Mothers’ knowledge about birth asphyxia: The need to do more!

Background: Health education is an important tool required for reducing the burden of birth asphyxia in the developing world.Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge of mothers, who received health facility-based antenatal care during their last pregnancy, about birth asphyxia and relate their knowledge to their places of antenatal care.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey of mothers of infants attending the Immunization clinic in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital was done between July and October 2010 using a close-ended questionnaire. Consecutively consenting mothers were enrolled into the study.Results: Out of 354 mothers, 56.5% received counseling about birth asphyxia during antenatal clinic visits in their last pregnancy; 85.5% of attendees of teaching hospital; and 26.4% of attendees of private antenatal clinics received counseling about birth asphyxia. Overall, 38.9% of the respondents had satisfactory knowledge about birth asphyxia;47.5% of teaching hospital attendees; and 28.1% of private clinic attendees had satisfactory knowledge about birth asphyxia. Lower socioeconomic status, lack of counseling, and nonattendance of teaching hospital antenatal clinic were associated with poor knowledge about birth asphyxia.Conclusion: Most of the mothers surveyed had poor knowledge about the risk factors and sequelae of birth asphyxia. The health system needs to improve health education of expectant mothers about birth asphyxia.Key words: Antenatal care, asphyxia, health educatio

Pattern of nosocomial infections in the special care baby unit of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Nigeria

Background: Sepsis contributes significantly to newborn deaths in Nigeria. A significant proportion of severe infections in the newborn may be health care-related.Objective: To determine the prevalence, types and risk factors for nosocomial infections in the Special Care Baby Unit of a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital.Method: A cross-sectional survey of consecutively admitted infants aged 0 to 28 days with signs of infections or who developed signs of infection following admission. Infants with or without nosocomial infections were compared for the clinical and laboratory details.Results: Out of 356 infants, 32 (8.9%) had between 1 and 3 nosocomial infections while 48 (13.5%) had community-acquired infections. Half of babies with nosocomial infections were preterm and weighed less than 2kg. A significantly higher proportion of babies with nosocomial infections were inborn (p < 0.000) and stayed longer than 7 days on admission (p = 0.034). Bacteraemia was significantly more frequent among babies with nosocomial infections (p = 0.014) while superficial skin and mucosal infections occurred to similar extents in both groups. Klebsiella and Proteus species were the leading isolates among babies with nosocomial infections. Nasogastric intubation was significantly more frequently performed among babies with nosocomial infections (p = 0.045).Conclusion: The present study revealed that hospital acquired infection is an important cause of morbidity in the newborn unit.Keywords: Bacteraemia; Hospital-acquired infections; invasive procedures;newborn

Child labour and occupational hazards among school children in Sagamu

No Abstracts.Nigerian Medical Practitioner Vol.49(6)2006: pp.158-16

Prevalence of malnutrition and high blood pressure amongst adolescents in semi-urban area of Ogun State south- western Nigeria

Globally, underweight in children is projected to decline except in Sub-Sahara Africa. This study assessed the prevalence of malnutrition and its correlation with high blood pressure among adolescents in a semi-urban Nigerian setting. A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted among adolescent school children in Sagamu, Nigeria. Weight, height and blood pressure  measurements were recorded. Using the cut-off points of -2SD, height for age and weight for height were used to diagnose  stunting and wasting. The nutritional status of the subjects was related to their blood pressure pattern. A total of 572 adolescents were surveyed. Wasting and stunting were diagnosed among 26.7% and 24.8% of the subjects respectively. Pre –hypertension was present in 4.2% and 3.9% of the stunted and wasted  respectively (p<0.05.) while Stage -1 hypertension was observed among adolescents with normal weight. Weight was strongly correlated with blood pressure.(÷2 =0.0249, p=<0.001and ÷2= 0.117 , p= 0.001) in conclusion, wasting and stunting were common in the population studied and were associated with blood pressure abnormalities.Key Words: Adolescents, Blood pressure, Hypertension, Stunting , Wasting

Pseudomonas Septic Arthritis

BACKGROUND: Septic arthritis due to pseudomonas species is unusual and when it occurs, there is often an underlying cause like immune depression, intravenous drug abuse or a penetrating injury. PATIENT AND METHOD: We report a case of pseudomonas septic arthritis complicating cannulation of a leg vein following clinical sepsis and discuss its management. CONCLUSION: Pseudomonas infection is a common rasoconial infection and should be guarded against in common roofine hospital infections. Key words: septic arthritis, bacteria, pseudomonas species, clinical sepsis, cannula. Nigerian Journal of Orthopaedics and Trauma Vol.3(2) 2004: 202-20

A ten-year study of measles admissions in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital

Background: Measles remains a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality in Nigeria despite the availability of safe and effective vaccines. The last report on measles from our center was about 15 years ago. A review of the current status is necessary in order to strengthen interventional strategies. Objectives: To study the burden and epidemiological correlates of measles admissions in a Nigerian teaching hospital. Design: Retrospective. Subjects: Children admitted with measles infection and/or complications. Methods: A review of medical records of measles admissions over the 10-year period, May 1994 and April 2004. Results: One hundred and sixty four children (6.1% of paediatric admissions) aged 4 months to 12 years (28.4 + 28.82 months) were admitted with measles. Sixty-three infants (< 12 months old) accounted for 39.4% of patients with about half of them younger than nine months. History of vaccination against measles was obtained in 43 (29.5%) subjects. Forty- eight (32.9%) children were underweight weighing between 60-80% of the expected weight for age and six (4.1%) of them were marasmic weighing below 60% of expected weight for age. None of the patients had oedema. The commonest complication was bronchopneumonia (55.5%). Major complications were less commonly associated with children who weighed more than 80% of expected weight (p = 0.011). The case fatality rate was 7.5 % accounting for 0.4% of childhood mortality. Children without prior measles vaccination, those of low socio-economic status and those weighing less than 80% of expected for age all had significantly higher mortality rates. (p< 0.05 in each case) Conclusion: Measles incidence has risen in the last ten years in Sagamu and its environs but it is still largely a disease of young children. Therefore routine immunization and disease surveillance should be strengthened. Supplemental immunization activities should also be considered . Keywords:Measles;Sagamu;supplemental immunization Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice Vol.10 (1) 2007: pp.41-4

Elevated Blood Pressure, Abnormal Urinalysis and Body Mass Index as Screening Tools for Latent Kidney Diseades Among Adolescents in Sagamu

Background: The prevalence of non-communicable diseases, such as chronic kidney diseases, is on the increase globally. Therefore, early identification of these conditions through routine screening is desired as a preventive measure. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of elevated blood pressure among adolescents and relate it to abnormal urinalysis and blood sugar patterns. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study of adolescent secondary school students in Sagamu was carried out. The subjects were selected through random sampling method. Using standard methods, weight, height and blood pressure were recorded and the body mass index (BMI) was calculated. The blood pressure measurements were grouped into pre-hypertension and hypertension using standard charts. Dipsticks and glucometer respectively were used to examine urine and determine random blood glucose levels. Statistical analyses were done to determine the variables associated with elevated blood pressure. Results: A total of 572 subjects comprising 279 (48.8%) males and 293 (51.2%) females were screened. One hundred and fifty -one (26.4%) were underweight while 4.5% had abnormal urinalysis [urobilinogen (34.6%) and proteinuria (26.9%)]. Pre—hypertension was present in 7.9% and Stage 1 hypertension in 1.7%. Systolic blood pressure was significantly associated with high BMI. Age and abnormal urinalysis (proteinuria) were also associated with and predicted elevated blood pressure. Conclusion: Elevated blood pressure is associated with abnormal urinalysis; both conditions are identifiable risk factors for kidney diseases in our environment. We therefore advocate inclusion of periodic blood pressure checks and urinalysis included in the school health program

Clinical Profiles of Newborns with Malaria Parasitaemia in Sagamu

Congenital malaria parasitaemia, a consequence of transmission of parasites from mother to foetus during pregnancy or delivery, is not uncommon amongst newborns in malaria endemic areas. Its clinical significance is often unclear however, as some researchers report an absence of symptoms in the majority of cases, whilst others report features that are indistinguishable from those of neonatal sepsis. This article describes our observations of a cohort of parasitaemic neonates during a prospective study of congenital malaria in Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu. To describe the clinical profiles of newborns with congenital malaria parasitaemia. Screening of a consecutive sample of live newborns (aged 0-3 days) delivered at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Nigeria, for malaria parasitaemia by microscopic examination of stained blood films. Data analysis was done with Epi-info version 6 software, and level of significance set at 0.05), and mortality rate amongst symptomatic parasitaemic babies (1/3) was correspondingly higher than that of their asymptomatic counterparts (1/18). Despite the high prevalence of congenitalmalaria parasitaemia in newborns in this study, majority of the subjects were asymptomatic, and the incidence of clinical manifestations of illness was low. Long term follow up studies with a larger population of newborns are required to determine the clinical and public health significance of congenital malaria parasitaemia in endemic areas.Key words: neonates, congenital, malaria, Nigeri