The Prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection among Pregnant Women in Labour with Unknown Status and those with Negative status early in the Index Pregnancy in a Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria.

Rapid HIV test in labour provide an opportunity for the identification of HIV positive pregnant women who should benefit from interventions to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV. Between November 2013 and June 2014 we conducted rapid HIV testing of pregnant women in labour at the National Hospital Abuja to determine the HIV seroconversion rate in pregnancy and the prevalence of HIV in pregnant women in labour with previously unknown status. HIV testing and counseling (HTC) was acceptable to 224 (99.6%) of the pregnant women who met the study criteria. The mean 'turnaround' time for test result was 288 minutes and 16.2 minutes for tests performed in the hospital laboratory and those performed at the point‐of‐care (labour ward) respectively. HIV seroconversion was detected in 2(1.2%) of the 165 parturients with initial HIV negative result early in the index pregnancy. HIV infection was detected in four (2.7%) of the 59 parturients with unknown HIV status. Secondary school level education was significantly associated with HIV seroconversion in pregnancy P<0.001. HTC in labour using rapid testing strategy is feasible and acceptable in our setting. The introduction of HCT will lead to the diagnosis of HIV positive women in labour, appropriate interventions and prevention of MTCT of HIV. (Afr J Reprod Health 2015; 19[3]: 137-143). Keywords: Human Immunodeficiency Virus, mother‐to‐child transmission, rapid HIV testing, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, seroconversion, HIV prevalence Les analyses rapides pour détecter le VIH pendant le travail fournit une opportunité pour l'identification des femmes enceintes séropositives qui devraient bénéficier des interventions visant à réduire le risque de transmission du VIH de la mère à l'enfant (TME). Entre novembre 2013 et juin 2014, nous avons mené un dépistage rapide du VIH auprès des femmes enceintes en travail à l'Hôpital National d'Abuja pour déterminer le taux de séroconversion du VIH pendant la grossesse et la prévalence du VIH chez les femmes enceintes dans le travail avec l’état de santé jusque-là inconnue. Le Dépistage et les Conseils à propos du VIH (DCV) étaient acceptables à 224 femmes enceintes (99,6%) qui répondaient aux critères de l'étude. Le temps moyen de «redressement» pour le résultat de l’analyse était de 288 minutes et 16,2 minutes pour les analyses effectuées dans le laboratoire de l'hôpital et celles effectuées au point des soins (salle d’accouchement) respectivement. La séroconversion du VIH a été détectée chez 2 (1,2%) des 165 parturientes initiales qui avaient des résultats négatifs du VIH au début de la grossesse index. Infection par le VIH a été détectée dans quatre (2,7%) des 59 parturientes dont l’état d santé par rapport au VIH était inconnu. La scolarité de niveau secondaire était significativement associée à la séroconversion du VIH pendant la grossesse P <0,001. Le DCV pendant le travail en utilisant la stratégie de dépistage rapide est possible et acceptable dans notre milieu. L'introduction du DCV mènera au diagnostic des femmes séropositives dans le travail, aux interventions appropriées et à la prévention de la TME du VIH. ((Afr J Reprod Health 2015; 19[3]: 137-143). Mots-clés: Virus de l'immunodéficience humaine, transmission de la mère à l’enfant, dépistage rapide du VIH, prévention de la transmission de la mère à l'enfant, séroconversion, prévalence du VIH

Heterotopic Pregnancy: Emergency Laparotomy with Left Total Salpingectomy and Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery

No Abstrac

Experimental diabetes and the epididymis of Wistar rats: The protective effects of Anacardium occidentale (Linn.)

Aim: The use of botanical remedies as adjunct therapies in the management of diabetes mellitus is on the increase. Anacardium occidentale has been reported in the literature to possess anti-diabetic and hypoglycemic properties. This study evaluated the effects of acute treatment of A. occidentale on blood glucose and epididymis histopathology of streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats.Materials and Methods: Forty adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 experimental groups of 10 rats each. A group served as the normoglycemic control and was administered 1 ml/kg bw/day citrate buffer. Hyperglycemia was induced in 30 overnight-fasted rats with a single i.p injection of STZ (70 mg/kg bw/day). Hyperglycemia was confirmed 48 h later and thereafter allowed to stabilize for 5 days. 300 mg/kg bw/day of ethanolic extract of A. occidentale was administered orally to a group of diabetic rats (n = 10). Insulin was also administered subcutaneously at 10 I.U/kg bw/day to another group (n = 10). Another group served as the hyperglycemic control and received 1 ml of citrate buffer/kg bw/day. Treatment after a 5-day stabilization of hyperglycemia lasted for 17 days. In each group blood glucose and epididymal histology were assessed.Results: By the end of the experimental period, all hyperglycemic rats in the extract-treated group had become normoglycemic. Moreover, extract-treated rats showed improved epididymal morphology and luminal sperm aggregate within the duct comparable to normoglycemic and insulin-treated rats.Conclusion: We conclude that A. occidentale proved valuable in mitigating the detrimental effects of hyperglycemia on the epididymis.Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, hyperglycemia, reticulin fibers, sperms, streptozotoci

Review of medically indicated preterm births due to hypertensive disorders in pregnancy at a Tertiary Hospital in Abuja: Maternal characteristics and neonatal outcome

No Abstract

Spontaneous Rupture of the Liver in Hypertensive Disease of Pregnancy

This is a case of spontaneous rupture of the liver in a 34-year old G5P4+0 (3 alive) with hypertensive disease of pregnancy at gestational age of 34weeks. This case is reported because the condition is a recognized but rare complication of hypertensive disease of pregnancy. The typical features of this condition as described in the literature and as seen in this patient are emphasized as increased awareness can lead to early diagnosis and better prognosis. Key Words: Hypertensive disease of pregnancy, Abruptio placenta, Hemorrhagic shock, Hemoperitoneum, Spontaneous rupture of the liver in pregnancy

USING NOMINAL GROUP TECHNIQUE TO ELUCIDATE A COVID-19 RESEARCH AGENDA FOR MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH (MCH) POPULATIONS

As the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, robust data describing its effect on maternal and child health (MCH) remains limited. The aim of this study was to elucidate an agenda for COVID-19 research with particular focus on its impact within MCH populations. This was achieved using the Nominal Group Technique through which researchers identified and ranked 12 research topics across various disciplines relating to MCH in the setting of COVID-19. Proposed research topics included vaccine development, genomics, and artificial intelligence among others. The proposed research priorities could serve as a template for a vigorous COVID-19 research agenda by the NIH and other national funding agencies in the US

Expected Surge in Maternal Mortality and Severe Morbidity among African-Americans in the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, African-American mothers were three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes compared to white mothers. The impact of the pandemic among African- Americans could further worsen the racial disparities in maternal mortality (MM) and severe maternal morbidity (SMM). This study aimed to create a theoretical framework delineating the contributors to an expected rise in maternal mortality (MM) and severe maternal morbidity (SMM) among African-Americans in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic due to preliminary studies suggesting heightened vulnerability of African-Americans to the virus as well as its adverse health effects. Rapid searches were conducted in PubMed and Google to identify published articles on the health determinants of MM and SMM that have been or likely to be disproportionately affected by the pandemic in African-Americans. We identified socioeconomic and health trends determinants that may contribute to future adverse maternal health outcomes. There is a need to intensify advocacy, implement culturally acceptable programs, and formulate policies to address social determinants of health. Keywords: • COVID-19 • Maternal mortality • Severe maternal morbidity • African-Americans   Copyright © 2020 Yusuf et al. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in this journal, is properly cited

Using Nominal Group Technique to Elucidate a COVID-19 Research Agenda for Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Populations

As the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, robust data describing its effect on maternal and child health (MCH) remains limited. The aim of this study was to elucidate an agenda for COVID-19 research with particular focus on its impact within MCH populations. This was achieved using the Nominal Group Technique through which researchers identified and ranked 12 research topics across various disciplines relating to MCH in the setting of COVID-19. Proposed research topics included vaccine development, genomics, and artificial intelligence among others. The proposed research priorities could serve as a template for a vigorous COVID-19 research agenda by the NIH and other national funding agencies in the US. Key words: • COVID-19 • Coronavirus • Pandemics • Maternal and child health • MCH • Big data • Artificial intelligence   Copyright © 2020 Ikedionwu et al. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in this journal, is properly cited