30, 2019
A Gillings School researcher contributes to a new report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) that calls on governments and businesses to invest in family-friendly policies such as paid leave, support for breastfeeding mothers, affordable childcare and the inclusion of child benefits.