African Mothers Research Articles

Severe acute malnutrition outcomes for children of South African compared to foreign-born parents admitted to a rural regional hospital in South Africa: a retrospective cohort study.

Children of foreign-born parents with vulnerable legal status, limited economic rights and exclusion from national social interventions may be at higher risk for severe acute malnutrition (SAM). We evaluated the relationship between parent status (foreign-born vs. South African) and outcomes for children with SAM admitted to a rural regional hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa. A retrospective cohort study was conducted including children <5 years admitted to Worcester Provincial Hospital during 2015-17 with SAM (WHO weight-for-height Z score <-3, presence of nutritional oedema, mid-upper-arm-circumference of <11.5 cm or visible severe wasting). Exposures, including parent status, and outcomes including in-hospital death were determined from hospital and regional dietician records. Of 95 children included, 31 (33%) were of foreign-born and 64 (67%) of South African parents. Median (interquartile range) age at admission was 12 (8-18) vs. 10 (8-13) months in children of South African vs. foreign-born parents with no difference in preterm birth, concurrent illnesses or admission duration. Age, HIV status and breastfeeding practices were no different in foreign-born compared to South African mothers. In-hospital deaths occurred in 3/64 (5%) and 6/31 (19%) children of South African vs. foreign-born parents (p = 0.01). Children of foreign-born compared to South African parents had an odds ratio of 4.88 (95% CI 1.13-21.06) for in-hospital SAM-associated mortality. In this rural setting, 33% of children admitted with SAM were of foreign-born parents and experienced in-hospital SAM-associated mortality at least four times higher than children of South African parents. This illustrates the extreme vulnerability of these children.

First-generation Nigerian mothers living in the UK and their experience of postnatal depression: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

ABSTRACT Objective: Previous studies emphasise the negative psychological and physical consequences of Postnatal Depression (PND) on mothers and children’s health. In the UK, around 10–20% of women can be affected by perinatal mental health problems. Minority ethnic groups such as Black African mothers are considered to be at greater risk of developing PND and data estimates that immigrant mothers are twice more likely to develop PND than native mothers. The unique experiences and needs of this culturally diverse group remain little explored in the UK. To address this gap in the literature, this study aimed to explore the lived experiences of First-Generation Nigerian Mothers (FGNMs) who suffered PND, their coping behaviours and treatment experiences in the UK. Design: Six FGNMs with a previous diagnosis of PND and treatment experiences were purposefully recruited from GP practices and social groups attended by Nigerian mothers in the UK. Semi-structured interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Results: Three master and seven subordinate themes were identified: (i) Socio-cultural factors (Inter-generational transmission; cultural perceptions: shame and stigma; transitions: adjusting to a new culture); (ii) What about me? The neglected nurturer (experiences of treatment; pretending to be OK); and (iii) Loneliness and coping (lack of support from partner; self-reliance). Conclusions: The study provides evidence about the difficulties encountered by FGNMs in relation to PND, including socio-cultural factors, neglect from family and healthcare professionals, and self-reliance as a coping strategy. Contrary to reports suggesting that Black ethnic groups do not seek help for their mental health needs, participants’ accounts indicated that their attempts to engage with professionals were met with unsatisfactory responses. The findings highlight the need to address barriers affecting access to services by fostering a patient-centred and culturally sensitive approach in healthcare teams to effectively engage mothers at an early stage in the detection pathway.

Being a Black Mother Living with HIV Is a “Whole Story”: Implications for Intersectionality Approach

While African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) mothers living with HIV in Canada are required to follow public health guidelines by exclusively formula feeding their infants, they also face cultural expectations from peers and family members to breastfeed. They face multiple challenges because of their race, ethnicity, gender, class, and geographical location, among other factors. Previously published studies on this subject did not analyze how the intersectionality of these factors impacts Black mothers’ infant feeding experiences. In this article, we discuss the infant feeding practices of Black mothers living with HIV in Ottawa (Canada). We followed a qualitative methods research design that utilized intersectionality and a community-based participatory research approach. We used the intersectionality framework as a lens to analyze the complex mesh of determinants influencing motherhood experiences of ACB women living with HIV. Being a Black/ACB mother while living with HIV is a “whole story” permeated with cutting-across issues such as race, class, gender, socio-political, and cultural contexts. These issues are interwoven and often difficult to unravel. Multiple layers of structural determinants of Black/ACB women’s HIV vulnerability and health are described. Intersectionality is important for an in-depth understanding of societal power dynamics and their impact on women’s health inequities.

Disparities in the timing of antenatal care initiation and associated factors in an ethnically dense maternal cohort with high levels of area deprivation

BackgroundLate access to antenatal care is a contributor to excess mortality and morbidity among ethnic minority mothers compared to White British in the UK. While individual ethnicity and socioeconomic disadvantage are linked to late antenatal care initiation, studies have seldom explored patterns of late initiation and associated factors in ethnically dense socially disadvantaged settings. This study investigated disparities in the timing of antenatal care initiation, and associated factors in an ethnically dense socially disadvantaged maternal cohort.MethodsA retrospective cross-sectional study using routinely collected anonymous data on all births between April 2007—March 2016 in Luton and Dunstable hospital, UK (N = 46,307). Late initiation was defined as first antenatal appointment attended at > 12 weeks of gestation and further classified into moderately late (13–19 weeks) and extremely late initiation (≥ 20 weeks). We applied logistic and multinomial models to examine associations of late initiation with maternal and sociodemographic factors.ResultsOverall, one fifth of mothers (20.8%) started antenatal care at > 12 weeks of gestation. Prevalence of late initiation varied across ethnic groups, from 16.3% (White British) to 34.2% (Black African). Late initiation was strongly associated with non-White British ethnicity. Compared to White British mothers, the odds of late initiation and relative risk of extremely late initiation were highest for Black African mothers [adjusted OR = 3.37 (3.05, 3.73) for late initiation and RRR = 4.03 (3.51, 4.64) for extremely late initiation]. The odds did not increase with increasing area deprivation, but the relative risk of moderately late initiation increased in the most deprived ([RRR = 1.53 (1.37, 1.72)] and second most deprived areas [RRR = 1.23 (1.10, 1.38)]. Late initiation was associated with younger mothers and to a lesser extent, older mothers aged > 35 years. Mothers who smoked during pregnancy were at higher odds of late initiation compared to mothers who did not smoke.ConclusionsThere is a need to intensify universal and targeted programmes/services to support mothers in ethnically dense socially disadvantaged areas to start antenatal care on time. Local variations in ethnic diversity and levels of social disadvantage are essential aspects to consider while planning services and programmes to ensure equity in maternity care provision.

Debunking patriarchal assumptions about motherhood as represented in selected Southern African literature

This article explores how literary representations of African motherhood demystify oppressive patriarchal assumptions that have marginalised women whilst promoting male privilege. This study’s objective is to challenge patriarchal values that continue to damage and undermine many African women’s position and status in society. This is critical in order to address gender injustice and make a claim for African women’s rights to respectful, dignified and fulfilling lives as full members of society. An interpretive content analysis of Lauretta Ngcobo’s And They Didn’t Die and Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions has been adopted. African feminist theory provided the interpretive framework for analysing the selected texts. In sharp contrast to patriarchal assumptions of women as inferior to men, this research indicates many African women performing critical roles that ensure family survival with little to no help from men. Depictions of African mothers’ sacrifice and struggles to safeguard the interests of the families contrast the irresponsible behaviours and failures associated with fatherhood in the texts studied. Given the important contributions of women to improving quality of life, the study recommends the need for transformation of oppressive patriarchal values that undermine women to create a more equitable society.

Connecting the Dots: Structural Racism, Intersectionality, and Cardiovascular Health Outcomes for African, Caribbean, and Black Mothers

African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) women globally experience health inequities that impact on their cardiovascular health outcomes during the perinatal period, and for years after. Aside from being at a high risk of having and dying from hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, ACB women who survive face a lifelong risk of cardiovascular disease years after the diagnosis. Racism as a determinant of health intersects with gender, societal structures, and immigration status to contribute to cardiovascular health and access to quality health care services for ACB women. Equitable policies and culturally appropriate programs are needed to improve the cardiovascular health of ACB women.

“We are not in this together”: COVID-19 exacerbates learning barriers for African immigrant student mothers in institutions of higher learning

“We are not in this together”: COVID-19 exacerbates learning barriers for African immigrant student mothers in institutions of higher learning

Influence of Maternal Childhood Trauma on Perinatal Depression, Observed Mother-Infant Interactions, and Child Growth.

Mothers who have experienced childhood trauma may be at increased risk for disruptions in caregiving behavior, with potential consequences for early child development. However, assessments of caregiving behavior tend to be self-reported, which may bias results, and have been limited in lower-resource settings. In an overall sample of 256 South African mothers followed across the perinatal period, this longitudinal study used structural equation modeling to test pathways of association between maternal childhood trauma and depressive symptoms on observed mother-infant interactions at 3.5months and subsequent child growth outcomes at 1 year. On average, mothers with childhood trauma histories tended to show lower rated overall interactions with their infants (B = -0.16, p = .013), which in turn was associated with reduced child growth at 1 year (B = 0.17, p = .046). When this model was adjusted for maternal age and relative socioeconomic status (SES), maternal SES strongly explained child growth (B = 0.31, p < .001) such that the direct effect of mother-infant interactions was no longer significant. For child growth in a lower-resource setting, quality of mother-infant interactions could be a relevant predictor but more strongly explained by maternal SES factors, suggesting a need for broader approaches that not only improve dyadic relationships but also address maternal ecological resources.

Stand-up comedy and the performance of race and identity in Trevor Noah’s It Makes No Sense and Learning Accents

Stand-up comedy has thrived as a popular form of entertainment in Africa, and it has been used as a tool to question the postcolonial relationship between the West and the Other, which promotes racialized assumptions. Similarly, African stand-up comedians like Trevor Noah, a migrant from South Africa to the United States, who was born in South Africa to a Swiss father and a South African mother, have become global entertainment icons and demonstrate how migrants can use humour to confront prejudice and institutional racism. Drawing from Noah’s mixed racial backgrounds, this study examines how Noah’s identity shapes his artistry using two of his performances It Makes No Sense (2020) and Learning Accents (2021). The study engaged the Superiority, Relief and Incongruity theories of comedy, and observed that intersectional identities and marginalization are the main themes explored in the two comic acts, and Noah presents humour as a site of resistance used to subvert assumptions of stable racial and identity categories that promote the marginalization of Blacks and people of colour.

Recruitment Strategies to Engage Newcomer Mothers of African Descent in Maternal Mental Health Research in Canada.

Introduction:Newcomer mothers of African descent are at risk for maternal mental stress because of inadequate social support, newcomer status, and stress of motherhood. Limited participation of newcomer African mothers in mental health research contributes to a knowledge gap in this area further impacting culturally competent health services. This article reports recruitment strategies to better engage African newcomer women in maternal mental health research.Methods:In-depth discussion of recruitment strategies, used in a qualitative descriptive study conducted with Black African newcomer mothers in Canada.Results:Ten African newcomer mothers were successfully recruited using recruitment strategies such as engagement with religious organizations, snowballing, and the use of social media.Discussion:Cultural beliefs on motherhood, resilience, and mental illness may account for hesitancy to engage in maternal mental health research. Recruitment strategies could help overcome the challenges and potentially diversify maternal mental health research in Canada through the engagement of African newcomer mothers.

Radio Communications on Family Planning: Case of West Africa.

Sub-Saharan Africa will accommodate more population this century by having a multitude of births across the continent. Family planning methods provide women with techniques to manage their health and wellbeing. This study investigated how radio communications in family planning changed the perception of Ghanaian, Liberian, and Senegalese mothers toward having fewer children. Univariate and multivariate linear regression results after coarsened exact matching (CEM) with selected covariates for 15- to 49-year-old mothers from demographic and health survey (DHS) data implied the effectiveness of radio communications. This effort supports the need for further research on tailored communication methods for West African mothers over time.

Remote Fieldwork With African Migrant Women During COVID-19 Pandemic in London: A Reflection.

As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic unraveled, state-led preventative restrictions created a “new” normal through remote home-working. A long-planned follow-up qualitative research study on risk perceptions and experiences regarding Clay Ingestion among black African women during pregnancy, in London, was disrupted as England went into lockdown. Against this backdrop, we shifted to remote data collection which raised pertinent concerns around access to technology and participant digital skills. We share our experiences of navigating through remote fieldwork during the pandemic with black African mothers with caring responsibilities as well as the extra burden of homeschooling, the challenges we encountered and how we mitigate these and the lessons learnt. Thus, drawing from our remote qualitative research experiences, we refer to notable examples of challenges, mitigating strategies applied and potential lessons to inform future practice.

Contextual Ghosts in the Nursery: Systemic Influences on Sensitive Maternal Responsiveness in a Low to Middle Income Country

The influence of trauma on parenting behavior and “sensitive responsiveness” is well documented. However, these trauma experiences are often conceptualized on an individual, historical and intergenerational level, rather than a systemic level. In this study, eight South African mothers, who were residing in a Johannesburg Township and raising at least one child under the age of six, were interviewed about their parenting practices. The interviews were analyzed using a combination of a psychoanalytically informed interpretive analysis and a social constructionist analysis. Using this approach, the author attempted to develop a contextually-based understanding of current parenting practices within this setting. Across the interviews, three prominent contextual factors were seen to consciously and unconsciously impact parenting practices, namely threats to safety, poverty, and loss or absent parents. These contextual factors were found to play a role in hypervigilance, maternal control and intrusiveness, and dismissiveness in parent-infant interactions. On the back of these findings, the importance of considering contextual trauma when engaging in infant mental health theory, research, and interventions with similar populations, is briefly discussed.

Food habits and beliefs about Moringa oleifera among South African student mothers: a qualitative study

The problems of malnutrition constitute a major challenge in South Africa, particularly affecting the underprivileged populations of the Eastern Cape and Limpopo provinces. The present study aimed to gain an understanding of how to improve the nutritional intake of South African university student mothers and their children by the introduction of Moringa oleifera in their food. Focus Group Discussion was implemented at two previously historically disadvantaged universities with predominantly black student populations, namely the University of Fort Hare and the University of Limpopo. Findings from the participants’ discussion about food habits and barriers to healthy eating show that there is a gap between healthy eating knowledge and eating habits. Despite the high level of awareness of the importance of nutritional intake, most of the study participants and their children consume less healthy foods. Due to the high cost of healthy food and their limited income, student mothers face substantial financial constraints when trying to make healthy changes in their food habits. Moreover, student mothers’ positive beliefs about the nutritional benefits of Moringa are insufficient to encourage its consumption. Finally, student mothers agree about using Moringa as a nutritional supplement. Maize porridge (pap) appears to be the preferred staple food for Moringa supplementation because of its palatability, satiating power, availability, affordability, and ease of preparation.

Macronutrient and Energy Content of Breast Milk from South African Mothers of Preterm Infants: An Exploratory Study

Macronutrient and Energy Content of Breast Milk from South African Mothers of Preterm Infants: An Exploratory Study

The influence of maternal weight and alcohol exposure on infant physical characteristics and neurodevelopmental outcomes

BackgroundMothers of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders tend to have lower weight compared to other mothers. Yet how alcohol and maternal weight may predispose infants to poorer physical growth and neurodevelopmental trajectories is relatively unexplained. MethodsSouth African mothers (n = 406) were recruited prenatally and their offspring were provided standardized dysmorphology and neurodevelopment examinations at 6 weeks and 9 months of age. Maternal weight was obtained postpartum, and linear mixed modeling determined whether postpartum maternal weight and prenatal alcohol exposure significantly influenced infant growth, dysmorphology, and neurodevelopment within the first year of life. ResultsPostpartum maternal weight was positively associated with birth length, weight, and head circumference centile, but the rate of growth from birth to nine months was similar among all infants. Maternal weight was inversely associated with dysmorphology. Many infants in this population were performing within the borderline or extremely low range. Higher maternal weight was associated with significantly better cognitive and motor performance at 6 weeks; however, the rate of developmental growth was similar among all infants, regardless of postpartum maternal weight. ConclusionHigher postpartum maternal weight may be a protective factor but does not eliminate the adverse effects of alcohol on infant growth and dysmorphology. Regardless of maternal weight, alcohol remains a powerful teratogen and moderate to high use prenatally can result in adverse infant physical and neurocognitive development.

Authority and Moral Conflicts in the Films of Adébáyọ Fálétí: Àfọ̀njá, Gáà, Ṣawo Ṣẹ̀gbẹ̀rì and the Yorùbá Cosmopolis

Authority and Moral Conflicts in the Films of Adébáyọ Fálétí: Àfọ̀njá, Gáà, Ṣawo Ṣẹ̀gbẹ̀rì and the Yorùbá Cosmopolis

Ìgbélárugẹ Èdè: Akinwumi Isola’s Model for Promoting African Languages

The ever-popular discussion in African literary circles is critically about language choices that African writers make in their creative endeavors. This is part of this write-up’s focus plus the plight of African languages with attention to the benefit and challenges for their empowerment. We set out to achieve two goals in this essay; first contributing to the ongoing discussions on African mother tongues, their vital roles in African literatures while characterizing pointers on proficiency and performance. Second, considering the use of Yoruba language in creative works of late Akínwùmí Oròjídé Iṣọ̀lá. Expectedly, the latter goal will exemplify the importance of indigenous languages to African writers. In pursuance of these dual goals, it is critical to highlight areas in which African writers, especially those writing in their native African languages, have endured to play crucial roles in promotion of African languages. These highlighted areas go beyond now fashionable and expressed goal of focusing on literature in African languages (splendor in African languages) onto push for fairness for languages and their speakers (linguistic justice).

Afrasian Aesthetics in M.G. Vassanji’s The Magic of Saida

Abstract The Magic of Saida by M.G. Vassanji (2012) centres on the central figure of the novel’s story, Kamal. He is the son of an African mother and an Asian (read Indian) father, who grows up in Tanzania and then relocates to Canada where he becomes an established doctor. The novel tackles themes of African-Asian (read Afrasian) racial identity, belonging, and the effects of the past on the present. Kamal identifies mainly as an African when residing with his mother in Kilwa during his childhood; he is then urged to embrace an Indian identity when he is sent to live with his uncle in Dar es Salaam in his early adolescence. Decades after moving to Edmonton, Canada, Kamal decides to come back to Kilwa. This paper explores the tension and ambiguity in Kamal’s identity by analyzing the way he defines himself—or is defined—in Kilwa and Dar es Salaam, and then investigating, through an eclectic psychochriticism lens, how that in turn affects him as he ages and drives him to return in seach of what it means to be both an Asian and an African in the context of East African cultural landscapes.

A longitudinal analysis of the effect of maternal region-of-birth on transitions in children's bodyweight status from early childhood to late adolescence in Australia: A population-based cohort study

Although 49% of Australian residents have at least one overseas-born parent, little is known about children's longitudinal bodyweight transitions among the migrant population. This study examines the net associations between maternal region-of-birth and children's longitudinal bodyweight transitions between underweight, normal, and overweight/obese status from ages 2 to 17 years. A sample of 8889 children was drawn from seven waves of a national population-based cohort study, the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, conducted between 2004 and 2016. A multistate approach was used to investigate (i) the net effect of mother's region-of-birth on children's bodyweight transitions, (ii) the net estimation of cumulative transition probabilities, and (ii) the net conditional bodyweight expectancy, controlling for child-, family-, and neighbourhood-factors associated with children's bodyweight. Our results showed children of Oceania and African mothers had unfavourable outcomes (i.e., lower remission from or higher incidence of underweight or overweight/obese status) than children of non-migrants. Toddlers with suboptimal bodyweight status (especially those from disadvantaged groups) had higher net cumulative probabilities of staying in that status as a 17-year-old adolescent unless they managed to transfer to normal weight in the primary school years. The 15-year bodyweight expectancy depended on the initial bodyweight status at age two years, with some children of migrant mothers affected longer by suboptimal bodyweight status. In Australia, region-of-birth related disparities in bodyweight started early and were of significant duration throughout development until late adolescence. Culturally tailored health programs should begin at least as early as two years of age.