Article
Immunology
Nusrat Homaira, Wen-Qiang He, Jocelynne Mcrae, Kristine Macartney, Bette Liu
Summary: This study examined the uptake of influenza and pertussis vaccination during pregnancy among women giving birth in New South Wales, Australia. The findings showed that while the coverage of both vaccines has increased over time, there are disparities in coverage based on maternal characteristics such as age, socioeconomic status, and health-related factors.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Theophile Baissas, Florence Boisnard, Inmaculada Cuesta Esteve, Marta Garcia Sanchez, Christine E. Jones, Thierry Rigoine de Fougerolles, Litjen Tan, Olivier Vitoux, Christina Klein
Summary: The study identified key interventions that contributed to high vaccine coverage rates among pregnant women in Spain, the UK, and the US. These interventions included national immunisation programmes, vaccine reimbursement, mobilisation of health authorities, involvement of healthcare professionals and scientific societies, vaccination inclusion in antenatal medical guidance, provision of educational material to healthcare professionals, and heightened disease awareness due to recent pertussis outbreaks.
Article
Immunology
Michelle L. Giles, Mary-Ann Davey, Euan M. Wallace
Summary: Stillbirth and preterm birth are important challenges in modern pregnancy care, requiring effective interventions. This study found that maternal immunization during pregnancy against influenza and pertussis was associated with a lower risk of stillbirth and preterm birth.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Nursing
Kate Mi Ralph, Robert B. Dorey, Rebecca Rowe, Christine E. Jones
Summary: The uptake of pertussis and influenza vaccines in pregnant women was evaluated in a midwife-led immunisation clinic in the UK. The study found that the vaccine uptake was higher than the national or regional average. Factors influencing the decision to accept vaccination included healthcare professional recommendation, perceived susceptibility and risk of infection, and previous experience with vaccination and vaccine-preventable disease. The model of vaccine delivery was associated with high levels of satisfaction and could be implemented elsewhere to increase vaccine uptake, including for COVID-19 vaccines in the future.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Mercede Sebghati, Asma Khalil
Summary: Maternal immunisation is a public health strategy aimed at providing protection for both mother and foetus or newborn child against certain infections. Current vaccinations during pregnancy are limited to pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, polio, and seasonal Influenza, while development of vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Group B streptococcus (GBS) targeted at pregnant women is ongoing. Covid-19 vaccines, recently approved, do not have safety data for use in pregnancy yet but are being considered in the UK for extremely vulnerable pregnant women or pregnant frontline health and social care workers.
BEST PRACTICE & RESEARCH CLINICAL OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Feng Jiang, Ning Tang, Yuanxue Gao, Jun Feng, Ying Wang, Bin Qu
Summary: Pregnant women in Guizhou province have limited knowledge on pertussis and influenza, but their willingness to be vaccinated against these conditions is similar. It is important to strengthen knowledge and awareness on pertussis and advocate for vaccinations at birth.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Bahaa Abu-Raya, Kevin Forsyth, Scott A. Halperin, Kirsten Maertens, Christine E. Jones, Ulrich Heininger, Daniela Hozbor, Carl Heinz Wirsing von Koenig, Amar J. Chitkara, Rudzani Muloiwa, Tina Q. Tan
Summary: Vaccination against pertussis in pregnancy has emerged as an ideal strategy to protect infants from severe morbidity and mortality. The Global Pertussis Initiative held a meeting to discuss the scientific literature supporting this vaccination approach and provided consensus statements on behalf of the initiative.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Michelle L. Giles, Kong Khai, Sushena Krishnaswamy, Karen Bellamy, Margaret Angliss, Christopher Smith, Olivia Fay, Paul Paddle, Beverley Vollenhoven
Summary: Maternal immunisation is crucial for improving health outcomes for pregnant women and newborns, but uptake of vaccines during pregnancy remains suboptimal. A study in Victoria, Australia, implemented different vaccine delivery models in maternity services, resulting in increased influenza vaccine coverage and cost savings per immunisation. The findings suggest that site-specific strategies can effectively enhance maternal vaccine coverage at a modest cost.
BMC PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH
(2021)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Despoina Gkentzi, Maria Zorba, Markos Marangos, Ageliki Vervenioti, Ageliki Karatza, Gabriel Dimitriou
Summary: The study revealed that knowledge and uptake of influenza and pertussis vaccine among pregnant women in Greece is poor. Prior vaccination and obstetrician's recommendation are the stronger predictors of antenatal vaccine uptake. Further improvement is needed in patient education and vaccine provision by antenatal care providers.
JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Tracy A. Becerra-Culqui, Darios Getahun, Vicki Chiu, Lina S. Sy, Hung Fu Tseng
Summary: This study investigated the association between prenatal influenza vaccination or infection and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. The findings showed no association between prenatal influenza vaccination or infection and ASD risk in children.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Jacopo Garlasco, Valerio Bordino, Noemi Marengo, Erika Rainero, Alessandro Scacchi, Savina Ditommaso, Monica Giacomuzzi, Fabrizio Bert, Carla Maria Zotti
Summary: This study investigated the frequency of pertussis susceptibility among pregnant women and found that women recently vaccinated for pertussis had significantly higher antibody titres. The results confirmed the importance of vaccinating pregnant women against pertussis to ensure high antibody levels.
Article
Immunology
Victoria Peer, Khitam Muhsen, Moshe Betser, Manfred S. Green
Summary: Pregnant women have lower immune response to pertussis vaccination compared to non-pregnant women, possibly due to higher levels of hormones during pregnancy. Sex hormones during pregnancy, such as progesterone and estrogen, are negatively associated with anti-pertussis toxin antibody levels.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Antonia Arreciado Maranon, Maria Isabel Fernandez-Cano, Laura Montero-Pons, Maria Feijoo-Cid, Azahara Reyes-Lacalle, Rosa Maria Cabedo-Ferreiro, Josep Maria Manresa-Dominguez, Gemma Falguera-Puig
Summary: The study found that midwives had disparate knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, and practices regarding maternal influenza and pertussis vaccination. They generally considered the vaccines safe, but lacked sufficient information about the safety of the influenza vaccine, leading to a reluctance to recommend it. Although most midwives had a positive attitude toward vaccination, their advocation for the influenza vaccine was not as clear as it was for pertussis. Midwives are among the main sources of professional advice for pregnant women.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Anastasia Kuznetsova, Maria Angeles Ceregido, Anne Jourquin, Laura Campora, Fernanda Tavares Da Silva
Summary: The data from the Boostrix US Pregnancy Registry and from countries outside the US suggest that exposure to Boostrix or Boostrix-IPV during pregnancy does not raise safety concerns related to adverse pregnancy outcomes or birth defects.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
David William Mackin, Susan P. Walker
Summary: Vaccines play a crucial role in pregnancy care and have improved outcomes for pregnant women and newborns through the evolution and application of new knowledge. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, history's lessons remind us to strengthen vaccination efforts for pregnant women to reduce morbidity for both mothers and infants.
BEST PRACTICE & RESEARCH CLINICAL OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Kim D. Graham, Amie Steel, Jon Wardle
Summary: This study aims to investigate naturopathic clinical reasoning using a complexity lens and explore the philosophical and principles of traditional whole systems of medicine.
JOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE
(2023)
Review
Nursing
Deborah Fox, Vanessa Scarf, Sabera Turkmani, Chris Rossiter, Rebecca Coddington, Annabel Sheehy, Christine Catling, Allison Cummins, Kathleen Baird
Summary: This study explored the outcomes and experiences of women with complex pregnancies receiving midwifery continuity of care in Australia. The findings showed that women who received continuity of care had positive experiences and good outcomes during pregnancy and childbirth. However, there is limited research on this topic, especially for women with complex pregnancies, and further studies are needed to support the expansion of midwifery continuity of care.
Article
Nursing
Allison Cummins, Andrew Symon
Summary: This study describes the first phase of a project to transform the Quality Maternal and Newborn Care Framework into a quantitative tool for service user assessment. After developing draft questionnaires for each component of the Framework, an expert panel from various countries provided feedback through two rounds of discussions and revisions. The resulting prototype QMNCFi index is currently undergoing testing for its psychometric properties in an international online survey.
BIRTH-ISSUES IN PERINATAL CARE
(2023)
Editorial Material
Nursing
Allison Cummins, Andrea Gilkison
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Sophia Gerontakos, Matthew Leach, Amie Steel, Jon Wardle
Summary: Shared medical appointments, also known as group visits, are a feasible and well-accepted approach for women receiving antenatal care, but their feasibility and efficacy for female-specific reproductive conditions are uncertain.
BMC HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Nursing
D. Davis, A. Sheehy, H. Nightingale, S. de Vitry-Smith, J. Taylor, A. Cummins
Summary: This study investigated predictors of anxiety, stress, and depression in Australian pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic, including continuity of carer and the role of social support. The results showed that pre-existing mental health issues, financial strain, and current complex pregnancy significantly contributed to higher anxiety, stress, and depression scores. Protective factors included age, social support, and parity.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Lana Kairey, Tamara Agnew, Esther Joy Bowles, Bronwyn J. Barkla, Jon Wardle, Romy Lauche
Summary: This review evaluates the therapeutic efficacy and safety of tea tree oil in clinical trials. The results suggest that mouthwashes with tea tree oil can reduce dental plaque, gels with tea tree oil can aid in the treatment of periodontitis, and topical tea tree oil regimens show similar efficacy to standard treatments for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus decolonization. Tea tree oil with added iodine may be effective in treating molluscum contagiosum lesions.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Peter Bai James, Razak M. Gyasi, Ossy Muganga Julius Kasilo, Jon Wardle, Abdulai Jawo Bah, George A. Yendewa, Amos Deogratius Mwaka
Summary: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of traditional medicine practitioner (TMP) use for childhood illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and identify associated factors. The results showed that although the prevalence of TMP use for childhood illnesses was low, TMPs continue to play a critical role in managing childhood diseases in SSA. Therefore, policymakers and service providers should consider the potential role of TMPs in child health policies and focus interventions on the characteristics of women who use TMPs for childhood illnesses.
BMC COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE AND THERAPIES
(2023)
Article
Nursing
Allison Cummins, Annabel Sheehy, Jan Taylor, Sally DeVitry-Smith, Helen Nightingale, Deborah Davis
Summary: Recent research examines the impact of COVID-19 on maternity services and explores the relationship between continuity of carer and women's feelings about changes to pregnancy care and birth plans. Pregnant women experienced various changes to their planned care, and those who received full continuity of carer had a more positive perception of these changes compared to women who did not.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Jessica Bayes, John Palencia, Jon Wardle
Summary: Active duty military personnel and veterans have unique and complex health needs, with the high demands of military life often leading to chronic physical and mental health conditions. Complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) could be a possible solution to this problem. Some military health systems have started integrating CIM into health care delivery. However, there has been no systematic evaluation of the prevalence and utilization of CIM in military and veteran populations globally. The high demand for CIM by military personnel and veterans has important implications for policy, funding allocation, and integration of these services into clinical practice, particularly by countries not currently doing so. Further research is needed to assess the implementation of CIM into real-world settings to explore barriers and facilitators for their use in clinical practice and, by extension, their integration into the wider health care system.
Article
Nursing
Annabel Tafe, Allison Cummins, Christine Catling
Summary: Problem: Over one third of women report their birth experience as psychologically traumatic. Psychological birth trauma has been associated with perinatal mental illness and post-traumatic stress disorder. Background: Midwifery continuity of care provides improved outcomes for mothers and babies as well as increased birth satisfaction. Some women who have experienced psychological birth trauma will seek out midwifery continuity of care in their next pregnancy. The aim of this study was to explore women's experiences of midwifery continuity of care following a previous traumatic birth experience in Australia.
Article
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Kim D. Graham, Amie Steel, Jon Wardle
Summary: The aim of this study is to explore the perceptions of experienced naturopathic practitioners to the management of clinical complexity within naturopathic care. The results showed that naturopathic practitioners approached patients as whole entities, used ampliative and explicative clinical reasoning strategies, and employed systems thinking in treatment. They perceived themselves as embodying the traditional holistic philosophy of naturopathy and using a complexity-informed approach in their case management.
COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES IN CLINICAL PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Polydor Ngoy Mutombo, Ossy Muganga Julius Kasilo, Peter Bai James, Jon Wardle, Olobayo Kunle, David Katerere, Charles Wambebe, Motlalepula Gilbert Matsabisa, Mohammed Rahmatullah, Jean-Baptiste Nikiema, Immaculee Mukankubito, Rick Sheridan, Rokia Sanogo, Veeranoot Nissapatorn, Chaisith Sivakorn, Satyajit Tripathy, Ramesh Goyal, Mahaveer Dhobi
Summary: Managing COVID-19 in Africa poses challenges due to limited resources and high costs of vaccines, diagnostics, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals. Despite gaps in evidence, African traditional medicine-based herbal remedies are widely used by patients. African scientists, supported by governments and organizations such as WHO, are addressing the evidence gap and developing herbal remedies for mild-to-moderate COVID-19 cases based on African traditional medicines. Further support is needed to meet public health needs.
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Danielle Howe, Sarah Duffy, Michelle O'Shea, Alex Hawkey, Jon Wardle, Sophia Gerontakos, Linda Steele, Emilee Gilbert, Lara Owen, Donna Ciccia, Emma Cox, Rebecca Redmond, Mike Armour
Summary: This paper presents a scoping review of global evidence on interventions aimed at supporting women to manage menstruation, menstrual disorders, and menopause at work. The review found that most interventions focused on menopause, with a majority of studies conducted in the UK and EU-member countries. There is limited research on how women may be supported to manage symptoms associated with menstrual disorders at work. Future policies should consider better support for women in managing menstruation and menstrual disorders at work, and emphasize the importance of co-design during policy development and post-intervention evaluation.
Article
Pediatrics
Erika Frey, Catriona Bonfiglioli, Jane Frawley
Summary: This study explores the use of social media by Australian parents for obtaining health information for their children. The findings indicate that a majority of parents use social media both before and after consulting with healthcare professionals, and their motivations for doing so vary based on age, education level, and nationality.
JMIR PEDIATRICS AND PARENTING
(2023)
