Many studies have been conducted to examine whether Caesarean Section (CS) or vaginal birth (VB) was optimal for better maternal and neonatal outcomes in preterm births. However, findings remain unclear. Therefore, this secondary analysis of World Health Organization Global Survey (GS) and Multi-country Survey (MCS) databases was conducted to investigate outcomes of preterm birth by mode of delivery. Our sample were women with singleton neonates (15,471 of 237 facilities from 21 countries in GS; and 15,053 of 239 facilities from 21 countries in MCS) delivered between 22 and <37 weeks of gestation. We assessed association between mode of delivery and pregnancy outcomes in singleton preterm births by multilevel logistic regression adjusted for hierarchical data. The prevalences of women with preterm birth delivered by CS were 31.0% and 36.7% in GS and MCS, respectively. Compared with VB, CS was associated with significantly increased odds of maternal intensive care unit admission, maternal near miss, and neonatal intensive care unit admission but significantly decreased odds of fresh stillbirth, and perinatal death. However, since the information on justification for mode of delivery (MOD) were not available, our results of the potential benefits and harms of CS should be carefully considered when deciding MOD in preterm births.

To date, little attention has been given to prenatal depression, especially in low and middle-income countries. The aim of this research was to assess the prevalence of depression and its associated factors amongst pregnant women in a central Vietnamese city. This cross-sectional study included 150 pregnant women from 29 to 40 weeks of gestation, from eight wards of Hue city, via quota sampling from February to May 2019. We employed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to assess depression. Findings suggest the need to provide routine screening of pregnant women in primary care for depressive symptoms and other mental health problems.

Background: Previous research shows that 61% of children younger than 6 months in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are not exclusively breastfed. Although data on the role of pre- and postnatal depression on breastfeeding exclusivity is mixed, fetomaternal attachment might foster breastfeeding exclusivity. Thus, we tested the potential mediating role of fetomaternal attachment and postnatal depression in the relationship between maternal prenatal depression and exclusive breastfeeding. Materials and Methods: Data were collected as part of a prospective, cross-cultural project, Evidence for Better Lives Study, which enrolled 1208 expectant mothers, in their third trimester of pregnancy across eight sites, from LMICs. Of the whole sample, 1185 women (mean age = 28.32, standard deviation [SD] = 5.77) completed Computer-Aided Personal Interviews on prenatal depressive symptoms, fetomaternal attachment, and socioeconomic status. A total of 1054 women provided follow-up data at 3–6 months after birth, about postnatal depressive symptoms, exclusive breastfeeding, and infant health indicators. Path analysis was used to assess parallel mediation. Results: In the whole sample, the effect of prenatal depression on breastfeeding exclusivity was completely mediated by postnatal depression, whereas fetomaternal attachment did not mediate the relationship. The full mediation effect was replicated individually in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Conclusions: The study results indicate that prenatal depression symptoms contributed to the development of depressive symptoms after birth, negatively affecting the probability of exclusive breastfeeding. Future research should explore this in early prevention interventions, increasing the chances of healthy child development in LMICs. Considering the mixed results around the sites, it is important to better understand the relationship between maternal depression, fetomaternal attachment and breastfeeding behavior in each site's socio-cultural context.

This study aims to explore the effects of intimate partner violence during pregnancy (p-IPV) on postpartum depression among women in central Vietnam. p-IPV was defined among 150 women aged 18 years and older in the third trimester of their pregnancy. Baseline data was collected between February and May 2019, and then those women were followed up to 3–5 months after childbirth to assess depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Data collection was completed in September 2019. Relative risk was estimated to identify the effect of p-IPV on maternal postpartum depression. Twenty-one women reported IPV during pregnancy. In the follow-up assessment, 8 of 21 mothers exposed to p-IPV and 23 of 127 mothers not exposed to p-IPV developed postpartum depression. p-IPV including emotional and physical violence were increased the risk of postpartum depression. The findings support evidence that p-IPV increases the risk of postpartum depression among women in central Vietnam.