Effect of Pregnancy and Childbirth on Sexuality of Women in Ibadan, Nigeria

A study of 375 antenatal attendees to assess women's views and experience in sexual matters during pregnancy and following childbirth. Explanatory variables included the perception women had of sex during pregnancy and after childbirth. Outcome variables were frequency and satisfaction of sexual activity. The commonest reasons for having coitus in pregnancy were marital harmony and facilitation of delivery. Libido rose throughout pregnancy but orgasms were less often experienced. The man-on-top position became less practised. Vaginal intercourse remained the commonest type. Masturbation and anal intercourse increased, while oral sex declined throughout. Marriage (OR 9.0, 95% CI 1.0–79.5) and current cohabitation (OR 13.6, 95% CI 1.6–113.4) were predictors of sex in pregnancy. Dyspareunia and partners' extramarital affairs were deterrent. Vaginal delivery and episiotomy were not significant predictors of postnatal sex. The respondents and their partners seem able to adapt to pregnancy changes and enhance their marital bonds. Anticipatory guidance and informed counselling may encourage this

Significant Bacteriuria Among Asymptomatic Antenatal Clinic Attendees In Ibadan, Nigeria

Untreated asymptomatic bacteriuria can lead to urinary tract infection (UTI) in pregnancy with devastating maternal and neonatal effects such as prematurity and low birth weight, higher fetal mortality rates and significant maternal morbidity. We carried out a two year (April 2007 to March 2009) cross-sectional epidemiological study to determine the prevalence of significant bacteriuria among asymptomatic antenatal clinic attendees at two antenatal clinics (ANCs) in University College Hospital and Adeoyo Maternity Hospital, both in Ibadan, Nigeria

Association between unintended pregnancy and maternal antenatal care services use in Ethiopia: analysis of Ethiopian demographic and health survey 2016

IntroductionUnintended pregnancy disproportionately affects women in low and middle-income countries including Ethiopia. Previous studies identified the magnitude and negative health outcomes of unintended pregnancy. However, studies that examined the relationship between antenatal care (ANC) utilization and unintended pregnancy are scarce.ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the relationship between unintended pregnancy and ANC utilization in Ethiopia.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study conducted using the fourth and most recent Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey (EDHS) data. The study comprised a weighted sample of 7,271 women with last alive birth and responded to questions on unintended pregnancy and ANC use. The association between unintended pregnancy and ANC uptake was determined using multilevel logistic regression models adjusted for possible confounders. Finally p < 5% was considered significant.ResultsUnintended pregnancy accounted for nearly a quarter of all pregnancies (26.5%). After adjusting for confounders, a 33% (AOR: 0.67; 95% CI, 0.57–0.79) lower odds of at least one ANC uptake and a 17% (AOR: 0.83; 95% CI, 0.70–0.99) lower odds of early ANC booking were found among women who had unintended pregnancy compared to women with intended pregnancy. However, this study founds no association (AOR: 0.88; 95% CI, 0.74, 1.04) between unintended pregnancy and four or more ANC visits.ConclusionOur study found that having unintended pregnancy was associated with a 17 and 33% reduction in early initiation and use of ANC services, respectively. Policies and programs designed to intervene against barriers to early initiation and use of ANC should consider unintended pregnancy

Effect of tranexamic acid on coagulation and fibrinolysis in women with postpartum haemorrhage (WOMAN-ETAC): protocol and statistical analysis plan for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is a leading cause of maternal death. Tranexamic acid has the potential to reduce bleeding and a large randomized controlled trial of its effect on maternal health outcomes in women with PPH (The WOMAN trial) is ongoing. We will examine the effect of tranexamic acid on fibrinolysis and coagulation in a subset of WOMAN trial participants. Methods. Adult women with clinically diagnosed primary PPH after vaginal or caesarean delivery are eligible for inclusion in the WOMAN trial. In a sub-group of trial participants, blood samples will be collected at baseline and 30 minutes after the first dose of tranexamic acid or matching placebo.  Our primary objective is to evaluate the effect of tranexamic acid on fibrinolysis. Fibrinolysis will be assessed by measuring D-dimers and by rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM). Secondary outcomes are international normalized ratio (INR), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen, haemoglobin and platelets. We aim to include about 180 women from the University College Hospital, Ibadan in Nigeria. Discussion:  This sub-study of WOMAN trial participants should provide information on the mechanism of action of tranexamic acid in women with postpartum haemorrhage. We present the trial protocol and statistical analysis plan. The trial protocol was registered prior to the start of patient recruitment. The statistical analysis plan was completed before un-blinding. Trial registration: The trial was registered: ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier NCT00872469 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00872469; ISRCTN registry, Identifier ISRCTN76912190 http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN76912190 (Registration date: 22/03/2012)

Haematological and fibrinolytic status of Nigerian women with post-partum haemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Early treatment with tranexamic acid reduces deaths due to bleeding after post-partum haemorrhage. We report the prevalence of haematological, coagulation and fibrinolytic abnormalities in Nigerian women with postpartum haemorrhage. METHODS: We performed a secondary analysis of the WOMAN trial to assess laboratory data and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) parameters in 167 women with postpartum haemorrhage treated at University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. We defined hyper-fibrinolysis as EXTEM maximum lysis (ML) > 15% on ROTEM. We defined coagulopathy as EXTEM clot amplitude at 5 min (A5)  1.5. RESULTS: Among the study cohort, 53 (40%) women had severe anaemia (haemoglobin< 70 g/L) and 17 (13%) women had severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count < 50 × 109/L). Thirty-five women (23%) had ROTEM evidence of hyper-fibrinolysis. Based on prothrombin ratio criteria, 16 (12%) had coagulopathy. Based on EXTEM A5 criteria, 49 (34%) had coagulopathy. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that, based on a convenience sample of women from a large teaching hospital in Nigeria, hyper-fibrinolysis may commonly occur in postpartum haemorrhage. Further mechanistic studies are needed to examine hyper-fibrinolysis associated with postpartum haemorrhage. Findings from such studies may optimize treatment approaches for postpartum haemorrhage. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The Woman trial was registered: NCT00872469; ISRCTN76912190 (Registration date: 22/03/2012)

Changes in preterm birth and stillbirth during COVID-19 lockdowns in 26 countries.

Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of infant mortality worldwide. Changes in PTB rates, ranging from -90% to +30%, were reported in many countries following early COVID-19 pandemic response measures ('lockdowns'). It is unclear whether this variation reflects real differences in lockdown impacts, or perhaps differences in stillbirth rates and/or study designs. Here we present interrupted time series and meta-analyses using harmonized data from 52 million births in 26 countries, 18 of which had representative population-based data, with overall PTB rates ranging from 6% to 12% and stillbirth ranging from 2.5 to 10.5 per 1,000 births. We show small reductions in PTB in the first (odds ratio 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.95-0.98, P value <0.0001), second (0.96, 0.92-0.99, 0.03) and third (0.97, 0.94-1.00, 0.09) months of lockdown, but not in the fourth month of lockdown (0.99, 0.96-1.01, 0.34), although there were some between-country differences after the first month. For high-income countries in this study, we did not observe an association between lockdown and stillbirths in the second (1.00, 0.88-1.14, 0.98), third (0.99, 0.88-1.12, 0.89) and fourth (1.01, 0.87-1.18, 0.86) months of lockdown, although we have imprecise estimates due to stillbirths being a relatively rare event. We did, however, find evidence of increased risk of stillbirth in the first month of lockdown in high-income countries (1.14, 1.02-1.29, 0.02) and, in Brazil, we found evidence for an association between lockdown and stillbirth in the second (1.09, 1.03-1.15, 0.002), third (1.10, 1.03-1.17, 0.003) and fourth (1.12, 1.05-1.19, <0.001) months of lockdown. With an estimated 14.8 million PTB annually worldwide, the modest reductions observed during early pandemic lockdowns translate into large numbers of PTB averted globally and warrant further research into causal pathways

Changes in preterm birth and stillbirth during COVID-19 lockdowns in 26 countries.

Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of infant mortality worldwide. Changes in PTB rates, ranging from -90% to +30%, were reported in many countries following early COVID-19 pandemic response measures ('lockdowns'). It is unclear whether this variation reflects real differences in lockdown impacts, or perhaps differences in stillbirth rates and/or study designs. Here we present interrupted time series and meta-analyses using harmonized data from 52 million births in 26 countries, 18 of which had representative population-based data, with overall PTB rates ranging from 6% to 12% and stillbirth ranging from 2.5 to 10.5 per 1,000 births. We show small reductions in PTB in the first (odds ratio 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.95-0.98, P value <0.0001), second (0.96, 0.92-0.99, 0.03) and third (0.97, 0.94-1.00, 0.09) months of lockdown, but not in the fourth month of lockdown (0.99, 0.96-1.01, 0.34), although there were some between-country differences after the first month. For high-income countries in this study, we did not observe an association between lockdown and stillbirths in the second (1.00, 0.88-1.14, 0.98), third (0.99, 0.88-1.12, 0.89) and fourth (1.01, 0.87-1.18, 0.86) months of lockdown, although we have imprecise estimates due to stillbirths being a relatively rare event. We did, however, find evidence of increased risk of stillbirth in the first month of lockdown in high-income countries (1.14, 1.02-1.29, 0.02) and, in Brazil, we found evidence for an association between lockdown and stillbirth in the second (1.09, 1.03-1.15, 0.002), third (1.10, 1.03-1.17, 0.003) and fourth (1.12, 1.05-1.19, <0.001) months of lockdown. With an estimated 14.8 million PTB annually worldwide, the modest reductions observed during early pandemic lockdowns translate into large numbers of PTB averted globally and warrant further research into causal pathways

Obstetric Performance of Nigerian Obese Parturients

Context: Obesity constitutes a health hazard and the greater the degree of obesity, the greater the health risks. This is especially so in obstetric practice where complications of pregnancy are reportedly greater in obese patients. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of obesity and to compare the outcome of pregnancy between obese and non-obese patients. Material and Methods: A review of the case records over a five-year period at a Nigerian teaching hospital to identify obese patients who delivered babies was done. Outcome of pregnancy in the 205 obese patients identified (using a weight of 90 kg and above as cut-off) was compared with 206 controls. Results: The incidence of obesity in pregnancy was 7.4%. The obese patients were older than the controls (

Determinants of Perinatal Mortality in Twins at Ibadan

Context: Twinning being a very important high-risk condition in our environment requires detailed study. There are several studies reviewing factors in twin perinatal mortality in our environment but there is a need to ascertain the relative contributions of each of these factors. Objectives: To assess the relative contributions of maternal and fetal factors to perinatal mortality in twins. Materials and Methods: Data was extracted from the birth register of a Nigerian tertiary health institution to identify maternal and fetal factors associated with a higher risk of perinatal mortality. Outcome Measures: Perinatal deaths among twin pairs (ranked). Results: The twinning rate was 32.3/1000(3.2%). Risk of perinatal death had linear correlation with birth asphyxia (r = 0.412, p < 0.01), birth weight of the second twin (r = 0.358, p < 0.01), birth weight of the smaller twin (r = -0.344, p < 0.01), presence of birth weight discordance (r = 0.278, p < 0.01), gestational age at delivery (r = -0.211, p < 0.05), birth weights of first and larger twins (r = -0.275, p < 0.01) and (r = -0.206, p < 0.05) respectively. The maternal age and parity showed no significant correlation with risk of perinatal death. Conclusion: Birth asphyxia was the greatest predictor of perinatal death in twins among the variables studied. Key Words: Twins, Birthweight Discordance, Perinatal Mortality [Trop J Obstet Gynaecol, 2002, 19: 36-38]