女性阴道微生态状况与母婴健康

女性阴道是自然开放的腔道,其内寄居着大量的微生物,其中乳杆菌占优势。正常阴道内的微生物对于维持女性生殖系统健康具有重要作用,而多种因素能够影响妇女正常的阴道微生态环境,包括妊娠。女性阴道微生态状况不仅会影响自身健康,同时能够影响子代的健康。正常的肠道菌群参与机体的营养、免疫、代谢、神经内分泌等多种生理功能,而婴儿期是人肠道菌群建立的关键时期,其中分娩方式对婴儿菌群的定植和发展具有重要的影响。阴道菌群失衡不但可导致妇女感染性疾病的发生,还与妊娠结局及婴儿菌群的建立密切相关,改善女性阴道微生态状况对提高母婴健康具有重要意义。     

Detecting bacteriuria in a primary maternal and child health care programme

Urinary tract infection in pregnancy has not been adequately dealt with in developing countries, though its consequences are well recognised. This is primarily because of constraints on resources coupled with a lack of technological infrastructure. An evaluation of the Griess test for the mass screening of urinary tract infection among antenatal women was carried out prospectively using a case-control method.The Griess test was found to be a valid, reliable, and economical screening test for urinary tract infection which can be integrated into a primary maternal and child health care programme.     

The role of maternal cognitive ability on child health

Little is known about the mechanisms through which mother's cognitive ability operates in enhancing her children's health. This paper analyzes how maternal returns to cognitive ability on children's height reflect contemporaneous endowments and childhood background of the mother. Results suggest that maternal returns to cognitive ability on child height are less likely to reflect observed mother's childhood endowments as measured by parental transmission of knowledge or school quality, but are more likely to be associated with learning to be a mother, and with a better capacity to take advantage of household and community available resources.     

Integration of child mental health services to primary care: challenges and opportunities

In the first decade of this new millennium, health professionals are faced with a rapidly increasing need for child mental health services and changing models of service provision. This gives us a unique opportunity to make provision for services where it has not been available before, or to improve upon the existing services. This paper examines the challenges and opportunities while attempting to integrate child mental health services to primary care.