Judy Austin

Reproductive Health: A Right for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

Continued political and civil unrest in low-resource countries underscores the ongoing need for specialised reproductive health services for displaced people. Displaced women particularly face high maternal mortality, unmet need for family planning, complications following unsafe abortion, and gender-based violence, as well as sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. Relief and development agencies and UN bodies have developed technical materials, made positive policy changes specific to crisis settings and are working to provide better reproductive health care. Substantial gaps remain, however. The collaboration within the field of reproductive health in crises is notable, with many agencies working in one or more networks. The five-year RAISE Initiative brings together major UN and NGO agencies from the fields of relief and development, and builds on their experience to support reproductive health service delivery, advocacy, clinical training and research. The readiness to use common guidance documents, develop priorities jointly and share resources has led to smoother operations and less overlap than if each agency worked independently. Trends in the field, including greater focus on internally displaced persons and those living in non-camp settings, as well as refugees in camps, the protracted nature of emergencies, and an increasing need for empirical evidence, will influence future progress. Résumé Les troubles politiques et civils dans les pays à faibles ressources soulignent le besoin de services spécialisés de santé génésique pour les personnes déplacées. Les femmes déplacées souffrent en particulier d’une mortalité maternelle élevée, de besoins insatisfaits de planification familiale, des complications d’avortements non médicalisés et de la violence sexiste, ainsi que d’IST, notamment le VIH. Les institutions d’aide humanitaire et de développement et les Nations Unies ont préparé du matériel technique et introduit des changements politiques positifs dans les environnements de crise et elles s’efforcent d’améliorer les soins de santé génésique. Des manques importants n’en demeurent pas moins. La collaboration pendant les crises est bonne, beaucoup d’institutions travaillant dans un ou plusieurs réseaux. L’initiative quinquennale RAISE rassemble les principales institutions des Nations Unies et ONG spécialisées dans l’aide humanitaire et le développement, et se fonde sur leur expérience pour soutenir la prestation de services, le plaidoyer, la formation clinique et la recherche en santé génésique. Ces organisations ont accepté d’utiliser des directives communes, de définir conjointement les priorités et de partager les ressources, permettant ainsi de mener des opérations plus harmonieuses et de réduire le nombre d’activités qui se chevauchent. Les progrès futurs seront influencés par les tendances dans ce domaine, notamment la priorité accrue accordée aux personnes déplacées à l’intérieur de leur pays et qui vivent hors des camps, en plus des réfugiés des camps, la durée prolongée des urgences et le besoin croissant de données empiriques. Resumen El continuo descontento político y civil en países con pocos recursos recalca la necesidad continua de proporcionar servicios especializados en salud reproductiva para personas desplazadas. Las mujeres desplazadas en particular afrontan una alta tasa de mortalidad materna, necesidad insatisfecha de planificación familiar, complicaciones después del aborto inseguro y violencia basada en género, así como enfermedades de transmisión sexual, incluido el VIH. Las organizaciones de socorro y desarrollo y organismos de la ONU han elaborado materiales técnicos, realizado cambios positivos a las políticas, específicos a los ámbitos de crisis, y están trabajando para proporcionar mejores servicios de salud reproductiva. Sin embargo, aún existen importantes brechas. La colaboración en el campo de la salud reproductiva en crisis es notable, ya que muchos organismos trabajan en una o más redes. La Iniciativa RAISE de cinco años reúne importantes organismos de la ONU y ONG de los campos de socorro y desarrollo, y se basa en su experiencia para apoyar la prestación de servicios de salud reproductiva, actividades de promoción y defensa, capacitación clínica e investigación. La buena disposición para utilizar documentos de orientación en común, determinar prioridades conjuntamente y compartir recursos ha propiciado mejores actividades y menos traslapo que si cada organismo hubiera trabajado independientemente. Futuros avances serán influenciados por las tendencias en el campo, como un mayor enfoque en las personas desplazadas internamente, aquéllas fuera de los campamentos y los refugiados en los campamentos, la prolongada naturaleza de las urgencias y la creciente necesidad de evidencia empírica.

Electroencephalographic activity of preterm infants is increased by Family Nurture Intervention: A randomized controlled trial in the NICU

OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of Family Nurture Intervention (FNI) on electroencephalogram (EEG) activity in preterm infants (26-34 weeks gestation). METHODS Two groups were tested in a single, level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU; standard care or standard care plus FNI) using a randomized controlled trial design. The intervention consists of sessions designed to achieve mutual calm and promote communication of affect between infants and their mothers throughout the NICU stay. EEG recordings were obtained from 134 infants during sleep at ∼35 and ∼40 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA). Regional brain activity (power) was computed for 10 frequency bands between 1 and 48 Hz in each of 125 electrodes. RESULTS Near to term age, compared to standard care infants, FNI infants showed robust increases in EEG power in the frontal polar region at frequencies 10 to 48 Hz (20% to 36% with p-values <0.0004). Effects were significant in both quiet and active sleep, regardless of gender, singleton-twin status, gestational age (26-30 or 30-35 weeks) or birth weight (<1500 or >1500 g). CONCLUSION FNI leads to increased frontal brain activity during sleep, which other investigators find predictive of better neurobehavioral outcomes. SIGNIFICANCE FNI may be a practicable means of improving outcomes in preterm infants.

Family Nurture Intervention in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit improves social-relatedness, attention, and neurodevelopment of preterm infants at 18 months in a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND Preterm infants are at high risk for adverse neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes. Family Nurture Intervention (FNI) in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is designed to counteract adverse effects of separation of mothers and their preterm infants. Here, we evaluate effects of FNI on neurobehavioral outcomes. METHODS Data were collected at 18 months corrected age from preterm infants. Infants were assigned at birth to FNI or standard care (SC). Bayley Scales of Infant Development III (Bayley-III) were assessed for 76 infants (SC, n = 31; FNI, n = 45); the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for 57 infants (SC, n = 31; FNI, n = 26); and the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) was obtained for 59 infants (SC, n = 33; FNI, n = 26). RESULTS Family Nurture Intervention significantly improved Bayley-III cognitive (p = .039) and language (p = .008) scores for infants whose scores were greater than 85. FNI infants had fewer attention problems on the CBCL (p < .02). FNI improved total M-CHAT scores (p < .02). Seventy-six percent of SC infants failed at least one of the M-CHAT items, compared to 27% of FNI infants (p < .001). In addition, 36% of SC infants versus 0% of FNI infants failed at least one social-relatedness M-CHAT item (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS Family Nurture Intervention is the first NICU intervention to show significant improvements in preterm infants across multiple domains of neurodevelopment, social-relatedness, and attention problems. These gains suggest that an intervention that facilitates emotional interactions between mothers and infants in the NICU may be key to altering developmental trajectories of preterm infants.

Family nurture intervention (FNI): methods and treatment protocol of a randomized controlled trial in the NICU

BackgroundThe stress that results from preterm birth, requisite acute care and prolonged physical separation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can have adverse physiological/psychological effects on both the infant and the mother. In particular, the experience compromises the establishment and maintenance of optimal mother-infant relationship, the subsequent development of the infant, and the mothers emotional well-being. These findings highlight the importance of investigating early interventions that are designed to overcome or reduce the effects of these environmental insults and challenges.MethodsThis study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with blinded assessment comparing Standard Care (SC) with a novel Family Nurture Intervention (FNI). FNI targets preterm infants born 26-34 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) and their mothers in the NICU. The intervention incorporates elements of mother-infant interventions with known efficacy and organizes them under a new theoretical context referred to collectively as calming activities. This intervention is facilitated by specially trained Nurture Specialists in three ways: 1) In the isolette through calming interactions between mother and infant via odor exchange, firm sustained touch and vocal soothing, and eye contact; 2) Outside the isolette during holding and feeding via the Calming Cycle; and 3) through family sessions designed to engage help and support the mother. In concert with infant neurobehavioral and physiological assessments from birth through 24 months corrected age (CA), maternal assessments are made using standard tools including anxiety, depression, attachment, support systems, temperament as well as physiological stress parameters. Quality of mother-infant interaction is also assessed. Our projected enrolment is 260 families (130 per group).DiscussionThe FNI is designed to increase biologically important activities and behaviors that enhance maternally-mediated sensory experiences of preterm infants, as well as infant-mediated sensory experiences of the mother. Consequently, we are enlarging the testing of preterm infant neurodevelopment beyond that of previous research to include outcomes related to mother-infant interactions and mother-infant co-regulation. Our primary objective is to determine whether repeated engagement of the mother and her infant in the interventions calming activities will improve the infants developmental trajectory with respect to multiple outcomes. Our secondary objective is to assess the effectiveness of FNI in the physiological and psychological co-regulation of the mother and infant. We include aspects of neurodevelopment that have not been comprehensively measured in previous NICU interventions.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01439269

Expected to deliver: alignment of regulation training and actual performance of emergency obstetric care providers in Malawi and Tanzania.

Policy, regulation, training, and support for cadres adopting tasks and roles outside their historical domain have lagged behind the practical shift in service‐delivery on the ground. The Health Systems Strengthening for Equity (HSSE) project sought to assess the alignment between national policy and regulation, preservice training, district level expectations, and clinical practice of cadres providing some or all components of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) in Malawi and Tanzania.

Family nurture intervention improves the quality of maternal caregiving in the neonatal intensive care unit: evidence from a randomized controlled trial.

Objective:This study assessed the impact of Family Nurture Intervention (FNI) on the quality of maternal caregiving behavior (MCB) while in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). FNI is a randomized controlled trial conducted in a high-acuity NICU to facilitate an emotional connection between mothers and their premature infants. FNI begins shortly after birth, continues until discharge, and involves mother/infant calming sessions that include scent cloth exchange, vocal soothing and emotion expression, eye contact, skin-to-skin and clothed holding, and family-based support sessions. Methods:Maternal caregiving behavior was coded during a single holding and feeding session (∼30 min) in the NICU before discharge at approximately 36 weeks gestational age (GA). Sixty-five mothers and their premature infants (34 male, 31 female; 26–34 wk GA) were included in these analyses (FNI, n = 35; standard care [SC], n = 30). Results:Relative to mothers in the SC condition, those in the FNI group showed significantly higher quality MCB, which remained significant when controlling for birth order, twin status, maternal depression, and maternal anxiety. Conclusion:This is the first study to demonstrate that in-unit MCB can be enhanced by a hospital-based intervention. FNI provides a new rationale for integrating nurture-based interventions into standard NICU care.

Use of facility assessment data to improve reproductive health service delivery in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

BackgroundProlonged exposure to war has severely impacted the provision of health services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Health infrastructure has been destroyed, health workers have fled and government support to health care services has been made difficult by ongoing conflict. Poor reproductive health (RH) indicators illustrate the effect that the prolonged crisis in DRC has had on the on the reproductive health (RH) of Congolese women. In 2007, with support from the RAISE Initiative, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and CARE conducted baseline assessments of public hospitals to evaluate their capacities to meet the RH needs of the local populations and to determine availability, utilization and quality of RH services including emergency obstetric care (EmOC) and family planning (FP).MethodsData were collected from facility assessments at nine general referral hospitals in five provinces in the DRC during March, April and November 2007. Interviews, observation and clinical record review were used to assess the general infrastructure, EmOC and FP services provided, and the infection prevention environment in each of the facilities.ResultsNone of the nine hospitals met the criteria for classification as an EmOC facility (either basic or comprehensive). Most facilities lacked any FP services. Shortage of trained staff, essential supplies and medicines and poor infection prevention practices were consistently documented. All facilities had poor systems for routine monitoring of RH services, especially with regard to EmOC.ConclusionsWomens lives can be saved and their well-being improved with functioning RH services. As the DRC stabilizes, IRC and CARE in partnership with the local Ministry of Health and other service provision partners are improving RH services by: 1) providing necessary equipment and renovations to health facilities; 2) improving supply management systems; 3) providing comprehensive competency-based training for health providers in RH and infection prevention; 4) improving referral systems to the hospitals; 5) advocating for changes in national RH policies and protocols; and 6) providing technical assistance for monitoring and evaluation of key RH indicators. Together, these initiatives will improve the quality and accessibility of RH services in the DRC - services which are urgently needed and to which Congolese women are entitled by international human rights law.

Care-Seeking Behavior by Survivors of Sexual Assault in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

In February 2008, trained female interviewers collected data on sexual violence and use of medical services following sexual assault from 607 women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Exposure to sexual violence during the DRCs civil war was reported by 17.8% of the women; 4.8% of the women reported exposure to sexual violence after the war. Few sexual-assault survivors accessed timely medical care. Facility assessments showed that this care was rarely available. Clinical care for sexual-assault survivors must be integrated into primary health care for DRC women.

The Welch Emotional Connection Screen: validation of a brief mother-infant relational health screen

The Welch Emotional Connection Screen (WECS), assesses mother–infant Emotional Connection in clinical settings. It includes: Attraction, Vocal Communication, Facial Communication, Sensitivity/Reciprocity and clinical decision of Emotional Connection (yes/no). We tested concurrent and construct validity of the WECS and associations with behavioural and physiological measures in preterm infants.