Official guidelines advocate abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy. However, a number of women consume alcohol while pregnant. Understanding women's reasons and the context for drinking during pregnancy outside the context of an alcohol use disorder may be helpful for interventions of healthcare providers and health policymakers. This paper reports a systematic review of qualitative studies focusing on women's perspectives of the issue of alcohol consumption during pregnancy on one hand, and on recommendations on the other. Seven electronic databases and citation lists of published papers were searched for peer-reviewed articles published between 2002 and 2019 in English and French, reporting primary empirical research, using qualitative design and exploring women's views and experiences about the issue of alcohol and pregnancy. Studies involving participant women identified as having an alcohol use disorder while pregnant were excluded. Using the thematic synthesis method, we extracted and coded findings and recommendations from the selected studies. Women who mostly reported being abstinent or having reduced their alcohol consumption during pregnancy, and non-pregnant women FINDINGS: We included 27 studies from 11 different countries. The quality of studies was assessed using the CASP tool. We developed five analytical themes synthesising women's views and experiences of abstinence and occasional alcohol consumption during pregnancy: lack of reliable information; inadequate information from health professionals; women's perception of public health messages; women's experiences and perception of risk; and social norms and cultural context. Six analytical themes synthesising recommendations were generated: improving health professionals' knowledge and screening practice; diversification of information sources; improving women's information; empowering women's choice; delivering appropriate messages; and addressing socio-structural factors. Our review provides evidence that information on the issue of alcohol consumption during pregnancy should be improved in both qualitative and quantitative terms. However, the reasons for pregnant women's occasional drinking are complex and influenced by a range of socio-cultural factors. Therefore, healthcare professionals and policymakers should take into account women's experiences and the context of their everyday lives when conveying preventive messages. Our review demonstrates that awareness strategies should not focus solely on women's individual responsibility. They should also address a wider audience and foster a more supportive socio-structural environment. The understanding of women's perspective is essential to designing sound prevention interventions and credible messages. Our review provides a comprehensive summary of the state of qualitative research on women's experience of the risk of alcohol use during pregnancy, as well as the literature's recommendations about how to address this issue. This review also contributes to identifying overlooked areas of recommendations that require further reflection and research.

Disparities in control mechanisms to prevent the spread of Chagas disease in Switzerland raise questions about the process of its recognition as a public health problem, particularly as it concerns migrant populations. With a focus on congenital screening practices, I explore the way in which health care providers experience, problematize and respond to the disease, acting as key agents not only in the provision of care but also in the recognition of Chagas disease as a problem that needs to be addressed. Such an approach contributes to the understanding of processes of public health agenda creation around neglected tropical diseases in non-endemic countries.

Congenital transmission is a key route of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in Latin America and globally, contributing significantly to the burden of Chagas disease. The interruption of transmission from mother to child has recently become a focus issue. However, the research landscape on congenital Chagas disease remains largely unexplored. The purpose of this scoping review is to assess the production of knowledge on congenital Chagas disease (CCD), aiming to identify research trends and potential gaps. Our initial hypothesis was that the CCD literature overly represents the medical sciences and that there is a need for socio-cultural research on the subject. We conducted a systematic search of publications focusing on congenital Chagas disease in six languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German and Italian). This comprehensive literature search identified 876 studies that met the inclusion criteria, out of a total of 8893 sources. The relevant literature was analyzed by language, year of publication, discipline, source type and research location. The main outcome of this study has been to prove our hypothesis that there is a scarcity of knowledge produced within the non-biomedical sciences on CCD. This underscores the need for further exploration into the social and structural issues surrounding this disease. Visually clear data concerning congenital Chagas disease produced by this study can contribute to hone in future research efforts and support funding applications. Additionally, this article provides a reference list that other researchers can consult for their own studies.

Chagas disease is a parasitic infection found mainly in continental Latin America. However, it is now present globally due to increasing international mobility and its lifelong persistence in the absence of timely treatment. In Switzerland, this neglected tropical disease presents a significant challenge because of its high potential for transmission, severe clinical manifestations and complications, and a lack of medical and public health programs at both the cantonal and national levels. This paper reviews the medical and public health interventions addressing Chagas disease in countries outside Latin America. It provides a specific perspective on the challenges, opportunities, and strategies for the elimination of Chagas disease as a public health problem within the Swiss context. This article concludes with the introduction of the newly created Swiss Chagas Network, which aims to develop strategies for improving the management of Chagas disease in Switzerland.

While perinatal health professionals are pivotal in the prevention and reduction of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, some provide inconsistent recommendations and fail to engage in routine and effective alcohol use prevention strategies. This paper presents a systematic review of qualitative studies exploring the perception and practices of health professionals in relation to asking and advising pregnant women about alcohol consumption. A systematic literature search for peer-reviewed primary studies in seven electronic databases, from inception to December 2022, and a hand search strategy were employed to conduct a qualitative synthesis, without language restriction. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool. A thematic synthesis was employed to guide the synthesis of the data. The review included 24 studies, and three themes were generated from the analysis: advising and screening practices of health professionals, approach to risk and challenges. The findings of this review demonstrate that healthcare professionals face clinical, relational and organisational challenges that may influence their commitment to addressing alcohol consumption among pregnant women. The health professionals' approach to screening and advising is also shaped by their subjective perceptions of alcohol-related issues and of patients at risk. Improving prevention practices requires developing continuing education on alcohol-related risks, providing tools for communicating in a sensitive and appropriate way, and making healthcare professionals aware of how their perceptions may influence their practices.