HMHB: The impact of nutrition and infections on health for pregnant women and young children

In resource-poor regions globally, pregnant women experience high rates of malaria, anemia, under-nutrition, reproductive tract infections, and other viral and bacterial infections. These can lead to morbidity and mortality in women, and in infants these factors can cause low birth weight (LBW) and premature delivery resulting in a significant number of infant deaths each year. 

Being born too small is the biggest risk factor for neonatal death, and also puts infants at risk of poor growth and development. Poor growth and development in young children, often referred to as stunting, is a major problem in many regions and is associated with 40% of deaths in young children as well and many chronic health problems. However, the roles of nutrition, anemia, malaria, and other infections on birth outcomes and child growth and development are not well understood which limits the development and implementation of effective strategies and interventions.

Objective

The objective of this project is to determine the major preventable causes of poor maternal health and child health to enable the development of future interventions to improve health and well being for young children and pregnant women.

Approach

Burnet has a research program in rural PNG, called Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, in partnership with the PNG Institute of Medical Research, East New Britain Provincial Government, University of PNG, the National Department of Health, and others. 

We have undertaken a longitudinal study of pregnant women attending antenatal care, and followed them through to delivery and early childhood. Among these women, we are investigating nutrition and specific micronutrient deficiencies, metabolic profiles, anemia, and the presence of important infections, such as malaria and infections of the reproductive tract.

We are investigating how nutritional deficiencies, infections, and metabolic profiles impact on birth outcomes, child growth and development, and maternal health.