High-Impact Studies

ASPIRIN

FINDING

A 6-country trial found that first-time mothers who take a daily low dose of aspirin during pregnancy may be at lower risk for preterm birth. Hoffman MK, et al. Lancet. 2020 Jan 25;395(10220):285-293.

IMPACT

This study provides evidence to support the widescale use of aspirin among women in low and middle income countries during early pregnancy — a low cost intervention that could save many lives given preterm birth is the most common cause of infant death.

Women First

FINDING

A 4-country trial found that maternal nutrition supplementation before conception or in the first trimester may improve fetal growth. Hambidge KM, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019 Feb 1;109(2):457-469.

IMPACT

These results strongly support strategies that improve nutrition among women beginning before conception or very early in pregnancy.

First Look

FINDING

A 5-country trial found that the routine use of ultrasound during antenatal care did not increase women’s use of care nor did it improve adverse outcomes for mothers, fetuses, or newborns. Goldenberg RL et al. BJOG. 2018 Nov; 125(12): 1591-1599.

IMPACT

These results confirm that simply introducing ultrasound is not enough to improve the health of mothers and babies without overall improvement in the quality of care provided.

ACT

FINDING

A 6-country trial found that the use of antenatal corticosteroids in preterm infants did not decrease, but slightly increased, neonatal death rates. Althabe F, et al. Lancet. 2015;385(9968):629-39.

IMPACT

Since results were published in The Lancet, they have generated extensive interest regarding practice and guidelines for using ACS in lowresource community settings.

First Breath

FINDING

A 7-country study found that community-based training in neonatal resuscitation significantly reduced perinatal death. Carlo WA, et al. N Engl J Med. 2010 Feb 18; 362(7):614-23.

IMPACT

Based on learnings, the American Academy of Pediatrics, USAID, and other partners developed the ‘Helping Babies Breathe’ initiative to teach neonatal resuscitation and essential newborn care in resource-limited areas

Misoprostol for PPH in India

FINDING

A placebo-controlled clinical trial in rural India found that oral misoprostol given after delivery was associated with decreased acute PPH and mean blood loss. Derman R, et al. Lancet. 2006 Oct 7;368(9543):1248-53.

IMPACT

These findings support the widescale use of oral misoprostol in community home-birth settings to reduce PPH. The drug has been included in the following literature for PPH prevention: Gov of India MoH Guidelines, FIGO-ICM Guidelines, WHO Recommendations, WHO List of Essential Medicines and UN Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children.