Maternal and Child Health Research Department
Who we are and what we do?
We are a team dedicated to generating evidence and developing interventions for reproductive, maternal, child and perinatal health.
Our specific purpose is to contribute, through research and generation of high-quality evidence to reproductive, maternal, child and perinatal health, to improve and guarantee the global health of people with the capacity to become pregnant, girls, boys and adolescents.
Our Approach: Health Priorities, Innovative Solutions and Scientific Evidence
Our observational and epidemiological surveillance studies aim to establish health priorities at regional and global level. Through rigorous clinical trials, we identify interventions and evaluate their effectiveness to develop strategies for their adoption and implementation, ensuring that we actively engage the community and all stakeholders in the health system with a rights-centered perspective. Thus we fulfill our purpose of training health professionals in research methods and evidence-based clinical practices to ensure the quality and validity of the processes in quality clinical care.
Research Areas
Over than 160 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals in the last 5 years and more than 50 cutting-edge research projects to improve reproductive, maternal, child and perinatal health.
Our Contributions to Maternal Health
Childbirth and postpartum care: recommendations for a positive experience
The IECS works in collaboration with the World Health Organization to promote a positive birth and postpartum experience for all pregnant people. Within this framework, we develop recommendations for care that level public policies and current practices in health facilities, ensuring care that guarantees human rights. Additionally, we conducted a pilot study in maternity hospitals in Argentina and Tanzania to evaluate this toolkit in real-world settings.
Calcium supplementation: a pillar for maternal health
The IECS has been a major contributor with its research studies in formulating recommendations on calcium supplementation in pregnant women, a key intervention to promote maternal health worldwide and prevent eclampsia.