Care-seeking behavior for neonatal jaundice in rural northern Nigeria.

Objective: This study determined the predictors of maternal knowledge and health-seeking behavior for neonatal jaundice in rural Kumbotso, northern Nigeria. Study design: Cross-sectional survey. Method: A total of 361 mothers were interviewed using structured questionnaires. Knowledge scores and care-seeking practices were determined. Adjusted odds ratios were generated from logistic regression models. Results: The proportion of respondents with good, fair and poor knowledge of neonatal jaundice were (46.0%, n â€‹= â€‹166), (24.1%, n â€‹= â€‹87) and (30.0%, n â€‹= â€‹108), respectively. Of the 117 mothers with a jaundiced child, (67.5%, n â€‹= â€‹79) and (20.5%, n â€‹= â€‹24) received treatment from health facilities and traditional healers, respectively, whereas (12.0%, n â€‹= â€‹14) resorted to home remedies. Maternal education Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) â€‹= â€‹2.39; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.16-4.91) (secondary school versus no formal), source of information on neonatal jaundice (AOR â€‹= â€‹11.3; 95%CI: 5.84-21.93) (health worker versus 'others'), recent delivery in a health facility (AOR â€‹= â€‹1.83; 95%CI: 1.06-3.14) and having a previously jaundiced child (AOR â€‹= â€‹5.06; 95%CI: 2.76-9.27) predicted knowledge. Preference for health facility treatment was predicted by a previously jaundiced child (AOR â€‹= â€‹10.04; 95%CI: 5.73-17.60), antenatal care (AOR â€‹= â€‹2.97; 95%CI: 1.43-6.15) (≥4 versus 0 visits), source of information on neonatal jaundice (AOR â€‹= â€‹2.33; 95%CI: 1.30-4.17) (health worker versus 'others'), and maternal ethnicity (AOR â€‹= â€‹0.36; 95%CI: 0.14-0.96) (Hausa-Fulani versus 'others'). Conclusion: Maternal knowledge of neonatal jaundice was sub-optimal. Being educated, health facility delivery, having had a jaundiced child, and receiving information from health workers predicted good knowledge. Having a previously jaundiced child, antenatal care, obtaining information from health workers and maternal ethnicity predicted preference for health facility treatment. Policies and programs should be strengthened to focus on prevention, early detection and prompt management of neonatal jaundice.

The global burden of pulmonary hypertension in sickle cell disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Elevated tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity (TRJV) is a surrogate measure of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in persons with sickle cell disease (SCD). We sought to estimate the burden of PH in people living with sickle cell disease based on TRJV. From 2000 to 2015, we searched electronic databases for eligible publications and included 29 studies (n = 5358 persons). We used random effects modeling to determine the pooled estimate of elevated TRJV. The overall pooled prevalence of elevated TRJV was 23.5 %(95 % CI 19.5-27.4) in persons with SCD. The pooled prevalence of elevated TRJV in children and adults with SCD was 20.7 % (95 % CI 15.7--25.6) and 24.4 % (95 % CI 18.4-30.4), respectively. TRJV is prevalent among adults and children with SCD. Our finding support international recommendations that call for screening for PH in SCD patients.

Racial Differences in DNA-Methylation of CpG Sites Within Preterm-Promoting Genes and Gene Variants.

Objective To evaluate the role DNA methylation may play in genes associated with preterm birth for higher rates of preterm births in African-American women. Methods Fetal cord blood samples from births collected at delivery and maternal demographic and medical information were used in a cross-sectional study to examine fetal DNA methylation of genes implicated in preterm birth among black and non-black infants. Allele-specific DNA methylation analysis was performed using a methylation bead array. Targeted maximum likelihood estimation was applied to examine the relationship between race and fetal DNA methylation of candidate preterm birth genes. Receiver-operating characteristic analyses were then conducted to validate the CpG site methylation marker within the two racial groups. Bootstrapping, a method of validation and replication, was employed. Results 42 CpG sites were screened within 20 candidate gene variants reported consistently in the literature as being associated with preterm birth. Of these, three CpG sites on TNFAIP8 and PON1 genes (corresponding to: cg23917399; cg07086380; and cg07404485, respectively) were significantly differentially methylated between black and non-black individuals. The three CpG sites showed lower methylation status among infants of black women. Bootstrapping validated and replicated results. Conclusion for Practice Our study identified significant differences in levels of methylation on specific genes between black and non-black individuals. Understanding the genetic/epigenetic mechanisms that lead to preterm birth may lead to enhanced prevention strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality by eventually providing a means to identify individuals with a genetic predisposition to preterm labor.

Pregnancy outcomes in women with sickle-cell disease in low and high income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy in women with sickle-cell disease (SCD) is associated with increased adverse outcomes. Findings on the association between SCD and adverse pregnancy outcomes are conflicting, and the results do not address whether these associations are similar in both low- and high-income countries. OBJECTIVES: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate pregnancy outcomes associated with SCD. SEARCH STRATEGY: The MEDLINE database was searched using medical subject headings (MeSH) and keywords for articles on pregnancy outcomes in women with SCD. SELECTION CRITERIA: We used full research articles published in English that compared women with SCD with women who did not have SCD, as controls. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data were abstracted and analysed using comprehensive Meta-analysis 2.2. The primary outcomes were intrauterine growth restriction and perinatal mortality. Secondary outcomes were rates of caesarean sections, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, postpartum haemorrhage, maternal mortality, prematurity, and low birthweight. Random-effects models were used to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). MAIN RESULTS: Sixteen studies met all of the selection criteria and were included in the analysis. SCD was associated with intrauterine growth restriction (pooled OR 2.79, 95% CI 1.85-4.21), perinatal mortality (pooled OR 3.76, 95% CI 2.34-6.06), and low birthweight (pooled OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.42-2.83). SCD was also associated with an increased risk of pre-eclampsia (pooled OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.47-2.85), maternal mortality (pooled OR 10.91, 95% CI 1.83-65.11, P = 0.009), and eclampsia (pooled OR 3.02, 95% CI 1.20-7.58). CONCLUSION: Pregnancy in women with SCD is associated with increased risks of adverse perinatal and maternal outcomes in both low- and high-income countries. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: This meta-analysis showed worse pregnancy outcomes in women with sickle-cell disease compared with controls.

Prevlaence of chronic kidney disease markers in Kumbotso rural Northern Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Data- on the epidemiology of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) from sub-SaharanAfrica are sparse. We investigated the prevalence of CKD and its early markers in Kumbotso, a rural community in northern Nigeria. METHODS: A total of 480 individuals were randomly selected from the general population using multistage stratified random sampling. Relevant- demographic and clinical data were obtained using a structured questionnaire. Biological samples (urine and blood) were drawn for relevant investigations. RESULTS: CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR <60 mls/min) was found in 117 participants (26%). Proteinuria was present in 106 persons (23.6%) and haematuria in 7 individuals (1.6%). The most common CKD stage was stage 1 (20%). CKD was associated with hypertension (P=0.002), diabetes (P=0.001), high cholesterol (P=0.030), smoking (P=0.015), increasing BMI (P=0.020), and increasing age (P=0.003). After adjusting for potential confounding with logistic regression modeling we found BMI, family history of hypertension, history of diabetes mellitus and family history of renal disease to be independent predictors of CKD. CONCLUSIONS: Early markers of CKD are common among rural inhabitants of northern Nigeria and this call for concerted efforts towards institution of preventive measures.

Perception of infertility and acceptability of assisted reproduction technology in northern Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Infertility is a stigmatized reproductive morbidity with severe psycho-social consequences, especially in developing countries. There has been little exploration of the public view of infertility and acceptance of assisted reproduction in these countries, including Nigeria. OBJECTIVE: To determine the public perception of infertility, its causes and factors associated with acceptability of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) in Kano, Northern Nigeria. METHOD: Using interviewer administered questionnaires, a cross-section of 600 adults were interviewed about perceived definition, causes and acceptance of ART. RESULT: Majority of the respondents (n = 577, 99.3%) perceived infertility as a disease. Only 18.1% (n = 105) of the respondents would consider a couple infertile after one year of marriage. Causes of infertility mentioned by participants included paranormal events (n = 535, 92.1%), suprapubic pain (n = 321, 55.2%), induced abortion (n = 187, 32.2%) and sexually transmitted infections (n = 177, 30.5%). A minority of respondents (n = 161,27.7%) of participants mentioned blocked tubes and 24.6% (n = 143) irregular menstrual cycles. Although 36.1% of respondents were aware of ART; only 7.6% were willing to accept it. Being male [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) (95% CI)] 2.1 (1.55.72), childless [AOR (95% CI)] 2.2 (1.35.95), highly educated [AOR (95% CI)] 3.2 (1.326.72) and non-Muslim [AOR (95% CI)] 2.3 (1.23.76) were significant predictors of acceptance ofART. CONCLUSION: Infertility was correctly perceived as a disease, but there were misconceptions about its causes. The low acceptance of ART was influenced by socio-demographic factors. There is a need for sustained targeted information, education and communication regarding new reproductive technologies for fertility management.

Patterns and predictors of cigarette smoking among HIV-infected patients in northern Nigeria.

The smoking behaviour of persons living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa is poorly documented. We employed a cross-sectional study design to assess the prevalence and predictors of tobacco smoking among HIV-infected patients in northern Nigeria (n = 296). Approximately one quarter of respondents were either current (7.8%) or ex-smokers (17.9%). Smoking rates among HIV-infected women were extremely low. HIV-infected men were at least three times as likely to smoke as their female counterparts living with HIV: adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 3.16, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.17-7.32. Patients with tertiary education were at least twice as likely to smoke compared with their counterparts without formal education (AOR 2.63, 95% CI 1.08-6.67). The preponderance of cigarette smoking among educated HIV-infected men in northern Nigeria offers a unique opportunity for targeted smoking cessation programmes.

Predictors of female genital cutting among university students in northern Nigeria.

Female genital cutting (FGC) is a harmful cultural practice that is perpetrated against women and children. Little is known about the extent of this custom among university students in northern Nigeria. Using self-administered questionnaires, we studied the prevalence and determinants of FGC among female university students in Kano, Nigeria (n =359). The prevalence of FGC was 12.1% (95% confidence interval =8.8-15.8%). Awareness and disapproval of FGC among the study population was very high (96% and 91%, respectively). In multivariate regression models, ethnicity and geographic origin were significant predictors of female circumcision. A comprehensive legal and educational framework and the support of civil society, governments and development partners is required to address this form of gender discrimination.

Premarital sexual experience and preferred sources of reproductive health information among young men in Kumbotso, northern Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Despite well known risks associated with unprotected premarital sex, this phenomenon has not been well explored among young men in rural northern Nigeria. We studied the predictors of premarital sex and preferred sources of sexual and reproductive health information among young unmarried men in Kumbotso, northern Nigeria. METHOD: A cross section of 400 young men were interviewed using structured questionnaires with mostly closed ended questions. RESULTS: Of the 385 respondents, 39 (10.1%) were sexually experienced. Less than half of respondents (48.7%) used a condom at sexual debut, and an equal proportion reported having multiple sex partners. Only 41.0% of sexually experienced respondents reported subsequent consistent condom use Age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.12; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.24-5.20 and educational attainment [AOR = 3.57; 95% CI (1.49-9.10)] were significant predictors of sexual experience. The current versus preferred sources of sexual and reproductive health information included friends (51.3% vs. 93.3%), Islamic school teachers (41.0% vs. 72.7%) and school teachers (8.8% vs. 15.1%). CONCLUSION: Although the prevalence of premarital sex among young men in this community in northern Nigeria as low, those that did engage in such activity were likely to not use condoms and to have multiple partners. Preferred and trusted sources of information included peers and religious leaders. The findings in this study could be used to develop innovative strategies for reaching young men with accurate sexual and reproductive health information.

Cervical cancer risk perception and predictors of human papilloma virus vaccine acceptance among female university students in northern Nigeria.

Cancer of the cervix is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer mortality among women in sub-Saharan Africa. Although a vaccine against human papilloma virus (HPV) is now available, its acceptance among vulnerable women in developing countries is largely unexplored. We studied cervical cancer awareness and HPV vaccine acceptance among 375 female university students in northern Nigeria. A total of 133 participants knew of HPV (35.5%), 202 (53.9%) had heard of cervical carcinoma and 277 (74.0%) were willing to accept HPV vaccination. After adjusting for potential confounders, age (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.3, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.47-6.53); medical education (AOR = 3.4, 95% CI, 1.74-6.93); HPV knowledge (AOR = 1.8, 95% CI, 1.38-5.41) and awareness of cervical cancer (AOR = 2.3, 95% CI, 1.52-5.06) were significant predictors of readiness to accept HPV vaccine. Public health education and appropriate communication strategies should be implemented in advance of large scale vaccine introduction to increase awareness and prevent misconceptions about the HPV vaccine.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Nigeria: progress, problems and prospects.

Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, and is home to the third largest number of persons living with HIV/ AIDS in the world. Poverty, stigma, discrimination, and a poorly coordinated health system constitute major barriers to HIV treatment and prevention efforts. The purpose of this paper is to review the current status of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Nigeria, analyze the challenges facing provision of HIV/AIDS services, examine the prospects of attaining universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, and advance recommendations for developing quality, sustainable and efficient HIV/AIDS services in Nigeria. HIV programs in Nigeria must emphasize sustainability of current foreign-donor driven treatment and prevention initiatives by engaging all segments of the society and enhancing community leadership and ownership of the programs.

Linkage analysis of schizophrenia in African-American families.

While many studies have sought a window into the genetics of schizophrenia, few have focused on African-American families. An exception is the Project among African-Americans to Explore Risks for Schizophrenia (PAARTNERS), which seeks to identify novel and known risk variation for schizophrenia by genetic analyses of African-American families. We report a linkage study of diagnostic status in 217 African-American families using the Illumina Linkage Panel. Due to assumed incomplete and time-dependent penetrance, we performed linkage analysis using two different treatments of diagnosis: (1) treating both affected and unaffected individuals as informative for linkage (using the program SIBPAL) and (2) treating only affected individuals as informative (using the program MERLIN). We also explore three definitions of affected status: narrowly defined schizophrenia; one broadened to include schizoaffective disorder; and another including all diagnoses indicating psychosis. Several regions show a decrease in the evidence for linkage as the definition broadens 8q22.1 (rs911, 99.26 cM; SIBPAL p-value [p] goes from 0.006 to 0.02), 16q24.3 (rs1006547, 130.48 cM; p from 0.00095 to 0.0085), and 20q13.2 (rs1022689, 81.73 cM; p from 0.00015 to 0.032). One region shows a substantial increase in evidence for linkage, 11p15.2 (rs722317, 24.27 cM; p from 0.0022 to 0.0000003); MERLIN results support the significance of the SIBPAL results (p=0.00001). Our linkage results overlap two broad, previously-reported linkage regions: 8p23.3-p12 found in studies sampling largely families of European ancestry; and 11p11.2-q22.3 reported by a study of African-American families. These results should prove quite useful for uncovering loci affecting risk for schizophrenia.

Postpartum beliefs and practices in Danbare village, Northern Nigeria.

Postpartum cultural beliefs and practices are widely prevalent in northern Nigeria. Using a cross-sectional survey, we set out to examine contemporary postpartum beliefs and practices among a cohort of 300 mothers in Danbare village, northern Nigeria. Common postpartum practices included sexual abstinence (100%), physical confinement (88%), hot ritual baths (86%), nursing in heated rooms (84%) and ingestion of gruel enriched with local salt (83%). The majority of mothers (93%) believed that these practices made them stronger and helped them regain their physiologic state. Most respondents believed that non-observance could lead to body swelling, foul-smelling lochia and perineal pain. Mothers with formal education were significantly more likely to believe that these practices were non-beneficial compared with those mothers without formal education (odds ratio (OR) = 9.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.6 - 28.8). Almost half of the respondents (49%) said they would continue with these practices. In conclusion, women are still holding on to postpartum cultural beliefs and practices in northern Nigeria. However, educated women could act as useful agents of change towards the elimination of practices harmful to the health of mothers and their children.

Intrauterine tobacco smoke exposure and hyaline membrane disease amongst triplets.

We assessed the association between prenatal smoking and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) among triplets using a population-based retrospective cohort of 12,169 triplet live births in the United States between 1995 and 1997. Analysis was conducted using the generalised estimating equation framework to adjust for intra-cluster correlations. A total of 938 cases of RDS were reported comprising 35 among smoking (7.2%) and 903 among non-smoking gravidas (7.7%). The likelihood of RDS was comparable in both smoking categories [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.93; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.65-1.32]. The risk for RDS due to smoking diminished with declining birth weight albeit non-significantly: low birth weight (OR = 0.99; 95% CI = 0.40-2.42), very low birth weight (OR = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.39-1.86), and extremely low birth weight (OR = 0.69; 95% CI = 0.30-1.58). In conclusion, among triplet neonates, smoking during pregnancy was not associated with respiratory distress syndrome.

Awareness and attitude of antenatal clients towards HIV voluntary counselling and testing in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Mother to child transmission accounts for the majority of HIV infections in children in the developing countries. This study assessed pregnant women's knowledge of HIV/AIDS, awareness and attitudes towards Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) in a teaching hospital in northern Nigeria. METHODS: A pre-tested structured interview questionnaire was administered on a cross-section of 210 antenatal clients in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. RESULTS: All respondents were aware of HIV/AIDS. Fifty seven percent had good knowledge, 32% had fair knowledge and the remaining 11% had poor knowledge of the infection. Most respondents were aware of VCT through health workers, mass media and friends. Similarly, most respondents (81.0%) approved of VCT, 13.0% disapproved of it and the remaining (6%) was undecided. The main reasons for disapproval were; fear of stigmatisation, isolation and effect on marriage security. Those that had tertiary level of education were three times more likely to accept VCT compared to those with lower levels of education (O.R=3.2, 95% confidence interval =1.3-8.0). CONCLUSIONS: Although the awareness of VCT for HIV was quite high with most antenatal clients harbouring positive attitudes towards it, there is a need to intensify health education to convince the remaining minority who are still sceptical or ignorant of the benefits of VCT.

Pregnancy-associated morbidity in Northern Nigeria.

We sought to determine the magnitude and spatio-temporal pattern of maternal morbidity in Kano State, Nigeria. Analysis was on deliveries within the period 1990-1999. We counted 59772 maternal complications among 171621 deliveries, yielding an overall maternal morbidity ratio of 34.8%. We observed yearly variations and increment in the number of complications among mothers (p=0.04). A total of 4154 maternal deaths were registered within the period. The level of maternal deaths correlated significantly with burden of morbidity (r=0.44; p=0.0008). Case fatality rate was 6.9% with temporal fluctuations, and wide variations among the various health institutions. Our study revealed an extremely high morbidity ratio, which indicates that a high proportion of pregnant mothers are in need of essential obstetric care in this population.

Prune belly syndrome and associated malformations. A 13-year experience from a developing country

A retrospective investigation was conducted to describe clinical features and birth outcomes among babies with prune belly syndrome detected ante-natally and at birth at the University Teaching Hospital in Cameroon. A total of 11 cases were identified over a period of 13 years, and the majority of affected fetuses were male (10 of 11). Most of the mothers were less than 30 years of age, had singleton pregnancies, and about two-thirds were complicated by placenta praevia, genital infections, preeclampsia, and anaemia associated with hookworm infestations. The most prominent findings related to prune belly syndrome among our patients were clubfoot (45), pulmonary hypoplasia (27), Potter facies (27), imperforate anus (27), and arthrogryposis (18). About two-thirds of the affected pregnancies did not reach the age of viability either due to voluntary termination (three of seven cases) or spontaneous abortion (four of seven cases). Of the remaining four viable pregnancies, two cases each of stillbirth and neonatal death were recorded. Among pregnancies that were not voluntarily terminated (n = 8), multiple concomitant anomalies and bilateral renal lesions were apparently the cause of fetal/infant death in the majority of cases (75). In conclusion, Cameroonian babies with prune belly syndrome presented with clinical features that were comparable to those observed in developed nations

Characteristics associated with reported sputum culture conversion in the era of re-emergent Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the State of North Carolina, 1993-1998.

OBJECTIVE: To determine predictors of sputum culture conversion among patients undergoing treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis. DESIGN: Cohort study based on data collected through the expanded tuberculosis control program in the State of North Carolina, USA. Survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier product-limit estimator and Cox proportional hazards models was employed to compute estimates for time to sputum conversion and rate ratios, respectively. RESULTS: Sputum conversion was reported in 1144 of 1735 cases (66%). Documented conversion rose significantly from 52.9% at baseline to a peak of 95.1% by the end of the study, representing a 5.1% annual increase in the proportion of patients with reported conversion (P = 0.007). Patients co-infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) had a 46% lower rate of sputum conversion than non-HIV-infected TB patients (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.54, 95%CI 0.44-0.67). Other significant predictors of reported conversion rates included directly observed therapy (DOT) (P = 0.02), the number of drugs used in the therapy regimen (P = 0.001), and non-injectable drug use (P = 0.012). CONCLUSION: The rate of reported sputum culture conversion in TB patients was low, consistent with an earlier population-based report. The symbiotic relationship between HIV and mycobacterial infection might be a factor that compromised response to therapy in coinfected individuals.

Eagle-Barrett syndrome: occurrence and outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the occurence and outcomes of African babies born with features of Eagle-Barret syndrome at a tertiary health centre. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: University Teaching Hospital, Yaounde, Cameroon. SUBJECTS: Patients were identified through a retrospective review of obstetric records of mothers admitted at the centre within the period 1984 to 1996 inclusive. A total of eleven cases were identified over a period of thirteen years. RESULTS: The most prominent associated defects consisted of clubfoot, pulmonary hypoplasia, Potter's facies, imperforate anus and arthrogryposis. None of our patients survived the perinatal period. CONCLUSION: Our study indicates the need for the establishment of a prenatal and cytogenetic infrastructure in Cameroon to enhance early detection of congenital malformation and chromosomal aberrations. In the meantime, early detection of foetuses with Eagle-Barret syndrome using ultrasound could facilitate timely institutions of antenatal management options and lead to favourable birth outcomes of affected babies.