Anthropometric cranial measurements of normal newborn in Sergipe - Northeast of Brazil

O estudo antropométrico do crânio é fundamental para a avaliação do recém-nascido. As medidas antropométricas usadas na atualidade são baseadas em resultados obtidos há mais de cinco décadas, os quais não são capazes de determinar um padrão nacional em decorrência de possíveis influências de algumas etnias. Realizamos estudo descritivo analítico em uma Maternidade em Aracaju-SE, com medidas de perímetro cefálico, distancia biauricular e anteroposterior, índice cefálico e medida da fontanela; foram examinadas 450 recém-nascidos com idade gestacional entre 37 e 42 semanas; 49,3% era do gênero masculino e 50,6% do feminino. O perímetro cefálico variou entre 30,0 cm e 39,8 cm com média de 34,14±2,48 com P50 34 cm. O índice cefálico variou entre 0,69 e 1,13 com média de 0,98±0,06 com P50 1. Foi feito uma comparação entre os estudos estrangeiros e brasileiros; o recém-nascido sergipano aproxima-se mais dos resultados obtidos nos estudos da região sudeste do que dos resultados da região nordeste, geograficamente semelhante. A possibilidade de influencias étnicas foi levantada, como também a necessidade de realizar um estudo multicêntrico para criar um perfil antropométrico do recém-nascido brasileiro. _________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT: The anthropometric mesureaments of the skull is essential for the evaluation of the newborn. The anthropometrics measureaments utilized at the present time are based in the results obtained for more than five decades, which are not able to determine a national pattern mostly likely due to some ethnic influences. We carried out an analytical descriptive study in a maternity hospital in Aracaju-Sergipe, Northeast of Brazil. Measurements of cephalic perimeter, biauricular and anteroposterior distances, cephalic index and fontanels were obtained from 450 newborns with gestacional age from 37 and 42 weeks; 49.3% were male and 50.6% female. The cephalic perimeter ranged from 30.0 cm to 39.8 cm with mean value of 34.14±2.48 P50 34 cm, and cephalic index ranged from 0.69 and 1.13 with mean value of 0.98±0.06 P50 1. A comparison was made between brazilian and foreign studies; the results of the newborn from Sergipe were closer to results obtained in the southeast region than the ones obtained in the northeast region itself. The possibility of ethnical influences was raised as well as the need to design a multicentric study in order to define an anthropometric profile of the brazilian newborn

Resumption Of Sexual Relationship After Childbirth: Preliminary Observations On Husband\'s Attitude

This study was conducted at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria between March 1998 and November 1999. The study sought to find out the preferred time husbands chose to resume sexual relationship with their wives after childbirth and the reasons for the preferred time. A total of 100 men with a mean age of 34.25 years (SD  7.05) participated in the study. An open-ended questionnaire developed by the authors was used to elicit information on relevant aspects of husbands' reproductive behaviour. We found that husbands' preferred time of resumption of sexual relationship with their wives after childbirth ranged from 3 months to above 1 year. Unlike husbands' age, educational attainment, wives parity and the family socio-economic class were not significantly associated with the preferred time of resumption of sexual relationship. The reasons given included the enhancement of their wives recovery from childbirth, marital obligation and avoidance of pregnancy among others. We also found that the most frequent reasons given at each chosen time of resumption differed. The immediate implication of our finding is that there exists an increased probability of the occurrence of pregnancies, intended or unintended, soon after delivery since a majority of the men (67.1%) chose to resume sexual relationship with their wives within 6 months of childbirth. Thus, it is suggested that, to achieve adequate spacing between childbirths, appropriate information concerning family planning methods must be communicated to women and their spouses in order to ensure optimal reproductive behaviour. Keywords: Husband, Sexual relationship, Post partum. Annals of Biomedical Science Vol. 2 (2) 2003: pp. 88-9

Observations on the relative frequency of severe malaria in young children seen in University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.

Malaria accounts for 10% of deaths in children below the age of 5 years in Nigeria. These deaths are due to severe forms of malaria. Reports on the frequency of manifestation of severe malaria in this age group are scanty. Therefore 309 children aged 6 months to 5 years with falciparum malaria and no other identifiable cause of fever were evaluated by clinical and laboratory methods for manifestations of severe malaria, using the World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria for defining severe malaria. The findings show that 93 (30.1%) had non-severe malaria, while 216 (69.9%) had manifestations of severe malaria. Hyperpyrexia occurred in 153/216 (71.0%) of patients and was relatively more common in children aged 3-5 years (64.0%). 81/216 (38.0%) of cases had severe anaemia which was more common in children below 3 years of age (47.0%) than in those aged 3-5 years (6.0%). 24/216 (11.0%) of all cases had cerebral malaria as well as hypoglycaemia. Cerebral malaria was more common in children aged less than 3 years (13.0%) than in those aged 3-5 years groups (12.0%). Hyperparasitaemia occurred in 12/216 (6.0%) of patients and was equally common in both age groups. Nine (4.0%) children had jaundice with 4.0% of them aged below 3 years while 6.0% were aged between 3-5 years. Conclusion; Hyperpyrexia, severe anaemia, cerebral malaria and hypoglycaemia were the most frequently observed manifestations of severe malaria in this age group in Benin City, Nigeria. Keywords:Frequency; Manifestation; Severe Malaria; Young Children; Benin City. Annals of Biomedical Science Vol. 1 (1) 2002: pp. 30-3

Glycaemic control amongst persons with diabetes mellitus in Benin City

Objective: This study set out to find the level of glycaemic control amongst persons with diabetes mellitus in Benin City. Methods: Forty two persons with diabetes had their glycaemic control assessed by measuring the level of their glycated hae-moglobin. Other data collected included age, sex, duration of diabetes, type of diabetes, weight, height, body mass index and waist hip ratio. Results: There were twenty four males and eighteen females in the study population. Thirty one subjects had type 2 diabetes, while eleven had type 1 diabetes. Nineteen subjects (46%), had poor glycaemic control (HbAic > 7%) while twenty three (54%) had good control (HbAic ͳ 7%). Thirteen males (54%) had good control while ten females (53%) had good control and this was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Eighteen of the thirty-one type 2 DM subjects (58%) had good glycaemic control, while five persons out of eleven with type 1 DM (45%) had good glycaemic control and this was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study has shown that poor glycaemic control is common amongst persons with diabetes mellitus in Benin City. Studies have shown that good glycaemic control prevents and delays the complications of diabetes mellitus. We therefore recommend that health education on the benefits of good glycaemic control should be given in diabetes clinics, and ef-forts intensified to achieve target glycated haemoglobin levels to prevent diabetes complications

The Challenges Of Managing Quintuplets In A Developing Country (Nigeria)

High order multiple deliveries have been reported from a number of developed countries previously but not from a developing country. This report highlights the challenges posed by the management of the second surviving quintuplet delivery in Nigeria at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital Benin, and the subsequent management of the babies. The first was at UNTH in 1988 but the mother took fertility drugs. The challenges encountered during the antenatal care of the mother included the long stay in the hospital of the mother for bed rest, accurate diagnosis of the number of the babies prenatally, management of the weight of the mother and acceleration of the maturation of the babies' lungs. During delivery, resuscitation of the babies with the available health professionals, materials and equipment also posed some problems. Continuous ambubagging with oxygen was performed when some of them went apnoeic. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) ventilation with a respirator (i.e. Mechanical ventilation), which was not available during resuscitation or early in their lives, could not be offered. Management consisted of using hot water bottles; perplex glass shied to maintain body temperature instead of incubators and respirators; which also were not available. It is recommended that adequate manpower, equipment and diagnostic procedures be made readily available to cope with such circumstances. This case is highlighted because this is the first known surviving quintuplet delivery in Nigeria by a mother without having taken fertility drugs and to evaluate the management of these babies and their mother in difficult circumstances. Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice Vol.6(1) 2003: 71-7