Acceptability of the Moyo device for intrapartum fetal heart rate monitoring at a referral hospital in Uganda: a qualitative study.

Background: The Moyo device is an easy-to-use device that allows continuous electronic fetal heart rate monitoring (FHRM). We explored the acceptability of using the Moyo device for continuous intrapartum FHRM in Eastern Uganda.

Methods: Between November 2023 and August 2024, we introduced the Moyo device for continuous intrapartum FHRM among mothers with high-risk pregnancies at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital in Eastern Uganda.

'The grave must not be seen by anyone!': Beliefs and practices about stillbirths in Eastern Uganda.

Background: Nearly half of all stillbirths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and accurate registration could inform reduction efforts. We explored the beliefs and practices surrounding stillbirths in Eastern Uganda, revealing cultural factors that could influence the accurate counting of stillbirths.

Methods: We conducted a qualitative study among women with a history of stillbirths, and men, women and community leaders with an experience of childbirth in Eastern Uganda.

Congenital cytomegalovirus in eastern Uganda: prevalence and outcomes.

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection poses risks to both maternal and neonatal health, however there are limited comprehensive data on congenital CMV in low-resource settings where the virus is widespread, particularly among women of reproductive age. Our research in eastern Uganda aimed to assess the prevalence of congenital CMV and outcomes among infants to inform public health policies and interventions in similar settings, addressing a significant gap in current knowledge.

Methods: We conducted a descriptive study, nested within the BabyGel Trial, across Mbale and Budaka districts in eastern Uganda, between May 2023 and January 2024.

Postnatal cytomegalovirus infection and its effect on hearing and neurodevelopmental outcomes among infants aged 3-10 months: A cohort study in Eastern Uganda.

Background: Hearing impairment and neurodevelopmental disorders pose a significant global health burden in children. The link between postnatal cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and these outcomes remains unclear. This study explored the association of postnatal CMV infection with hearing and neurodevelopmental outcomes in term infants aged 3 to 10 months.

Term stillbirths in Eastern Uganda: a community-based prospective cohort study.

Background: Every year, 1.9 million stillbirths occur worldwide, of whom 1.5 million occur in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Southeast Asia.

Incidence and risk factors for clinical omphalitis among neonates in Eastern Uganda using chlorhexidine gel for cord care: a community-cohort study.

Background: Omphalitis is a bacterial infection of the umbilicus and/or surrounding tissues, occurring primarily in the neonatal period. Whereas it is known to be a major route of localized and often systemic infection, studies describing incidence and risk factors remain scanty, especially in resource limited settings where the condition is thought to be common. We assessed the incidence and risk factors for omphalitis among neonates born to women who received a birth kit containing chlorhexidine for umbilical cord care after birth in Eastern Uganda.

Emergency Verbal Consent for Intrapartum Research: A Grounded Theory Study.

Objective: To understand the experiences of women, birth partners and health professionals of verbal followed by retrospective written consent in a prospective cohort study of a device to manage postpartum haemorrhage (PPH).

Design: Grounded Theory.

Setting: Tertiary facility in North-West England, UK.

Preferences for induction of labor methods in India: a qualitative study of views and experiences of women, clinicians, and researchers.

Background: Induction of labor (IOL) is an increasingly common intervention, but experiences and preferences of induction methods are under-researched particularly in low -and middle-income countries. Understanding these perspectives is important to improve the childbirth experience.

Objective: To explore the experiences and preferences of IOL methods for women, clinicians, and researchers in the "Misoprostol or Oxytocin for Labour Induction" (MOLI) study.

Assessment of Structural and Process Readiness for Postpartum Haemorrhage Care in Uganda and Ghana: A Mixed Methods Study.

Objective: To determine structural and process readiness for postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) care at referral-level facilities in Ghana and Uganda to identify opportunities for strengthening.

Design: Mixed-methods cross-sectional study.

Setting: Three districts in Ghana and two in Uganda.

Strategies for optimising early detection and obstetric first response management of postpartum haemorrhage at caesarean birth: a modified Delphi-based international expert consensus.

Objective: There are no globally agreed on strategies on early detection and first response management of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) during and after caesarean birth. Our study aimed to develop an international expert's consensus on evidence-based approaches for early detection and obstetric first response management of PPH intraoperatively and postoperatively in caesarean birth.

Design: Systematic review and three-stage modified Delphi expert consensus.

'It must be right, I saw it on TV!': An observational study of third stage birth practices in popular television programmes.

Objectives: To examine modern media depictions of the third stage of birth in a selection of UK television representations.

Design: Observational study of a sample of televised fictional and real births, audited against current National Institute of Health and Social Care Excellence (NICE) guidance.

Setting: UK television channels BBC ( and ) and Channel 4 ().

Maternal and umbilical cord blood lactate for predicting perinatal death: a secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial.

Background: In high resource settings, lactate and pH levels measured from fetal scalp and umbilical cord blood are widely used as predictors of perinatal mortality. However, the same is not true in low resource settings, where much of perinatal mortality occurs. The scalability of this practice has been hindered by difficulty in collecting fetal scalp and umbilical blood sample.

A mixed method, phase 2 clinical evaluation of a novel device to treat postpartum haemorrhage.

Background: We evaluated the safety, efficacy, and acceptability of a new device designed to facilitate uterine compression in women with postpartum haemorrhage (PPH).

Methods: A prospective, phase two clinical device trial with concurrent qualitative study, conducted in a UK consultant obstetric unit. The device was used in addition to standard care in women unresponsive to initial oxytocin therapy.

Evaluating misoprostol and mechanical methods for induction of labour: Scientific Impact Paper No. 68 April 2022.

Increasingly, births around the world are started artificially using medications or other methods. This process is known as induction of labour. As it becomes more common, methods are needed to meet the different clinical needs and birth preferences of women.

World Health Organization Recommendation for Using Uterine Balloon Tamponade to Treat Postpartum Hemorrhage.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a new recommendation on the use of the uterine balloon tamponade for the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage. The recommendation that uterine balloon tamponade should be used only where there is already access to other postpartum hemorrhage treatments (including immediate recourse to surgery) has proved controversial. It is especially problematic for those working in low-level health care facilities in under-resourced settings, where there are already programs that have introduced low-cost uterine balloon tamponade devices for use, even in settings where recourse to surgical interventions is not possible.

Misoprostol for labour induction.

Oral and vaginal misoprostol are effective induction methods, but there is a delicate balance between a quicker labour and avoiding side effects. In randomised comparisons with balloon catheters, oral misoprostol resulted in more vaginal births in the first 24 h as well as fewer caesarean sections without an increase in hyperstimulation events. Vaginal misoprostol was most effective when used concurrently with a balloon catheter.

Vaginal microbiome topic modeling of laboring Ugandan women with and without fever.

The composition of the maternal vaginal microbiome influences the duration of pregnancy, onset of labor, and even neonatal outcomes. Maternal microbiome research in sub-Saharan Africa has focused on non-pregnant and postpartum composition of the vaginal microbiome. Here we aimed to illustrate the relationship between the vaginal microbiome of 99 laboring Ugandan women and intrapartum fever using routine microbiology and 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing from two hypervariable regions (V1-V2 and V3-V4).

The Induction with Foley OR Misoprostol (INFORM) Study dataset. A dataset of 602 women with hypertensive disease in pregnancy, in India, randomised to either Foley catheter or oral misoprostol for induction of labour.

Objectives: Induction of labour (IOL), or starting labour artificially, can be a lifesaving intervention for pregnant women and their babies, and rates are rising significantly globally. As rates increase, it becomes increasingly important to fully evaluate all available data, especially that from low income settings where the potential benefits and harms are greater. The goal of this paper is to describe the datasets collected as part of the Induction with Foley OR Misoprostol (INFORM) Study, a randomised trial comparing two of the recommended methods of cervical ripening for labour induction, oral misoprostol and Foley catheter, in women being induced for hypertension in pregnancy, at two sites in India during 2013-15.

Incidence and determinants of perinatal mortality among women with obstructed labour in eastern Uganda: a prospective cohort study.

Background: In Uganda, the incidence and determinants of perinatal death in obstructed labour are not well documented. We determined the incidence and determinants of perinatal mortality among women with obstructed labour in Eastern Uganda.

Methods: Between July 2018 and September 2019, 584 with obstructed labour were recruited and followed up to the 7th day postnatal.