Study of some Anthropometric Parameters of Itsekiri and Okpe Ethnic Groups of Delta State, South-South Nigeria

This determines and compares the human physical variations in some selected anthropometric parameters among the Itsekiri and Okpe ethnic communities Delta, Nigeria. 1000 apparently healthy adult subjects comprising 250 males and 250 females from each of the communities, were randomly selected for this study. Using standard laboratory procedures, height, knee height, waist circumference, hip circumference, arm length, head length, head breadth, nasal length, and nasal breadth were measured while nasal index, waist/hip ratio and cephalic index were calculated using standard formulae. Results showed that the two ethnic groups presented typical nose (platyrrhine) and head (dolicocephaly) types for African populations. Except for nasal index (90.78 vs 92.05), the Itsekiris’ presented higher mean head length (18.45cm vs 18.29cm), head breadth (13.46cm vs 13.06cm), cephalic index (73.04 vs 71.84), nasal height(4.59cm vs 4.38cm), nasal breadth (4.14cm vs 4.06cm), waist circumference (80.75cm vs 77.09cm), hip circumference (94.64cm vs 92.05cm), waist-hip ratio (0.85 vs 0.83), height (169.06cm vs165.28cm), knee height (49.82cm vs 47.05cm) and arm length (38.93cm vs36.63cm) than Okpes. Overall, sexual dimorphism was observed in the ethnic groups, with males showing higher values than females (p<0.05). This data is recommended to anthropologists, forensic experts’ geneticists and medical practitioners who may find it very  useful.Keywords: Anthropometry, Nigeria, Parameters, Ethnic grou

Hypercholesterolaemia in pregnancy as a predictor of adverse pregnancy outcome

Background: Prevention of viable spontaneous preterm birth and low birth weight through screening is one of the key aims of antenatal care as these have implications for the child, mother and society. If women can be identified to be at high risk of these adverse birth outcomes in early pregnancy, they can be targeted for more intensive antenatal surveillance and prophylactic interventions.Objectives: This study is therefore aimed to determine the association between elevated maternal serum cholesterol level in pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcome.Methods: It was a prospective observational cohort study in which eligible participants were enrolled at gestational age of 14 to 20 weeks. Blood samples were obtained to measure total serum cholesterol concentrations and the sera were then analyzed enzymatically by the cholesterol oxidase: p-aminophenazone (CHOD PAP) method. Pregnancy outcomes were obtained by extraction from medical records and the labour ward register.Results: The incidences of the two adverse pregnancy outcomes examined in the study (preterm births and low birth weight (LBW) in term neonates) were 8.0% and 14.4% respectively. Preterm birth was 6.89-times more common in mothers with high cholesterol than in control mothers with normal total cholesterol level (38.5% versus 5.4%, P=0.029) while LBW was 7.99-times more common in mothers with high total maternal cholesterol than in mothers with normal cholesterol (87.5% versus 10.5%, P=0.019).Conclusion: We can infer that the high maternal serum cholesterol hypercholesterolaemia) is associated with preterm delivery/ low birth weight (LBW) in term infants. However, further validation of these findings with more robust prospective and longitudinal characterization of maternal serum cholesterol profiles is required in subsequent investigations.Keywords: Adverse birth outcome, cholesterol, hypercholesterolaemia, LBW, preterm birth

Zinc supplementation in children with acute diarrhoea

No Abstract