Inequalities in diarrhoea, pneumonia and measles deaths: estimates for 21 sub-Saharan African countries.

Objective: To develop new methods to analyse the distributions of diarrhoea, pneumonia and measles deaths in children younger than 5 years across wealth quintiles.

Methods: We used Demographic and Health Surveys conducted since 2013 from 21 sub-Saharan African countries. We implemented multidimensional optimization techniques to estimate the joint impact of risk factors (that is, stunting, wasting, underweight, vitamin A deficiency and unsafe sanitation), immunization coverage and treatment utilization, on the distribution of deaths from diarrhoea, pneumonia and measles across wealth quintiles in each country.

Association between achieving adequate antenatal care and health-seeking behaviors: A study of Demographic and Health Surveys in 47 low- and middle-income countries.

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) is essential for ensuring the well-being of pregnant women and their fetuses. This study models the association between achieving adequate ANC and various health and health-seeking indicators across wealth quintiles in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Methods And Findings: We analyzed data from 638,265 women across 47 LMICs using available Demographic and Health Surveys from 2010 to 2022.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder predisposes to metabolic abnormalities in adulthood.

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) affects at least 10% of newborns globally and leads to the development of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Despite its high incidence, there is no consensus on the implications of PAE on metabolic disease risk in adults. Here, we describe a cohort of adults with FASDs that had an increased incidence of metabolic abnormalities, including type 2 diabetes, low HDL, high triglycerides, and female-specific overweight and obesity.