Text4baby in the United States and Russia: an opportunity for understanding how mHealth affects maternal and child health

Text4baby uses new technology to deliver health messages and engage pregnant women and new mothers in healthy behaviors. The authors describe the need for carefully conducted early adopter epidemiologic evaluation and describe one such evaluation in a women, infant, and children clinic population in the United States and its proposed adaptation for use among early users of Text4baby in Russia. Collaborative efforts among countries can guide international understanding and use of best practices of this emerging technology.     

Variation in how mothers, health visitors and general practitioners use the personal child health record

BACKGROUND: In the UK, a national personal child health record (PCHR) with local adaptations is in widespread use. Previous studies report that parents find the PCHR useful and that health visitors use it more than other health professionals. This study was carried out in Nottingham, where the local PCHR is similar to the national PCHR. OBJECTIVES: To explore variation in use of the PCHR made by mothers with differing social characteristics, to compare heath visitors' and general practitioners' (GPs') use of the PCHR, and to compare health visitors' and GPs' perceptions of the PCHR with those of mothers for whose children they provide care. METHODS: Questionnaires to 534 parents registered with 28 general practices and interviews with a health visitor and GP at each practice. A score per mother for perceived usefulness of the PCHR was developed from the questionnaire, and variation in the score was investigated by linear regression adjusted for clustering. RESULTS: Four hundred and one (75%) questionnaires were returned. Three hundred and twenty-five (82%) mothers thought the PCHR was very good or good. Higher scores for usage of the PCHR were significantly associated with teenage and first-time mothers, but no association was found with mother's social class, education or being a single parent. There was no association between variation in the score and practice, health visitor or GP characteristics. Mothers, health visitors and GPs reported that mothers took the PCHR to baby clinic more frequently than when seeing their GP, and that health visitors wrote in the PCHR more frequently than GPs. Eighteen (67%) health visitors and 20 (71%) GPs said they had difficulty recording information in the PCHR. CONCLUSION: The PCHR is used by most mothers and is important for providing health promotion material to all families with young children. It may be particularly useful for first-time and teenage mothers.     

Parents’ views on how health professionals should work with them now to get the best for their child in the future

Background Pregnancy and the first years of life are important times for future child well‐being. Early identification of families and children who might be likely to experience poorer outcomes could enable health professionals and parents to work together to promote each child’s well‐being. Little is known about the acceptability and feasibility of such an approach to parents. Objective To investigate parents’ views about how health professionals should identify and work with families who may benefit from additional input to maximize their children’s future health and well‐being. Design A qualitative study using focus groups. Setting and participants Eleven focus groups were conducted with a total of 54 parents; 42 mothers and 12 fathers living in the north of England. Results Parents welcomed the idea of preventive services. They strongly believed that everyone should have access to services to enhance child well‐being whilst recognizing that some families need additional support. Making judgements about who should receive additional services based on specific criteria evoked powerful emotions because of the implication of failure. Parents projected a belief in themselves as ‘good parents’ even in adverse circumstances. Conclusions Targeted additional preventive services can be acceptable and welcome if health professionals introduce them sensitively, in the context of an existing relationship, providing parents are active participants.     

农村妇幼卫生工作管理探索

目的 提高农村妇幼卫生工作水平.方法 从政策、经济和业务几方面对基层妇幼保健工作进行扶持,帮助建立妇幼卫生数据共享平台.结果 孕产妇和儿童系统管理率有明显提高,分别由2005年的88.60%和86.70%提高到95.41%和97.00%(x2值分别为556.79和4 284.96,P均小于0.001);乡镇卫生院妇幼保健设施得到改善;保健服务能力逐步提升,开展了婴儿抚触和早期功能锻炼等项目;人员收入有所增加,每月人均增长近70元.结论 农村妇幼卫生工作水平的提高需要政策、经济、业务和技术多方面扶持.     

Health and fitness series--6. Child health: how nutrition affects growth

Dr Margaret Lawson summarises the relationship between childhood growth and nutrition, and the effect of early nutrition on health in later life. She explains why children should be encouraged to eat a varied diet that includes foods from each of the four main food groups. The need to monitor children's growth is discussed, as are some of the nutritional pitfalls that may prevent children achieving their optimum growth and health.     

德尔菲法在三级妇幼保健服务项目确定中的应用

根据妇幼保健机构的功能定位确定服务项目是妇幼保健机构建设和管理的重要内容。笔者采用德尔菲专家咨询法,通过两轮专家咨询对妇幼保健服务的重要性打分和一轮集中讨论,围绕着妇幼保健机构的功能定位,在大保健的理念下,梳理了三级妇幼保健服务项目,重新对省、地、县三级妇幼保健机构应该开展的服务项目进行界定。     

浅谈如何有效做好卫生监督新闻工作

卫生监督新闻是卫生监督日常工作中一个新兴而不可或缺的组成部分,如何将它深入开展并做得更好是一个值得探讨的问题。作者结合工作实践,根据新闻的特点,探讨其在卫生监督工作中的重要性,进一步论述当前卫生监督新闻工作中存在的问题,以及做好此项工作亟需应做好的几个方面措施。     

Uruguay on the world stage: how child health became an international priority

The evolution of international health has typically been assessed from the standpoint of central institutions (international health organizations, foundations, and development agencies) or of one-way diffusion and influence from developed to developing countries. To deepen understanding of how the international health agenda is shaped, I examined the little-known case of Uruguay and its pioneering role in advancing and institutionalizing child health as an international priority between 1890 and 1950. The emergence of Uruguay as a node of international health may be explained through the country's early gauging of its public health progress, its borrowing and adaptation of methods developed overseas, and its broadcasting of its own innovations and shortcomings.     

The relationship between maternal work and other socioeconomic factors and child health in Bangladesh

The relationship between maternal work status, other socio-economic factors, and incidence of diarrhoea among children was studied using the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) 1994 data. This study showed that 12.4% of children had suffered from diarrhoea in the two weeks preceding the survey. Of the women in the sample, 12% were working. Logistic regression analysis revealed that children of working mothers were 65% more likely to have had diarrhoea than children of non-working mothers. We also found that children of women who work seasonally were 8% less likely to have had diarrhoea than children of women who work all year. Women's higher education was found to be one of the important determinants related to childhood diarrhoea. Religion and ownership of land also appeared to be important factors affecting the incidence of diarrhoea in early childhood.     

加强婚前保健服务工作 发展妇幼保健事业

泰安市妇幼保健院,全面贯彻落实<母要保健法>,严格按照<婚前保健工作规范>,加强软件、硬件的建设,从房屋、设备、人员及婚检质量上狠下功夫,严格执法,加强管理,依法规范婚前保健服务,收到明显成效.     

浅析初级卫生保健对农村妇幼卫生工作的作用

1妇幼卫生工作现状 1.1三级保健网.县妇幼保健院现有职工62人,其中业务人员53人,占职工总数的85.48%,院内设有妇产科、儿科门诊,住院部及基层保健科等相关辅助科室,设有床位39张,留观床28张.县级设有由县医院、县第二人民医院、妇幼保健院妇产科、儿科骨干医生组成的危急孕产妇抢救小组和危急患儿抢救小组,负责全县范围内的抢救工作.     

线性插值法在儿童保健工作质量综合评价中的应用

目的:探讨线性插值法在2012年广西14市儿童保健工作质量综合评价中的应用.方法:选取8个常用于评价儿童保健工作质量的指标,采用线性插值法对2012年广西14市儿童保健工作质量进行综合评价,利用RSR分档法对评价结果进行分档.结果:根据线性插值法计算结果排序及其分档,北海市的儿童保健工作质量综合评价结果最好,平均位次值为0.9468;梧州市的儿童保健工作质量综合评价结果最差,平均位次值为0.450 6;各地区儿童保健工作质量分档合理,有4个市处于质量好的档次,7个市处于质量中等的档次,其余地区处于质量差的档次,各档差异性有统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论:线性插值法结合RSR分档法具有一定的客观性和实用性,可综合评价儿童保健工作质量.     

Challenges in the new prospective payment system: action steps for social work in home health care

The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 changed the reimbursement rules for Medicare home health benefits from a fee-for-service system to a prospective payment system (PPS). As with Medicare's hospital reimbursement system, home health agencies have to provide appropriate and adequate care for a flat rate reimbursement for each patient. As a result coordination and collaboration among all members of the home health care team (that is, nurses, social workers, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, and home health aides) is critical to provide home care for frail and chronically ill populations. The authors provide background on the PPS, home health care, and social work roles in home health care and propose policy and research action steps for the social work profession.