New from CDC Authors
Urinary Glyphosate Concentrations among Pregnant Participants in a Randomized, Crossover Trial of Organic and Conventional Diets
Consumption of an organic diet reduces exposure to a range of agricultural pesticides. This study examines the effect of an organic diet intervention on urinary glyphosate concentrations among pregnant individuals.
Navigating and Manipulating Childbirth Services in Afar, Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study of Cultural Safety in the Birthing Room
Access to maternal health services has increased in Ethiopia during the past decades. However, increasing the demand for government birthing facility use remains challenging. This paper features semi-structured interviews with 22 women who were purposively sampled to explore their experiences giving birth in government health facilities in Afar.
Associations Between Conflict Violence, Community Violence, and Household Violence Exposures Among Females in Colombia
Exposure to protracted public violence is increasingly referenced as a risk factor for domestic violence, but limited quantitative evidence has demonstrated this association to date. This study analyzes associations in Colombia between lifetime experiences of external violence including the Colombia civil conflict and community interpersonal violence, and experiences of household violence, including intimate partner and caregiver violence.
Mixtures of Urinary Concentrations of Phenols and Phthalate Biomarkers in Relation to the Ovarian Reserve Among Women Attending a Fertility Clinic
Although prior studies have found associations of the ovarian reserve (number and quality of oocytes or eggs within ovaries) with urinary concentrations of some individual phenols and phthalate metabolites, little is known about the potential associations of these chemicals as a mixture with the ovarian reserve. This study investigated whether mixtures of four urinary phenols and eight metabolites of five phthalate diesters were associated with markers of the ovarian reserve.
A Dose-Response Relationship Found Between the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding Indicators and In-Hospital Exclusive Breastfeeding in US Hospitals
In-hospital exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is associated with longer breastfeeding durations, yet only 64% of US newborns are EBF for 7 days. The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding (Ten Steps) are a set of evidenced-based maternity practices shown to improve breastfeeding outcomes. This study uses hospital-level data from the 2018 Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care Survey to examine the prevalence of implementation of Ten Steps indicators.
Orphanhood Vulnerabilities for Violence and HIV by Education, Sex, and Orphan Type Among 18-24-Year-Old Youth: Findings from the 2018 Lesotho Violence Against Children and Youth Survey
HIV and violence among orphans are key measures of inequities in low-resource settings. This study uses data from 4,408 youth (18–24 years old) from Lesotho’s 2018 Violence Against Children and Youth survey, a nationally representative cross-sectional household survey, to examine associations among orphan status, violence, and HIV and assessed how associations differed by education, sex, and orphan type (i.e. maternal, paternal, and double orphans).
Early Introduction of Complementary Foods/Drinks and Milk Feeding Type in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
Almost half of US infants participate in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which provides nutrition education and support to low-income families. This study describes the prevalence of early introduction (<4 months) of complementary foods/drinks and examines the association of milk feeding type (fully breastfed, partially breastfed or fully formula fed) with early introduction of complementary foods/drinks (any solid or liquid other than breast milk or infant formula).
Understanding Gender-Based Violence Service Delivery in CDC-Supported Health Facilities: 15 Sub-Saharan African Countries, 2017–2021
Gender-based violence (GBV) is a complex issue deeply rooted in social structures, making its eradication challenging. Quality clinical services for GBV, which includes the provision of HIV postexposure prophylaxis (PEP), vary, and service delivery data are lacking. This study describes GBV clinical service delivery in 15 countries supported by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Fostering Access to PrEP Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women Aged 16 to 24 Years at High Risk of HIV Through the DREAMS Initiative in Four Districts in Zambia
Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in sub-Saharan Africa remain at high risk for HIV, yet limited data exist on implementation of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for this group. This study examined PrEP uptake among AGYW using a retrospective cohort enrolled in the Determined Resilient Empowered AIDS-free Mentored Safe (DREAMS) initiative in Zambia between October 2020 and March 2022.
Influenza and Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Acellular Pertussis Vaccination Coverage During Pregnancy: Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, 2020
Estimates of vaccination coverage during pregnancy and identification of disparities in vaccination coverage can inform vaccination campaigns and programs. This study reports the prevalence of being offered or told to get the influenza vaccine by a health care provider; influenza vaccination coverage during the 12 months before delivery; and tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination coverage during pregnancy among women with a recent live birth in the United States.
Progress Toward Hepatitis B Control and Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus — World Health Organization African Region, 2016–2021
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the leading causes of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Most chronic HBV infections are acquired through mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) or during early childhood, and approximately two thirds of these infections occur in the World Health Organization African Region (AFR).
