Maternal and Child Health Research

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.

FDA approves breakthrough drug to treat Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis

September 4, 2019
Recently, the FDA announced its approval of pretomanid, a new drug developed to treat Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB) and treatment intolerant/non-responsive Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) TB. Pretomanid is only the third anti-TB drug approved by the FDA in more than 40 years.

Sharing breast milk is increasingly common, but its impact on infant nutrition is understudied

September 4, 2019
Though many families worldwide turn to various methods of human milk exchange to feed and nourish their infants, researchers have done little to explore the impact of sharing breast milk on infant health outcomes and malnutrition.

Directed acyclic graphs help researchers study child maltreatment

April 16, 2019
Directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) are useful tools when studying questions related to child maltreatment, as they allow researchers to graphically depict relationships among variables and ensure strong results for informing prevention and intervention strategies. A new paper makes DAGs more accessible to maternal and child health researchers by providing concrete examples of their use.

HIV intervention provides opportunity to explore the nature of resilience among young black men

January 25, 2019
“This work is particularly timely in the context of broader social movements toward greater health equity across race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation,” said Dr. Kate Muessig, senior author of the study. Photo by Gabriel Antonio.

Doctoral student publishes three studies about women’s reproductive health

January 1, 2019
Doctoral student Isabel Morgan recently published the results of three projects on women's reproductive health, conducted while she worked at the CDC. Photo by Andre Adjahoe.

Gillings School research finds that gender-typical behavior does not predict sexual orientation

December 21, 2018
Drs. Nicole Kahn and Carolyn Halpern said their study is an important addition to the growing research on gender conformity and sexual orientation because it covers a broader sample over a longer period of time. Photo by Sammie Vasquez.

Study identifies complex network of factors impeding health system reform in Iraqi Kurdistan

December 19, 2018
“This is an old, established system,” said co-author Dr. Dilshad Jaff. “To reform and change it requires a huge commitment, strong political will, courage – and time. It takes time to change behavior and mindset.”

Study shows prenatal education increases adherence to breastfeeding best practices

December 5, 2018
Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute's Kathy Parry and Dr. Kristin Tully led the study, which was published in the journal Birth. Photo by Julie Johnson.

Researchers examine relationship of campus policies to prevalence of campus sexual assault

October 21, 2018
An interdisciplinary team led by researchers at the Gillings School explored the critical issue of campus sexual assault in their article, "Starting the Conversation: Are Campus Sexual Assault Policies Related to the Prevalence of Campus Sexual Assault?" The work will be included in a special November issue of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Photo by Angel Leon.