Predictors of voluntary uptake of modern contraceptive methods in rural Sindh, Pakistan.

The use of modern contraceptive methods (MCMs) has been stagnant for the last decade in Pakistan. The second most populous province, Sindh reports 25% of MCMs use. Various factors including demographics and health services utilization are associated with the uptake of family planning services. This research aimed to identify and assess specific predictors of MCMs among women aged 15-49 in two districts of Sindh-Matiari and Badin. A cross-sectional household survey was conducted from October 2020- December 2020. In total, 1684 Married Women of Reproductive Age (MWRA) 15-49 years were interviewed. For the selection of eligible respondents, a two-stage stratified cluster sampling strategy was used. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the predictors for the use of MCM. Use of modern methods of contraceptive was 26.1% (n = 441). Statistically significant socio demographic predictors of MCM included: number of children 4 or more (AOR: 5.23; 95%CI: 2.78-9.84), mother having primary education (AOR: 1.73; 95% CI: 1.26-2.36), and husband having middle education (AOR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.03-2.76). Maternal health services indicators included: postnatal care of mother (AOR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.09-2.05); women who were visited by Lady Health Workers in their postnatal period and were counselled on family planning (AOR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.38-2.42). Since the primary purpose of using modern contraceptive methods is for limiting pregnancies, there is a potential to promote awareness about the benefits of birth spacing as part of implementing a more integrated approach to family planning. The integration of family planning services within maternal and newborn child healthcare services effectively promote the voluntary adoption of modern contraceptive methods. The role of Lady Health Workers in family planning counseling and service provision and uptake is important in the context of Sindh and should be fostered further by opportunities for capacity building and their empowerment.

Right ventricular outflow tract obstruction in twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome undergoing laser surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to investigate the incidence, prenatal factors and outcomes of twin-to-twin transfusion (TTTS) with right ventricular outflow tract obstruction (RVOTO). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic search was conducted to identify relevant studies published until February 2023 in English using the databases PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. Studies reporting on pregnancies with TTTS and RVOTO were included. The random-effect model pooled the mean differences or odds ratios (OR) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 value. RESULTS: A total of 17 studies encompassing 4332 TTTS pregnancies, of which 225 cases had RVOTO, were included. Incidence of RVOTO at time of TTTS diagnosis was 6%. In all, 134/197 (68%) had functional pulmonary stenosis and 62/197 (32%) had functional pulmonary atresia. Of these, 27% resolved following laser and 55% persisted after birth. Of those persisting, 27% required cardiac valve procedures. Prenatal associations were TTTS stage III (53% vs 39% in no-RVOTO), stage IV TTTS (28% in RVOTO vs 12% in no-RVOTO) and ductus venosus reversed a-wave (60% in RVOTO vs 19% in no-RVOTO). Gestational age at laser and gestational age at delivery were comparable between groups. Survival outcomes were also comparable between groups, including fetal demise of 26%, neonatal death of 12% and 6-month survival of 82% in RVOTO group. Findings were similar when subgroup analysis was done for studies including head-to-head analysis. CONCLUSIONS: RVOT occurs in about 6% of the recipient twins with TTTS, especially in stages III and IV and those with reversed ductus venosus a-wave. The findings from this systematic review support the need for a thorough cardiac assessment of pregnancies complicated by TTTS, both before and after laser, to maximize perinatal outcome, and the importance of early diagnosis of TTTS and timely management.

A Low-Cost, Integrated Immunization, Health, and Nutrition Intervention in Conflict Settings in Pakistan-The Impact on Zero-Dose Children and Polio Coverage.

Pakistan is one of two countries globally still endemic for poliovirus. While increasing immunization coverage is a concern, providing equitable access to care is also a priority, especially for conflict-affected populations. Recognizing these challenges, Naunehal, an integrated model of maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH), immunization, and nutrition services delivered through community mobilization, mobile outreach, and private-sector engagement was implemented in conflict-affected union councils (UCs) with high poliovirus transmission, including Kharotabad 1(Quetta, Balochistan) and Bakhmal Ahmedzai (Lakki Marwat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). A quasi-experimental pre-post-design was used to assess the impact of the interventions implemented between April 2021 and April 2022, with a baseline and an endline survey. For each of the intervention UCs, a separate, matched-control UC was identified. At endline, the proportion of fully immunized children increased significantly from 27.5% to 51.0% in intervention UCs with a difference-in-difference (DiD) estimate of 13.6%. The proportion of zero-dose children and non-recipients of routine immunization (NR-RI) children decreased from 31.6% to 0.9% and from 31.9% to 3.4%, respectively, with a significant decrease in the latter group. Scaling up and assessing the adoption and feasibility of integrated interventions to improve immunization coverage can inform policymakers of the viability of such services in such contexts.

Assessing the hidden burden and costs of COVID-19 pandemic in South Asia: Implications for health and well-being of women, children and adolescents.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected vulnerable populations. With its intensity expected to be cyclical over the foreseeable future, and much of the impact estimates still modeled, it is imperative that we accurately assess the impact to date, to help with the process of targeted rebuilding of services. We collected data from administrative health information systems in six South Asian countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka), to determine essential health services coverage disruptions between January-December 2020, and January-June 2021, compared to the same calendar months in 2019, and estimated the impact of this disruption on maternal and child mortality using the Lives Saved Tool. We also modelled impact of prolonged school closures on continued enrollment, as well as potential sequelae for the cohort of girls who have likely dropped out. Coverage of key maternal and child health interventions, including antenatal care and immunizations, decreased by up to 60%, with the largest disruptions observed between April and June 2020. This was followed by a period of recovery from July 2020 to March 2021, but a reversal of most of these gains in April/May 2021, likely due to the delta variant-fueled surge in South Asia at the same time. We estimated that disruption of essential health services between January 2020 and June 2021 potentially resulted in an additional 19,000 maternal and 317,000 child deaths, an increase of 19% and 13% respectively, compared to 2019. Extended school closures likely resulted in 9 million adolescents dropping out permanently, with 40% likely being from poorest households, resulting in decreased lifetime earnings. A projected increase in early marriages for girls who dropped out could result in an additional 500,000 adolescent pregnancies, 153,000 low birthweight births, and 27,000 additional children becoming stunted by age two years. To date, the increase in maternal and child mortality due to health services disruption has likely exceeded the overall number of COVID-19 deaths in South Asia. The indirect effects of the pandemic were disproportionately borne by the most vulnerable populations, and effects are likely to be long-lasting, permanent and in some cases inter-generational, unless policies aimed at alleviating these impacts are instituted at scale and targeted to reach the poorest of the poor. There are also implications for future pandemic preparedness.

Safety huddles in paediatric intensive care unit: Implementation and staff perception in a resource limited setting.

Objective: To evaluate the perception, knowledge, empowerment and comfort level of critical care staff in relation to the implementation of safety huddles in paediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital. METHODS: The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from September 2020 to February 2021, and comprised physicians, nurses and paramedics who were part of the safety huddle. Staff perception regarding this activity was evaluated using open-ended questions that were scored on a Likert scale. Data was analysed using STATA 15. RESULTS: Of the 50 participants, 27(54%) were females and 23(46%) were males. Overall, 26(52%) subjects were aged 20-30 years age, while 24(48%) were aged 31-50 years. Of the total, 37(74%) subjects strongly agreed that safety huddle had been routinely held in the unit since initiation; 42(84%) felt comfortable sharing their concerns about patient safety; and 37(74%) considered the huddles worthwhile. Majority 42(84%) felt more empowered through huddle participation. Moreover, 45(90%) participants strongly agreed that daily huddle helped them in becoming clearer about their responsibilities. For safety risk assessment, 41(82%) participants acknowledged that safety risks had been assessed and modified in routine huddles. Conclusion: Safety huddle was found to be a powerful tool to create a safe environment in a paediatric intensive care unit where all team members can speak up freely about patient safety.

Risk factors for acute diarrhoea in children between 0 and 23 months of age in a peri-urban district of Pakistan: a matched case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Diarrhoea is a leading cause of preventable childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide. Unfortunately, Pakistan has the third-highest burden of diarrhoea-related deaths in children <5 y of age. Therefore we aimed to evaluate factors associated with diarrhoea among Pakistani children. METHODS: A retrospective 1:2 matched case-control study nested in a baseline cross-sectional survey was conducted from October to December 2018 in Taluka Kotri, a two-thirds urban locality in the Jamshoro district. Children between the ages of 0 and 23 months with a history of diarrhoea in the 2 weeks preceding the survey were labelled as cases. Age-matched controls were children without symptoms of diarrhoea. Univariate and multivariable conditional logistic regression was performed to identify diarrhoea-related factors. RESULTS: A total of 1558 cases were matched with 3116 controls. Factors significantly associated with lower odds of diarrhoea in the multivariate analysis included increasing maternal age (odds ratio [OR] 0.78 [95% confidence interval {CI} 0.67 to 0.90]), breastfeeding (OR 0.77 [95% CI 0.66 to 0.90]), higher paternal education (OR 0.79 [95% CI 0.65 to 0.97]) and belonging to the rich (OR 0.66 [95% CI 0.54 to 0.80]) and richest quintiles (OR 0.54 [95% CI 0.44 to 0.66]). CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies risk factors associated with diarrhoea in children <23 months of age, including younger maternal age, higher paternal education, not breastfeeding and poverty, which has implications for developing preventive programs and strategies that target populations with a higher risk of diarrhoea.

Impact of Nutrition Support Team in Achieving Target Calories in Children Admitted in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of nutrition support team (NST) on achieving an early target caloric goal in mechanically ventilated children admitted in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). METHODS: An early enteral nutrition protocol (EENP) was implemented by NST to ensure early and adequate nutrition provision to PICU patients. All children (1 month- 18 years) that were admitted in PICU for >2days and received mechanical ventilation, with no contraindications to enteral feed, were included and data was compared with those of pre-intervention. The adequacy of energy intake was defined as 70% achievement of target energy intake on the third day of admission. Chi-square/t-test was used to determine the difference between different variables pre and post intervention. RESULTS: Total 180 patients (99 and 81 in pre- and post-intervention group, respectively) were included. Overall, 115 (63.9%) received adequate calories (70%) on third day of admission. Of which 69 (85.2%) were from post intervention (P  < 0.001; odds ratio [OR] 6.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.195-13.73). Moreover, NST intervention also promoted adequate protein intake in 62 (76.5%) children compared to 37 (37.4%) in pre-intervention group (P < 0.001, OR 5.468, 95% CI 2.838- 10.534). The median (interquartile range) length of PiCU stay in pre-NST group was 6 (4-9) days and in NST supported group was 4 (3-4) days (OR 0.580, CI 0.473-0.712, P < 0.001). Age, severity of illness, multiorgan dysfunction syndrome, sepsis, need of organ support had no effect in achievement of caloric target in both the groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Introduction of EENP with NST helped in the achievement of better and quicker target caloric intake.

Risk Factors for Acute Respiratory Infections in Children Between 0 and 23 Months of Age in a Peri-Urban District in Pakistan: A Matched Case-Control Study.

Background: Acute respiratory infection (ARI) accounts for nearly 15% of all childhood mortality in South Asia, with children from rural areas at higher risk due to inaccessibility to healthcare facilities. We therefore aimed to identify risk factors associated with ARI in children under 2 years of age in rural Pakistan. Methods: A retrospective 1:2 matched case-control study was conducted between October and December 2018 in Taluka Kotri, Jamshoro District of Pakistan. Cases were identified as children between 0 and 23 months of age with a history of fever, cough, sore throat, fast breathing, difficulty breathing, or chest indrawing in the 2 weeks prior to the survey. Controls were participants without symptoms of ARI, matched based on age in months. Data analysis was conducted using STATA version 15. Univariate and multivariable conditional logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with ARI, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: We identified 1,071 cases of ARI who were matched with 2,142 controls. Multivariable analysis revealed that female gender [odds ratio (OR) 0.78, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.67-0.91], exclusive breastfeeding (OR 0.81, 95% CI: 0.69-0.97), and comorbidity with diarrhea (OR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.40-1.91) were significantly associated with ARI. Conclusion: Pakistan continues to progress toward reducing childhood mortality, particularly ARI-related deaths, for which it bears a great burden. This study identifies risk factors such as the male gender, breastfeeding, and comorbidities with diarrhea, which could open grounds for further programmatic implications in targeting a multifaceted approach to reducing incidences of ARI in rural areas of the country.

RAISED INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE AND RECURRENCE OF RETINAL DETACHMENT AS COMPLICATIONS OF EXTERNAL RETINAL DETACHMENT SURGERY.

BACKGROUND: Patients with Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment may develop raised intraocular pressure and recurrence of retinal detachment when they undergo external retinal detachment surgery. The present study was conducted to determine the postoperative rise in intraocular pressure (IOP) and recurrence of retinal detachment. METHODS: The present descriptive study was conducted at Eye department of Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar on 25 patients of both genders from August 2012 to July 2014. RESULTS: Of the 25 patients, 18 (72%) developed raised IOP in the immediate postoperative period; this figure decreased to 12 (48%) at one week. Following medical or surgical intervention in these 12 cases, there was only 1 (4%) case with mildly raised IOP at two weeks postoperative. Five (20%) cases developed recurrent retinal detachment which later resolved with treatment. There were no significant differences by age or gender. CONCLUSION: External Retinal Detachment Surgery raised intraocular pressure postoperatively and caused recurrence of retinal detachment. These complications were treated medically and surgically with resolution within two weeks.