Factors associated with prelacteal feeding practices in a rural northern Nigerian setting

Introduction: Prelacteal feeding practice contravenes the recommendation of World Health Organisation that breastfeeding be initiated within an hour of childbirth. Consequently, the health, social, emotional and economic benefits of optimal breastfeeding are limited. Therefore, to break this vicious cycle of prelacteal feeding and suboptimal breastfeeding, factors associated with the practice must be identified. Objective: To assess prelacteal feeding practices and its associated factors in a rural community with the view to generate data for community-level interventions that will promote optimal breastfeeding.Methods: Data was collected during a community-based surveillance for maternal, newborn and child health project in Tsibiri,a rural community in north-western Nigeria. The survey questionnaire was uploaded into mobile devices running on an android operating system. Trained female interviewers collected the data over a period of one week in 2011.Results: A total of 270 out of 309 interviewed women had experienced childbirth and were included in the analysis. Majority (85.2%) of respondents utilised prelacteal feeds for their newborns. Plain water was the most common prelacteal feed (44.7%).Prelacteal feeding was associated with births assisted by unskilled birth attendants (AOR 5.322, 95%CI 1.634-17.333); while operative delivery reduced the likelihood of the practice (AOR 0.168, 95%CI 0.060-0.470). No statistically significant association was found between use of prelacteal feed and women's age, education or access to income.Conclusion: The predominance of prelacteal feeding practices underscores the need for innovative strategies that create awareness among mothers and health care providers, with emphasis on health facility deliveries, advantages of breastfeeding and risks of prelacteal feeding

Calabash pregnancy: a malingering response to infertility complicated by domestic violence / Embarazo de calabaza: una respuesta de fingimiento a la infertilidad complicada con violencia doméstica

This is a case report of a 20-year old para 0+0 who presented with an 11-month pregnancy. On evaluation, the pregnancy was found to be a fake made-up 'calabash pregnancy There were no pregnancy symptoms and she had just menstruated three weeks prior to presentation. This was a deliberate event in response to delayed pregnancy attainment complicated by domestic violence. Domestic violence was in the form of verbal and physical abuse and later was on a monthly basis precipitated by onset of her menstrual flow. The patient's age, monogamous union and the fact that she is an orphan made her vulnerable to domestic violence.

Éste es un reporte de caso de una para 0 + 0 de 20 anos de edad, que se presentó con un embarazo de 11 meses. En la evaluación, se encontró que se trataba de un embarazo de calabaza, es decir, inventado, fingido. En realidad, no había ningún síntoma de embarazo, y había tenido la menstruación tres semanas antes de presentarse. Se trataba de un acontecimiento deliberadamente construido, en respuesta a una largamente demorada expectativa de lograr un embarazo, complicada con violencia doméstica. La violencia doméstica seproducía enforma de abuso verbalyfísico, precipitándose luego mensualmente con la aparición de cadaflujo menstrual. La edad de los pacientes, la unión monógama, y el hecho de que era huérfana, la hacía vulnerable a la violencia doméstica.