Melissa Cheyney - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Melissa Cheyney

American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2022

Journal of Forensic Sciences, Jan 17, 2022

Despite persistent efforts to advance infant death investigation, most sudden unexpected infant d... more Despite persistent efforts to advance infant death investigation, most sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUIDs) remain unexplained. Law enforcement officials contribute to SUID investigations throughout the United States, but their impacts on these investigations have not been adequately examined. In this exploratory study, 26 law enforcement officials were interviewed about their experiences and perspectives with SUID investigations. Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed three specific difficulties law enforcement encounter during SUID investigations: (1) inadequate preparation; (2) overwhelming emotions; and (3) a victim–suspect dilemma. Findings indicate that these barriers may inhibit consistent and reliable investigation of infant death and, therefore, may impede the cause and manner of death determinations. Participants’ narratives also offered insights into potential solutions, including expanded SUID training for law enforcement and use of checklists, such as the Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Investigation Reporting Form. The impacts of overwhelming emotions confronted during SUID investigation warrant further study. The victim–suspect dilemma stems from the inability of law enforcement to conclusively eliminate the possibility of homicide. This dilemma may be resolved through a clear distinction between interactions with potential evidence and interactions with the family. Law enforcement must be trained to treat all SUID families in a compassionate and non‐accusatory manner, while investigating all SUID with careful attention to detail that is essential in any potential homicide investigation. A consistent, meticulous, and compassionate approach to SUID investigations will improve the reliability of information obtained and offer the best opportunity for providing answers to grieving parents.

Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health, Aug 27, 2018

Despite decades of considerable economic investment in improving the health of families and newbo... more Despite decades of considerable economic investment in improving the health of families and newborns worldwide , aspirations for maternal and newborn health have yet to be attained in many regions. The global turn towards recognizing the importance of positive experiences of pregnancy, intrapartum, postnatal care, and care in the first weeks of life, while continuing to work to minimize adverse outcomes, signals a critical change in the maternal and newborn health care conversation and research prioritization. This paper presents "different research questions" drawing on evidence presented in the 2014 Lancet Series on Midwifery and a research prioritization study conducted with the World Health Organization. The results indicated that future research investment in maternal and newborn health should be on 'right care,' which is quality care that is tailored to individuals, weighs benefits and harms, is personcentered, works across the whole continuum of care, advances equity, and is informed by evidence, including cost-effectiveness. Three interrelated research themes were identified: examination and implementation of models of care that enhance both wellbeing and safety; investigating and optimizing physiological, psychological and social processes in pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period; and development and validation of outcome measures that capture short and longer term well-being. New, transformative research approaches should account for the underlying social and political-economic mechanisms that enhance or constrain the well-being of women, newborns, families and societies. Investment in research capacity and capability building across all settings is critical, but especially in those countries that bear the greatest burden of poor outcomes. We believe this call to action for investment in the three research priorities identified in this paper has the potential to achieve these benefits and to realize the ambitions of Sustainable Development Goal Three of good health and well-being for all.

Health Care for Women International, Jul 23, 2020

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of genotype by environment interaction (GE... more The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of genotype by environment interaction (GEI) on the weight of Tabapuã cattle at 240 (W240), 365 (W365) and 450 (W450) days of age. In total, 35,732 records of 8,458 Tabapuã animals which were born in the state of Bahia, Brazil, from 1975 to 2001, from 167 sires and 3,707 dams, were used. Two birth seasons were tested as for the environment effect: the dry (D) and rainy (R) ones. The covariance components were obtained by a multiple-trait analysis using Bayesian inference, in which each trait was considered as being different in each season. Covariance components were estimated by software gibbs2f90. As for W240, the model was comprised of contemporary groups and cow age (in classes) as fixed effects; animal and maternal genetic additive, maternal permanent environmental and residual were considered as random effects. Concerning W365 and W450, the model included only the contemporary aged cow groups as fixed effects and the genetic additive and residual effects of the animal as the random ones. The GEI was assessed considering the genetic correlation, in which values below 0.80 indicated the presence of GEI. Regarding W365 and W450, the GEI was found in both seasons. As for post-weaning weight (W240), the effect of such interaction was not observed.

I wish to express sincere appreciation to Dr. Bert de Vries and Calvin College for the financial ... more I wish to express sincere appreciation to Dr. Bert de Vries and Calvin College for the financial and academic support provided during the excavation and analysis of the human skeletal remains described herein. WithoutDr. de Vries' inspiration and guidance, the completion of this project would not have been possible. Appreciation also goes to my mentor Dr. Tai Simmons for the technical and methodological support that formed the foundation for this research. I am grateful to Dr. Robert Sundick and Dr. Cherie Lenzen for their consistent editing and proofreading contributions. Cherie Lenzen, Janet Brashier and Tai Simmons deserve thanks for sharing my vision and frustrations, and for their encouragement by example. On a personal note, I wish to acknowledge my best friends Andrew Meskil and Monica Shah for their unending emotional support and intellectual camaraderie. I would also like to thank my fell ow students who participated in the many seasons of field work and publication at Umm el-Jimal. You provided insight and well-timed stress relief throughout the duration of this endeavor. Finally, I wish to acknowledge the primary contributors to, and supporters of, my academic pursuits. To my parents Drs. Wendy and Frazier Cheyney, I thank you for the living examples you have set as compassionate and honest scholars. Your words of encouragement and financial investments are greatly appreciated.

Health, Culture and Society, Dec 17, 2015

The purpose of this study was to identify cultural models of breast cancer held by Saudi women an... more The purpose of this study was to identify cultural models of breast cancer held by Saudi women and to explore how these may influence early detection and treatment-seeking behaviors. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with breast cancer survivors (n=20) from two Western cities in Saudi Arabia. Respondents were recruited through social networking, using purposive, snowball sampling. Illness narratives elicited during interviews were transcribed, coded and then analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. Results suggest that fatalism, perceived threats to traditional role fulfillment, and a preference for traditional therapies commonly mark the breast cancer experiences of Saudi women, influencing their early detection and treatment-seeking behaviors. A more nuanced understanding of emic viewpoints could help to improve public health messaging and intervention strategies in Saudi Arabia.

The Journal of Pediatrics, Sep 1, 2020

American Journal of Epidemiology, May 30, 2019

Although Apgar scores are commonly used as proxy outcomes, little evidence exists in support of t... more Although Apgar scores are commonly used as proxy outcomes, little evidence exists in support of the most common cutpoints (<7, <4). We used 2 data sets to explore this issue: one contained planned community births from across the United States (n = 52,877; 2012-2016), and the other contained hospital births from California (n = 428,877; 2010). We treated 5-minute Apgars as clinical "tests," compared against 18 known outcomes; we calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for each. We used 3 different criteria to determine optimal cutpoints. Results were very consistent across data sets, outcomes, and all subgroups: The cutpoint that maximizes the trade-off between sensitivity and specificity is universally <9. However, extremely low positive predictive values for all outcomes at <9 indicate more misclassification than is acceptable for research. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (which treat Apgars as quasicontinuous) were generally indicative of adequate discrimination between infants destined to experience poor outcomes and those not; comparing median Apgars between groups might be an analytical alternative to dichotomizing. Nonetheless, because Apgar scores are not clearly on any causal pathway of interest, we discourage researchers from using them unless the motivation for doing so is clear.

Birth-issues in Perinatal Care, Mar 22, 2017

Background: There is little agreement on who is a good candidate for community (home or birth cen... more Background: There is little agreement on who is a good candidate for community (home or birth center) birth in the United States. Methods: Data on n=47 394 midwife-attended, planned community births come from the Midwives Alliance of North America Statistics Project. Logistic regression quantified the independent contribution of 10 risk factors to maternal and neonatal outcomes. Risk factors included: primiparity, advanced maternal age, obesity, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, postterm pregnancy, twins, breech presentation, history of cesarean and vaginal birth, and history of cesarean without history of vaginal birth. Models controlled additionally for Medicaid, race/ethnicity, and education. Results: The independent contributions of maternal age and obesity were quite modest, with adjusted odds ratios (AOR) less than 2.0 for all outcomes: hospital transfer, cesarean, perineal trauma, postpartum hemorrhage, low/very-low Apgar, maternal or neonatal hospitalization, NICU admission, and fetal/neonatal death. Breech was strongly associated with morbidity and fetal/neonatal mortality (AOR 8.2, 95% CI, 3.7-18.4). Women with a history of both cesarean and vaginal birth fared better than primiparas across all outcomes; however, women with a history of cesarean but no prior vaginal births had poor outcomes, most notably fetal/neonatal demise (AOR 10.4, 95% CI, 4.8-22.6). Cesarean births were most common in the breech (44.7%), preeclampsia (30.6%), history of cesarean without vaginal birth (22.1%), and primipara (11.0%) groups. Discussion: The outcomes of labor after cesarean in women with previous vaginal deliveries indicates that guidelines uniformly prohibiting labor after cesarean should be reconsidered for this subgroup. Breech presentation has the highest rate of adverse outcomes supporting management of vaginal breech labor in a hospital setting.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, Jul 22, 2023

Background Preventing postpartum depression (PPD) is the most common self-reported motivation for... more Background Preventing postpartum depression (PPD) is the most common self-reported motivation for human maternal placentophagy, yet very little systematic research has assessed mental health following placenta consumption. Our aim was to compare PPD screening scores of placenta consumers and non-consumers in a community birth setting, using propensity score matching to address anticipated extensive confounding. Methods We used a medical records-based data set (n = 6038) containing pregnancy, birth, and postpartum information for US women who planned and completed community births. We first compared PPD screening scores as measured by the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) of individuals who consumed their placenta to those who did not, with regard to demographics, pregnancy characteristics, and history of mental health challenges. Matching placentophagic (n = 1876) and non-placentophagic (n = 1876) groups were then created using propensity scores. The propensity score model included more than 90 variables describing medical and obstetric history, demographics, pregnancy characteristics, and intrapartum and postpartum complications, thus addressing confounding by all of these variables. We then used logistic regression to compare placentophagic to non-placentophagic groups based on commonly-cited EPDS cutoff values (≥ 11; ≥ 13) for likely PPD. Results In the unmatched and unadjusted analysis, placentophagy was associated with an increased risk of PPD. In the matched sample, 9.9% of women who ate their placentas reported EPDS ≥ 11, compared to 8.4% of women who did not (5.5% and 4.8%, respectively, EPDS ≥ 13 or greater). After controlling for over 90 variables (including prior mental health challenges) in the matched and adjusted analysis, placentophagy was associated with an increased risk of PPD between 15 and 20%, depending on the published EPDS cutoff point used. Numerous sensitivity analyses did not alter this general finding. Conclusions Placentophagic individuals in our study scored higher on an EPDS screening than carefully matched non-placentophagic controls. Why placentophagic women score higher on the EPDS remains unclear, but we suspect

Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, Jul 1, 2020

An extensive review of new resources to support the provision of evidence-based care for women an... more An extensive review of new resources to support the provision of evidence-based care for women and infants. The current column includes a discussion of whether it is ethical not to offer doula care to all women, and commentaries on reviews focused on folic acid and autism spectrum disorder, and timing of influenza vaccination during pregnancy.

American Journal of Public Health, Nov 1, 2020

Qualitative Health Research, Feb 7, 2018

Uganda has one of the highest obstetric fistula rates in the world with approximately 200,000 wom... more Uganda has one of the highest obstetric fistula rates in the world with approximately 200,000 women currently suffering. Surgical closure successfully treats fistula in the majority of cases, yet there is a severe shortage of facilities and trained surgeons in low-resource countries. The purpose of this study was to examine Ugandan women's experiences of obstetric fistula with the aim of adding narrative depth to the clinical literature on this devastating birth injury. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, focus groups, and participant observation. Resulting narratives were consensus coded, and key themes were member-checked using reciprocal ethnography. Women who suffered from fistula described barriers in accessing essential obstetric care during labor-barriers that are consistent with the three delays framework developed by Thaddeus and Maine. In this article, we extend this scholarship to discuss a fourth, critical delay experienced by fistula survivors-the delay in the diagnosis and treatment of their birth injury.

American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Apr 1, 2017

Background-Women seeking VBAC may find limited in-hospital options. Increasing numbers of US wome... more Background-Women seeking VBAC may find limited in-hospital options. Increasing numbers of US women are delivering by VBAC out-of-hospital. Little is known about neonatal outcomes among those delivering by VBAC in vs. out-of-hospital.

Journal of Clinical Ethics, Mar 1, 2015

In this commentary, I respond to an ethical analysis of a case study, reported by Jankowski and B... more In this commentary, I respond to an ethical analysis of a case study, reported by Jankowski and Burcher, in which a woman gives birth to an infant with a known heart anomaly of unknown severity, at home, attended by a midwife. Jankowski and Burcher argue that the midwife who attended this family acted unethically because she knowingly operated outside of her scope of practice. While I agree that the authors' conclusions are well supported by the portion of the story they were able to gather, the fact that the midwife and mother declined to engage in the ethics consult that informs their piece means that critical segments of the narrative are left untold. Some important additional considerations emerge from these silences. I explore the implicit assumptions of the biotechnical embrace, the roles of the political economy of hope and the obstetric imaginary in driving prenatal testing, and institutional blame for the divisiveness of the home-hospital divide in the United States. The value of Jankowski and Burcher's case study lies in its ability to highlight the intersections and potential conflicts between the principles of beneficence, patients' autonomy, and professional ethics, and to begin to chart a course for us through them.

Anthropology News, Mar 1, 2009