Termination pattern of the main and accessory pancreatic ducts among Tanzanians

The pancreas has the main and occasionally a patent accessory pancreatic ducts that carry secretions to the duodenum. Anatomical studies on these ducts are limited. The present study observed the anatomy of the two ducts in eighty six Tanzanians’ autopsy subjects to find out if the pattern is similar to those reported from other populations. The patent accessory pancreatic duct, and common channel formed by union of accessory pancreatic duct and common bile duct were present in 29.1% and 7% respectively, and shorter common channels formed by the main pancreatic and common bile duct were observed. These are novel findings and have not been reported before. The variations on the pattern of the two ducts have anatomical and clinical implications. Adequate knowledge of these variations is important for clinical and surgical procedures of the pancreaticobilliary system.Key words: Pancreas; Pancreatic ducts, Common bile duct; Duodenu

The effects of maternal Body Mass Index on placental morphology and foetal birth weight: a study from Dodoma Central Region,Tanzania

Introduction: The placenta plays a pivotal role during pregnancy by being intimately connected to the mother and foetus.Objective: To determine the effects of maternal Body Mass Index (BMI) on placental morphology and foetal birth weight.Method: The placental samples were obtained with consent from 236 mothers with a singleton full term pregnancy and who had a live birth between January 2017 and June 2018. Statistics on maternal BMI, placental morphology and foetal birth weight were collected and analysed using SPSS version 20 for Window (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).Results: The mean maternal BMI was 24.25 ± 131.605 and was positively correlated with the foetal birth weight (r=0.66; p<0.001), number of cotyledons (r=0.71, p<0.001), placental weight (r=0.50; p <0.001) and placental thickness (r=0.42; p<0.001).Conclusion: The study supports the hypothesis that maternal factors which are known to influence foetal growth, birth weight and neonatal body composition are also the determinants of the placental morphology. Therefore, all the parameters can be clinically used in the prediction of birth outcomeKeywords: placenta, morphology, birth weight, maternal BMI, TanzaniaSouth Sudan Medical Journal Vol 12 No 3 August 201

The effects of maternal Body Mass Index on placental morphology and foetal birth weight: a study from Dodoma Central Region,Tanzania

Introduction: The placenta plays a pivotal role during pregnancy by being intimately connected to the mother and foetus. Objective: To determine the effects of maternal Body Mass Index (BMI) on placental morphology and foetal birth weight. Method: The placental samples were obtained with consent from 236 mothers with a singleton full-term pregnancy and who had a live birth between January 2017 and June 2018. Statistics on maternal BMI, placental morphology and foetal birth weight were collected and analysed using SPSS version 20 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: The mean maternal BMI was 24.25 ± 131.605 and was positively correlated with the foetal birth weight (r=0.66; p<0.001), number of cotyledons (r=0.71, p<0.001), placental weight (r=0.50; p <0.001) and placental thickness (r=0.42; p<0.001). Conclusion: The study supports the hypothesis that maternal factors that are known to influence foetal growth, birth weight, and neonatal body composition are also the determinants of the placental morphology. Therefore, all the parameters can be clinically used in the prediction of birth outcom