The effects of maternal age and parity on the birth weight of newborns among mothers with singleton pregnancies and at term deliveries

Background: Birth weight is the most important factor determining the survival, growth and development of a newborn. Parity and maternal age have been shown to increase the risk of adverse neonatal outcomes, such as intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR), low birth weight (LBW) and mortality. Objective of the study: The study was aimed at investigating the effects of maternal age and parity on the birth weight of newborns from singleton pregnancies and term deliveries. Materials and Methods: An institutional-based, retrospective, cross-sectional study design was employed at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from April to July 2018. In total, 4,590 mothers with term delivery and singleton pregnancy from June 2015 to May 2017 were included in the study. Data on gestational age (GA), parity, history of ANC follow-up, source of referral and birth weight of the child was included. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 statistical package, and multiple logistic regression was carried out to determine the effect of maternal age and parity with respect to LBW. Results: Grand multiparous women (parity ≥5) have an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 3.89 with 95% confidence interval (CI = 2.19, 6.93) compared to multiparous women (p=2-4). Nulliparous women (p=0) have an AOR of 0.23 (95%CI = 0.19, 0.38) compared to multiparous women. Primiparous women (p=1) have an AOR of 0.22 (95% CI = 0.16, 0.30) compared to multiparous women. Women aged 40 and above have an AOR of 1.96 (95% CI = 1.22, 3.20) compared to women aged 30-34. The mean birth weight (MBW) of newborns was 3,075.41±569.58 grams (mean±SD). Conclusions: In this study, the risk of LBW was higher in grand multiparous women compared to multiparous women. Primiparous and nulliparous women have less risk of having an LBW baby compared to multiparous women. A maternal age of 40 and above were associated with a higher risk of delivering an LBW newborns compared to a maternal age of 30-34. Therefore, special attention should be given to deliveries at an advanced age and multiparous cases to reduce the incidence of LBW

Prevalence and outcomes of birth defects in newborns of South Wollo and Oromia zones of Amhara regional state: a retrospective study

Background: Congenital malformations (CMs) are structural and functional anomalies that have a significant but under-recognized cause of mortality and morbidity among infants and children under 5 years of age. CMs are not only life threatening, but also result in long-term disabilities that negatively affect individuals, families, health care systems and societies. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence and outcomes of birth defects in newborns of South Wollo and Oromia zones of Amhara regional state. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was done in three hospitals of South Wollo and Oromia zones, where 22,624 infants were born between January 2015 and December 2017. The presence and type of birth defects in the infants, as well as their outcomes, were identified by reviewing the medical records of their mothers. Medical records with incomplete information were excluded from the study. The data were collected using a pre-tested checklist for data collection. Results: A total of 22,624 infants were born during the study period. Three hundred and twenty-four (1.43%) newborns were delivered with birth defects. Anomalies of the central nervous system (CNS) were the most frequent type of birth defect (43.2%), followed by defects of the musculoskeletal system (19.7%), orofacial malformations (11.0%) and gastrointestinal system anomalies (6.1%). Most of the malformed infants were born from mothers with a history of alcohol intake (55.8%), lack of iron and folic acid supplementation (58.4%), family history of birth defects (58.7%) and history of diseases during pregnancy (53.5%). The outcomes of newborns with birth defects were significantly affected by the type of birth defect, gestational age, weight of the newborn and presence of twin pregnancy (p-value ≤0.05). Conclusions: The prevalence of CNS anomalies was the highest, followed by musculoskeletal system anomalies. The type of birth defect, gestational age, weight of newborn and twin pregnancy significantly affected outcomes of the newborns with congenital anomalies. Therefore, in order to reduce the prevalence of CMs, the identification and management of risk factors should be the focus of stakeholders

Estimation of stature by anatomical anthropometric parameters in first-year regular undergraduate students at Debre Markos University, North West Ethiopia

Introduction: The stature of an individual is an inherent characteristic and is considered as an important parameter of personal identification. Estimating stature from the measurement of various body parts is of particular interest to forensic scientists, anatomists and medical researchers in order to complete biological profiles after death or when measuring standing height is impossible. However, establishing the identity of an individual from mutilated, decomposed and amputated body fragments is a challenging task in medico-legal cases, and a necessity when measuring standing height is difficult. Objectives of the study: To assess the relationship between anatomical anthropometric measurements and stature in undergraduate students at Debre Markos University (DMU), Ethiopia. Materials and Methods: An institutional-based, cross-sectional, prospective study was conducted among first-year undergraduate students at DMU. The sample size was 572 and data were collected from April to June 2018. Height, weight, head circumference, head length, inter-acromial length, humeral length, ulnar length, hand length and breadth, tibial length, and foot length and breadth were measured in both sexes. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 statistical software. The level of significance was set at p<0.05. Results: The mean age of study participants was 21.27±1.74 years for males and 20.41±1.58 years for females. The mean height of study participants was 168.36±5.89cm for males and 165.24±4.01cm for females. The correlation coefficients (R) of anatomical anthropometric measurements with height were: head circumference (males R = 0.404, females R = 0.127), head length (males R = 0.422, females R = 0.168), inter-acromial length (males R = 0.530, females R = 0.140), right humeral length (males R = 0.539, females R = 0.163), left humeral length (males R = 0.535, females R = 0.159), right ulnar length (males R = 0.496, females R = 0.147), left ulnar length (males R = 0.498, females R = 0.144), right hand length (males R = 0.276, females R = 0.125), left hand length (males R = 0.243, females R = 0.122), right hand breadth (males R = 0.349, females R = 0.129), left hand breadth (males R = 0.331, females R = 0.124), right tibial length (males R = 0.634, females R = 0.259), left tibial length (males R = 0.632, females R = 0.258), right foot length (males R = 0.579, females R = 0.185), left foot length (males R = 0.581, females R = 0.186), right foot breadth (males R = 0.311), left foot breadth (males R = 0.306). The highest correlation was found in the right tibial length in both males and females. Conclusions: All anatomical anthropometric parameters were significantly (p<0.05) correlated with height in both sexes, except foot breadth in females. Therefore, all anatomical anthropometric parameters, including head circumference, head length, inter-acromial length, humeral length, ulnar length, hand length, hand breadth, tibial length, foot length and foot breadth, can estimate stature in both sexes, except foot breadth in females