Postpartum sexual abstinence and breastfeeding pattern in Sagamu, Nigeria.

This was a prospective study involving 371 mothers. The mean age of the mothers was 27.5 (.3.6) years with a mean years at school (Educational years) of 11.3 (2.9) years. All the mothers had previously breastfed at one of their infants for at least 6 months, while the mothers also breastfed their last child for an average (mean) of 10.3 (4.0) months. The overall mean of previous live births was 1.9 (0.8). In the first month postpartum, 84.6% of the mothers abstained from sexual intercourse, but by the 4th-5th month the proportion had dropped to 18.1%, with just 2.1% of the study population abstaining from sexual intercourse at 11-15 months post-partum. Forty seven (13.5%), 30 (8.6%) and 3 (0.9%) mothers in social classes 2,3 and 1 respectively have resumed sexual intercourse at 4-5 months, while only 12 (3.4%) and 4 (1.1%) in social classes 2 and 3 respectively continued with sexual intercourse at 11-15 months. More mothers resumed sexual intercourse from 1 to 15 months post-partum when they breast fed for 6-10 minutes and 11-15 minutes than those who breast fed for 1-5 minutes, 16-20 minutes and 21-25 minutes. Also more mothers within the 25-29 years age group resumed sexual intercourse from the first month to the fifteenth month post-partum than mothers in the other age groups.

Postpartum sexual abstinence and breastfeeding pattern in Sagamu, Nigeria

This was a prospective study involving 371 mothers. The mean age of the mothers was 27.5 (.3.6) years with a mean years at school (Educational years) of 11.3 (2.9) years. All the mothers had previously breastfed at one of their infants for at least 6 months, while the mothers also breastfed their last child for an average (mean) of 10.3 (4.0) months. The overall mean of previous live births was 1.9 (0.8). In the first month postpartum, 84.6% of the mothers abstained from sexual intercourse, but by the 4th-5th month the proportion had dropped to 18.1%, with just 2.1% of the study population abstaining from sexual intercourse at 11-15 months post-partum. Forty seven (13.5%), 30 (8.6% ) and 3 (0.9 % ) mothers in social classes 2,3 and 1 respectively have resumed sexual intercourse at 4-5 months, while only 12(3.4%) and 4(1.1%) in social classes 2 and 3 respectively continued with sexual intercourse at 11-15 months. More mothers resumed sexual intercourse from 1 to 15 months post-partum when they breast fed for 6-10 minutes and 11-15 minutes than those who breast fed for 1-5 minutes, 16-20 minutes and 21-25 minutes. Also more mothers within the 25-29 years age group resumed sexual intercourse from the first month to the fifteenth month post-partum than mothers in the other age groups. (Afr Reprod Health 2008; 12[1]:96-100)

Infant feeding and lactational amenorrhea in Sagamu, Nigeria.

Five hundred and twenty educated, breastfeeding women in Sagamu, Nigeria, were observed prospectively in order to describe their infant feeding practices and to determine whether any predictors of the return of menses could be identified. The women remained amenorrheic for seven months. Compared with similarly selected women in other countries, they regularly fed their infants with supplements from a very early age, yet breastfeeding frequency and duration did not decline dramatically. Semi-solid food was introduced at about four months and such supplementation, as well as earlier supplementation with milk/milk-based feedings, was associated with the return of menses. The median duration of abstinence was about four months but the mean may have been much longer. No woman became pregnant until her infant was weaned.

Socio demographic profile and career aspirations of medical students in a new medical school.

All fifty-two pioneer medical students in a new medical school (The College of Medicine of Lagos State University), participated in a cross sectional survey to identify their socio-demographic profile and career intentions. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The students were observed to be mature. Their mean age was 23.6 years +/- 3.8. A third were graduates with at least a first degree, while 23% had parents with medical background. Factors influencing their choice of medicine as a career were desire to serve mankind (91%), primary interest in the profession (90%) and parental influence (84%). Sixty-seven per cent of them would want to specialize while the most frequently chosen fields were obstetrics and gynaecology (28.6%) and surgery (25.7%). The main reasons influencing specialisation were primary interest in the specialty (91%), service to humanity (91%) and job satisfaction (85.7%). A desire to specialize was evident even in these medical students who were just starting medical school.

Perinatal mortality at the Ogun State University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Nigeria.

A study of perinatal mortality at the Ogun State University Teaching Hospital during the first 30 months (March 1989 to August, 1991) of the establishment of a separate neonatal unit was made. One-hundred-and-sixty-two (87.5/1000) of the 1852 deliveries were stillborn and 60 (35.5/1000) of the 1690 live births died in the early neonatal period. The overall perinatal mortality rate was 119.9/1000 deliveries. Of stillbirths, 82 per cent occurred in unbooked mothers and were diagnosed at presentation. The major causes of stillbirths were teenage pregnancy, elderly motherhood, high maternal parity, and prolonged, obstructed labour. The major causes of early neonatal death were low birth weight, breech delivery, and severe birth asphyxia. The need for increased utilization, improvement, and regionalization of antenatal and perinatal services is emphasized.

Clinical and echocardiographic evidence suggesting afterload reduction as a mechanism of action of tolazoline in neonatal hypoxemia.

The effect of tolazoline was assessed in 29 hypoxic neonates. Tolazoline was given in a bolus starting at 1 mg/kg and repeated or infused for 5-134 hours. A "good clinical response," defined as a rise in PaO2 of more than 20 mm Hg, was obtained in 23 (79%), 20 of this group were weaned from the respirator, and three died. Six infants did not respond initially and four died. Failure to respond to tolazoline or to be weaned from the ventilator was usually associated with severe additional pathology. Urine output (greater than 1 ml/kg/h) was adequate in most neonates during therapy. In those with preexisting oliguria (less than 1 ml/kg/h), output improved during therapy. Blood pressure monitoring showed a fall in blood pressure in 19 patients during tolazoline administration, but true hypotension only occurred in four; in seven there was no fall and in three there was a rise in blood pressure. Echocardiography was performed prior to therapy in 19 patients and repeated in 12 patients after 24 h. Additional "tracking" was performed at 10 min, 1 h, and 4 h in seven patients. Prior to therapy, right ventricular dysfunction was demonstrated by abnormal right ventricular systolic time intervals (RVSTIs) in 17 of the patients tested. A rapid improvement was evident during therapy especially with "tracking." Left ventricular dysfunction, assessed by left ventricular systolic time intervals (LVSTIs), ejection fraction (EF), shortening fraction (SF), and velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (VCF), was also evident prior to therapy and improved, though more gradually than the RVSTIs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Prevalence of obesity among Nigerian school children.

The prevalence of obesity among 457 school children in the age group 6-19 years is 3.2% for males and 5.1% for females based on weight for age. 3.7% males and 3.3% females were classified as obese when triceps skinfold thickness was used as the basis of obesity. Preventable socio-economic factors are responsible for the high prevalence of obesity among, Nigerian school children. This the first study of prevalence of obesity among Nigerian school children.

Factors affecting the use of primary health care clinics for children.

Factors affecting the attendance at primary health care clinics in Lagos were studied at Oguntolu Clinic and Randle Road Health Centre among 120 Nigerian children. The level of immunisation was a measure of the frequency (regularity) of attendance at the clinics. Certain socioeconomic, psychological, and demographic factors were the major factors affecting attendance. Among those fully immunised, the family sizes were low, the mothers and fathers were educated, the mothers were younger, and a higher proportion of the children were boys. The family health workers were responsible for earlier and regular attendance at the clinic. The perception of the severity of symptoms of disease was a major psychological factor affecting attendance. A predictive model for the identification of high need but low users and low need but high users is presented to facilitate the formulation of more realistic primary health care programme priorities and policies.

Some social and sexual problems experienced by Nigerians with limb amputation.

The socio-sexual dysfunctions associated with amputation were studied among a group of 100 Nigerians with limb amputations. The mean age was 30 years. Road traffic accidents and war-related injuries constituted 70% of cases. Decrease in social interaction as the result of amputation was reported by 20%, 13% of the married males admitted a change in sexual life and activities after the amputation; 24% of those studies had some form of sexual problems. Nigerians with amputation experience definite social and sexual problems.

Precocious and delayed puberty. Studies of FSH and LH production and metabolism.

We measured the production rates and metabolic clearance, disappearance and excretion rates of FSH and LH as well as plasma testosterone and delta 4-androstenedione in males with precocious and delayed puberty. In precocious puberty, we found modestly elevated FSH production early in puberty, reaching adult levels by midpuberty and remaining constant thereafter. LH production was low early in puberty, reached high levels at midpuberty and then fell. The plasma testosterone concentrations paralleled the changes in LH. This suggests that moderate FSH production is achieved by early puberty and adult levels are reached by midpuberty. On the other hand LH production is low early in puberty, reaches high levels by midpuberty and then falls again towards the end of puberty. Constitutional delay in sexual development probably consists of several syndromes due either to a delay in LH production or to FSH production or to both. One patient with hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism was also studied. He showed relatively normal LH production but very low FSH production.