Prevalence of malaria parasitaemia among pregnant women at booking in Nigeria.

Background: Malaria is a major public health concern among pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa. Within the region, Nigeria has the highest malaria cases. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with malaria parasitaemia among pregnant women at a booking clinic in Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and April 2021 at the University College Hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria. A sample of 300 pregnant women participated, and anaemia and malaria were diagnosed using packed cell volume and Giemsa-stained blood smears, respectively. Data analysis was done using SPSS 25.0. Results: The study found that 26 (8.70%) pregnant women tested positive for malaria parasitaemia. Factors such as age, religion, level of education, and occupation were significantly related to the prevalence of malaria parasitaemia among pregnant women with p < 0.05. Conclusion: Our study identified a high prevalence of malaria parasitaemia among pregnant women with demographic factors such as age, religion, level of education, and occupation significantly associated. Targeted malaria control interventions for pregnant women with low levels of education and low-income occupations are necessary, with more research needed to evaluate their effectiveness.

Fetal glycated albumin levels in offspring of obese women.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between maternal obesity and fetal glycated albumin (GA) levels among pregnant women. METHODS: A comparative, cross-sectional study of 59 consenting, normoglycemic, pregnant women, who met the criteria for maternal obesity, attending the antenatal clinic of the University College Hospital, Nigeria, from June 2019 to December 2019. They were recruited at 36 weeks of gestation, followed up until delivery, and compared with 58 nonobese, normoglycemic pregnant controls. At delivery, blood samples were taken from the mothers and from the umbilical cords of their newborns for serum GA assay. Maternal and newborn variables were recorded, and comparisons were made using χ2 tests, independent t tests, odds ratios, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlates. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: The odds of elevated newborn GA were 3.21 times higher in obese women compared with nonobese women (P = 0.005) and 5-min APGAR scores were higher in the newborns of nonobese women (P = 0.039). There was a significant correlation between maternal and neonatal GA for all participants (r = 0.346, P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that maternal obesity is associated with elevated fetal GA and low APGAR scores at 5 min in normoglycemic women.

Sexual and reproductive health knowledge of secondary school adolescents in Fako, Cameroon.

Introduction: the correct sexual and reproductive health knowledge of adolescents remains important to empower them for healthy decision-making. The study aimed to assess the sexual and reproductive health knowledge of secondary school adolescents in Fako, Cameroon. Methods: a cross-sectional survey of 1180 adolescents from nine schools in Fako, was conducted using a structured interviewer - guided questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS version 26. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were used to outline knowledge and to identify predictors of knowledge respectively. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: more than half (54.0%) of the participants had overall good sexual and reproductive health knowledge. However, 63.1% and 55.3% of the participants had poor knowledge on reproductive system functions and sexually transmissible infections respectively. In addition, 56.0% had overall good contraceptive knowledge, with 51.6% having poor knowledge on condom. Being male (AOR=0.43, 95% CI=0.20, 0.92) and using the internet to search for sexuality related information (AOR=0.46, 95% CI= 0.22, 0.94) were associated with good knowledge. Being in lower secondary school was an independent predictor of poor knowledge (AOR= 3.83, 95% CI= 1.67, 8.81). Conclusion: although slightly above half of adolescent secondary school students had good sexual and reproductive health knowledge, there existed several gaps in such knowledge. Policymakers especially in the education sector need to evaluate the current state of school-based sexual and reproductive health education in Cameroon, in order to design comprehensive curricula, that will begin from lower secondary school. Internet-based comprehensive sexuality education is also needed.

Adverse maternal outcomes of adolescent pregnancy in Northwest Ethiopia: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent pregnancy is considered a major contributor to maternal and child morbidity and mortality, the greatest concern of developing countries and an important public health issue globally. Adolescents are responsible for eleven percent of births worldwide and they face several pregnancy and childbirth related complications. However, in low-income countries like Ethiopia, there are limited researches conducted to investigate outcomes of adolescent pregnancy. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the adverse maternal outcomes of adolescent pregnancy in Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted in 12 health facilities from seven districts in East Gojjam zone, Northwest Ethiopia. A total of 418 adolescents (15-19 years old) and 836 adult women (20-34 years old) who attended randomly selected health facilities in East Gojjam zone were included. Data were collected starting from admission to the maternity ward for labor and delivery, and postnatal depression was measured at six weeks' postpartum period using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) was used to account for the within subject correlation and assess the effect of different known factors that could influence the outcome of this study. RESULTS: A lower percentage of adolescent (58.4%) than adult (71.2%) women had their first antenatal care booking before 16 weeks of gestation. After adjusting for different confounding factors, the adverse outcome that was significantly associated with adolescent pregnancy was postpartum depression (AOR: 2.29; 95% CI, 1.42, 3.7, p-value = 0.001). Assisted vaginal delivery (AOR: 0.44; 95% CI, 0.23, 0.86, p-value 0.016) and cesarean section (AOR: 0.43; 95% CI, 0.19, 0.97, p-value = 0.042) were significantly lower among adolescent women. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent pregnancy is associated with higher odds of postpartum depression, and lower odds to undergo cesarean section and assisted vaginal delivery than adult women. Perinatal care services should be more adolescent-friendly to ensure early diagnosis and treatment of postpartum depression. School and community-based awareness programs regarding use of contraception to prevent unwanted adolescent pregnancy, early antenatal care booking and adverse pregnancy outcomes of adolescent pregnancy and provision of psychosocial support are recommended.

Trends and determinants of teenage childbearing in Ethiopia: evidence from the 2000 to 2016 demographic and health surveys.

BACKGROUND: Teenage childbearing among adolescents aged 15 to 19 is a common sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issue among young people, particularly in developing countries. It is associated with higher maternal and neonatal complications. Almost half (47%) of the population in Ethiopia are young people under 15 years old. Therefore, a clear understanding of the trend and determinants of teenage childbearing is essential to design proper intervention programs. METHODS: Secondary analysis of the 2000 to 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data were conducted. A total of 3710 (DHS 2000), 3266 (DHS 2005), 4009 (DHS 2011) and 3381 (DHS 2016) adolescents (aged 15 to 19 years old) were included from the four surveys. The main outcome variable of this study was teenage childbearing, and independent variables were categorized into individual- and community-level factors. The 2016 DHS was used to identify the factors associated with teenage childbearing. Multi-level logistic regression analysis technique was used to identify the factors associated with teenage childbearing. The analysis was adjusted for different individual- and community- level factors affecting teenage childbearing. Data analysis was conducted using STATA software. RESULTS: The prevalence of adolescents who started childbearing reduced from 16.3% in 2000 DHS to 12.5% in 2016 DHS, p-value = < 0.0001. From the 2016 DHS, the percentage of adolescents who have had a live birth was 10.1%, and the percentage of adolescents who were currently pregnant was 2.4%. The highest percentage of teenage childbearing was in Affar region (23.4%), and the lowest was in Addis Ababa city (3%). The odds of teenage childbearing was higher among adolescents in the age range of 18-19 years old (AOR = 2.26; 95% CI: 1.29, 3.94, p-value < 0.01), those who started sexual intercourse before their eighteenth birthday (AOR = 12.74; 95% CI: 4.83, 33.62, p-value < 0.001), who were married or living together (AOR = 8.98; 95% CI: 2.49, 32.41, p-value < 0.01), and among those who were widowed, divorced or separated (AOR = 4.89; 95% CI: 1.36, 17.61, p-value < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: One in ten teenage girls have already started childbearing in Ethiopia. Variations were observed in the percentage of teenage childbearing across different sociodemographic- and economic variables. Factors like age, early sexual initiation before 18 years of age, ever married, and geographical region were significant factors associated with teenage childbearing. School- and community- based intervention programs aimed at prevention of early marriage and early sexual intercourse is essential to reduce teenage childbearing and its complications.

Female genital mutilation/cutting in Africa.

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a traditional practice in which the external female genitalia is partially or totally incised or excised for a non-therapeutic reason, usually without the consent of the individual. FGM/C is common in Africa with varying prevalence in different countries, though the incidence is reducing because it is considered a human rights issue with tremendous advocacy for its elimination by mainly nongovernmental organizations. It is mainly underreported in many countries in Africa especially where it has been declared illegal. FGM/C is often performed by a nonmedical practitioner with the aim of fulfilling religious or cultural rites and sometimes for economic benefits with the resultant acute, intermediate and late complications. It is sometimes performed by medical practitioners when it is speciously believed that its medicalization reduces the complications associated with the practice. The sensitivity of FGM/C is amplified when compared to male circumcision and voluntary alterations of the female external genitalia like piercing and tattooing as similar practices. The magnitude of the physical and psychosocial consequences of FGM/C outweighs the presumed benefits of the procedures highlighting the need for improvement of the multiple preventive measures by all the stakeholders and in all the sectors.

Endometriosis and associated symptoms among Nigerian women.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of endometriosis and identify associated symptoms among Nigerian women. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a center in Ibadan, Nigeria, between October 2008 and December 2010. All women aged 18-45 years scheduled for their first diagnostic laparoscopy for gynecologic indications were enrolled. Participants completed a previously validated self-administered questionnaire. Endometriosis was diagnosed on the basis of visual evidence. RESULTS: Among 239 women analyzed, 115 (48.1%) had endometriotic lesions. Endometriosis was more common among women reporting dysmenorrhea and pelvic pain than among those not reporting these symptoms (20/28 [71.4%] vs 95/211 [45.0%]; P=0.009). Women who reported dysmenorrhea were significantly more likely to have endometriosis than were those without dysmenorrhea (90/171 [52.6%] vs 25/68 [36.8%]; P=0.027). The risk of endometriosis was not significantly increased in women with one pain symptom (odds ratio [OR]1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.67-4.27), but was significantly increased in women with two (OR 2.70; 95% CI 1.13-6.52) or three (OR 4.87; 95% CI 1.88-12.82) pain symptoms (χ(2)trend=15.5; P<0.001). In a multivariate logistic regression model, only pain other than dysmenorrhea or dyspareunia independently predicted endometriosis (P=0.017). CONCLUSION: Endometriosis is fairly common among Nigerian women. Efforts to increase the awareness of endometriosis among the public, researchers, and clinicians are needed.

Medical students' choices of specialty in The Gambia: the need for career counseling.

BACKGROUND: Understanding preferences for specialties by medical students and the factors driving choices assists policy makers in ensuring optimal spread of personnel across disciplines. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey using self-administered structured questionnaires was conducted on consenting students of the first medical school in The Gambia, established in 1999. Data collection was in June/July 2011. Questions were on sociodemographic characteristics of students, their parents, factors related to career preferences and opinions about counseling services. Data were analysed using JMP 8.0 software. RESULTS: Respondents were 52.4% of 202 eligible students. Mean age was 24.1 ± 5.0 years. Females constituted 54.7%. Muslims were 72.7% while Gambians formed 77.0%. Commonest specialties chosen by females were Obstetrics/Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Surgery in that order, while males preferred Internal Medicine, Surgery and Obstetrics/Gynaecology. Commonest factors influencing choices by females were 'focus on urgent care' (65.5%) and 'intellectual content of specialty' (56.9%). For males, these were 'intellectual content of specialty' (60.4%) and 'focus on urgent care' / 'individual's competence' (50.0% each). More females (30.0%) than males (23.0%) had ever received career counseling, but all students desired it. CONCLUSIONS: Significant gender differences exist in specialty choices and factors influencing these choices amongst these students. All want career counseling.

Urinary pathogens and drug susceptibility patterns of urinary tract infections among antenatal clinic attendees in Ibadan, Nigeria.

AIM: To determine the bacterial agents involved in urinary tract infections in pregnant women and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns in Ibadan, Nigeria. METHODS: All consenting subjects who attended antenatal clinics of the University College Hospital and Adeoyo Maternity Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria, from 1 April 2007 and 30 March 2009 were interviewed to obtain demographic and pregnancy health data. Mid-stream urine samples obtained were processed by standard methods. Confirmed bacterial isolates were tested against seven antibiotics using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. RESULTS: Of the 473 specimens processed, 136 (28.8%) were positive for microscopy, 118 (25.0%) were culture positive, while 18 (3.8%) were microscopy positive but negative for culture. More than 90% of the bacterial isolates were Gram-negative bacilli, of which approximately 80% were members of the family Enterobacteriaceae. Klebsiella oxytoca accounted for 45 (38.1%) of the causative agents identified, followed by Escherichia coli (31.3%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.3%) and Proteus mirabilis (6.8%). Candida albicans accounted for three (2.6%) of the isolates. Ten isolates (22.2%) of K. oxytoca were resistant to cefuroxime while three (6.7%) were resistant to ofloxacin. The only Gram-positive bacterium isolated, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, accounted for four (4.3%) of all pathogens, of which three (75.0%) were susceptible to nitrofurantoin, ofloxacin, cefuroxime and the amoxicillin-clavulanic acid combination. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the incidence of culture-positive urinary tract infection in pregnancy is common in Ibadan. More studies are needed to evaluate the susceptibility profile of uropathogens to commonly used antibiotics in our environment.

Significant bacteriuria among asymptomatic antenatal clinic attendees in ibadan, Nigeria.

Untreated asymptomatic bacteriuria can lead to urinary tract infection (UTI) in pregnancy with devastating maternal and neonatal effects such as prematurity and low birth weight, higher fetal mortality rates and significant maternal morbidity. We carried out a two year (April 2007 to March 2009) cross-sectional epidemiological study to determine the prevalence of significant bacteriuria among asymptomatic antenatal clinic attendees at two antenatal clinics (ANCs) in University College Hospital and Adeoyo Maternity Hospital, both in Ibadan, Nigeria.All consenting ANC attendees without UTI were enrolled in the study. Urine specimens of 5 to 10 ml collected from each subject were examined microscopically for white blood cells, red blood cells and bacteria. The specimens were further cultured on MacConkey agar using a sterile bacteriological loop that delivered 0.002 ml of urine. Colony counts yielding bacterial growth of more than 10(5)/ml of pure isolates were considered significant.Of the 473 subjects studied, 136 had significant bacteriuria, giving a prevalence rate of 28.8%. The highest age specific prevalence (47.8%) was found in the 25-29 year olds while only one (0.7%) was found in the teenage group. A large percentage (64.0%) of subjects with significant bacteriuria had tertiary education, compared with 4.4% who had no formal education but the association was not statistically significant (X(2) = 0.47, p = 0.79). The majority (75.8%) of subjects with significant bacteriuria had no previous history of abortion, while 20 (14.7%) had one previous abortion and only three (2.1%) admitted to three previous abortions (X(2) = 5.16, p = 0.16). The majority (69.8%) of those with significant bacteriuria presented at second trimester while 38 (28.0%) presented at third trimester (X(2) = 6.5, p = 37).Only 22 (4.6%) of the studied subjects presented at first trimester, and 3 (13.7%) of these had significant bacteriuria.The prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria is high among this study population. Hence we suggest that advocacy programs be initiated to urge pregnant women to access ANC services early in pregnancy.

The influence of health-seeking behavior on the incidence and perinatal outcome of umbilical cord prolapse in Nigeria.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the influence of health-seeking behavior of urban women in South-West Nigeria on the incidence and perinatal outcome of umbilical cord prolapse (UCP). METHODS: A retrospective study comparing two groups of urban women using information extracted from medical records of patients who had UCP, and were managed at the University College Hospital Ibadan, Nigeria from January1st 1995 to December 31st 2005. The data was analyzed using SPSS software (version 15). Analysis included simple tabulation, proportion and comparison of incidence, perinatal morbidity, and mortality of UCP between the two groups of women using Chi-square or Fisher's exact test. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated whenever necessary. P-value of 0.05 or less was statistically significant. RESULTS: Women without prenatal care were more likely to have fetuses with UCP (54, 75%), than in women who had prenatal care (18, 25%). The risk of perinatal death from UCP was higher in women without prenatal care, as compared with those who received prenatal care (OR 3.02, 95% CI: 0.879 to 10.356; P-value = 0.061). The risk of perinatal morbidity and neonatal intensive care admission was also higher among women without prenatal care as compared with women who received prenatal care (OR 4.09, 95% CI: 1.03 to 16.30; P-value = 0.041). The overall perinatal mortality rate in the study population was 403 per 1000 total births, and this was five times more than that of the hospital perinatal mortality rate of 80 per 1000 total births during the study period. The perinatal mortality rate was higher among women without prenatal care, 463 per 1000 total births, as compared with 222 per 1000 total births in women who received prenatal care. Perinatal death before arrival at the hospital is less likely to occur in women with prenatal care when compared with women without prenatal care (OR 0.0635; 95% CI: 0.0052 to 0.776; P-value = 0.03). CONCLUSION: A high index of suspicion and an identification of risk factors, with early diagnosis, prompt intervention, and provision of health care facilities can reduce the incidence and poor outcome of UCP in developing countries.

Influence of previous abortions and new paternity on the risk of hypertension in nulliparous parturients in Ibadan: a cohort study.

AIM: This study aims to determine the influence of previous abortions and new paternity on the risk of hypertension in a cohort of nulliparous women. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted with development of hypertension in pregnancy as outcome variable. Explanatory variables were previous abortions and paternity. Univariate analysis was by t-test, χ(2) test and Fisher's exact test where applicable. Logistic regression was utilized for multivariate analysis. Stata was utilized for all the analyses. The level of statistical significance was set as P < 0.05. RESULTS: Same paternity abortions reduced the risk of hypertension (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.31-0.73). Previous abortions did not reduce the odds of hypertension in pregnancy (OR 1.25, 95% CI 0.83-1.88). Rural dwelling reduced the odds of developing hypertension in pregnancy (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.42-0.70). CONCLUSION: The result of this study supports the immunological theory of the etiology of hypertension in pregnancy.

Influence of duration of sexual cohabitation on the risk of hypertension in nulliparous parturients in Ibadan: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are an important cause of maternal mortality in this environment, it accounts for about 20% of all maternal deaths in pregnancy in Nigeria. AIM: This study aims to determine the effect of the length of sexual cohabitation on the development of hypertension in pregnancy in a Nigerian population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was a prospective cohort study; three centres were involved in the study between July 2006 and February 2009. For this study, the main outcome variable was the development of Hypertension in pregnancy. The main explanatory variable was the length of preconception sexual cohabitation. Univariate analysis was by t test, chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test for continuous and categorical variables. Multivariate analysis was by Cox hazard regression. RESULTS: In the study population, the incidence of gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia were 28.93% and 4.13% respectively, 29.64% had previous abortions and same paternity abortion rate was 25.92%. Length of sexual cohabitation before index pregnancy was protective against hypertension in pregnancy but not for pre-eclampsia; there was a 4% decrease in the risk of developing hypertension for every month increase in cohabitation (hazard ratio, HR 0.96 (95% CI 0.93-0.99)). Also protective in this model was same paternity abortion with a HR of 0.71 (95% CI 0.55-0.93). A previous abortion was not protective (HR 1.05 (95% CI 0.82-1.35)). CONCLUSION: It was concluded that increased length of sexual cohabitation prior to conception reduces the risk of gestational hypertension.

Preoperative evaluation and triage of women with suspicious adnexal masses using risk of malignancy index.

AIMS: To test the accuracy of risk of malignancy index (RMI) in preoperative prediction of malignancy and treatment of adnexal masses. METHODS: A total of 302 women with ultrasound diagnosed adnexal masses, and serum measurement of cancer-associated antigen CA-125 levels, were studied. They all had surgical exploration between October 2001 and September 2005 at the Friedrich-Alexander University Women's Hospital, Erlangen, Germany. The RMI was based on menopausal status, ultrasound morphology of adnexal masses and absolute level of serum CA-125. A cut-off of 250 was chosen as the threshold for determining the type of surgical operations (laparotomy versus laparoscopy) and the skill of the surgeons (gynecological oncologist versus general gynecologist). The data obtained were analyzed for baseline characteristics using chi(2) test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). P < 0.05 were statistically significant. The various testing methods were evaluated for sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values. RESULTS: The best individual performance was found in RMI at a cut-off of 250 with a sensitivity of 88.2%, specificity of 74.3%, positive predictive value of 71.3% and negative predictive value of 90%. When RMI was used to triage patient treatment, 81.5% of patients who had laparoscopy had histological diagnosis of benign ovarian tumor and 7.5% had malignant tumor. In contrast, 74.4% of patients who had laparotomy had histological diagnosis of malignant ovarian tumor and 16% had benign tumor. CONCLUSION: Risk of malignant index is a reliable, cheap, readily available and cost-effective method of preoperative discrimination of benign from malignant adnexal masses. It is also helpful in triaging patients to different treatment groups.

The impact of infertility on infertile men and women in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria: a qualitative study.

This study explored the impact of infertility on infertile men and women in Ibadan, Nigeria. The qualitative study design included the application of focus group discussions with community members (7 FGDs, n=42), in-depth interviews with infertile men (n=7), infertile women (n=8) and professionals (n=13). The findings revealed that infertile men and women and community members commonly perceived that contraceptives and abortion cause infertility, as well as supernatural and behavioural factors. Measures to prevent infertility were not well known by the participants. Infertility treatment is sought from a mixture of biomedical, faith-based and traditional service providers. Infertile women prioritize the psychological impact of infertility while infertile men prioritize the economic impact, and reported spending between 55-100% of their income to address infertility. Infertility has a serious social, psychological and economic impact on women and men's lives. Efforts to reduce the impact should prioritize education on the causes, prevention and treatment of infertility, offer psychological support and ensure an efficient referral system for managing infertility.

Stressors and psychological symptoms in students of medicine and allied health professions in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Studies suggest that high levels of stress and psychological morbidity occur in health care profession students. This study investigates stressors and psychological morbidity in students of medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy and nursing at the University of Ibadan. METHODS: The students completed a questionnaire about their socio-demographic characteristics, perceived stressors and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Qualitative methods were used initially to categorise stressors. Data was then analysed using univariate and logistic regression to determine odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Medical and dental students were more likely to cite as stressors, overcrowding, strikes, excessive school work and lack of holidays while physiotherapy and nursing students focused on noisy environments, security and transportation. Medical and dental students (1.66; SD: 2.22) had significantly higher GHQ scores than the physiotherapy and nursing students (1.22; SD: 1.87) (t = 2.3; P = 0.022). Socio-demographic factors associated with psychological morbidity after logistic regression include being in a transition year of study, reporting financial distress and not being a 'Pentecostal Christian'. Although males were more likely to perceive financial and lecturer problems as stressors and females to perceive faculty strikes and overcrowding as source of stress, gender did not have any significant effect on psychological morbidity. Stressors associated with psychological distress in the students include excessive school work, congested classrooms, strikes by faculty, lack of laboratory equipment, family problems, insecurity, financial and health problems. CONCLUSION: Several identified stressors such as financial problems, academic pressures and their consequent effect on social life have an adverse effect on the mental health of students in this environment especially for students of medicine and dentistry. While stressors outside the reach of the school authorities are difficult to control, academic support including providing a conducive learning environment, advice on means for sustenance, added support during periods of transition are key areas for interventions.

Microalbuminuria in pregnancy as a predictor of preeclampsia and eclampsia.

INTRODUCTION: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are common major complications of pregnancy and are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in the fetus, the newborn infant and the mother. OBJECTIVES: To access if a single estimation of urinary microalbumin at booking would be of value in the prediction of subsequent development of preeclampsia or eclampsia METHODS: We studied at booking urinary microalbumin excretion in one hundred healthy normotensive Nigerian pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic and followed them till delivery. The women were grouped into 3 i.e. those with normal, micro and macro albumin excretion during analysis. RESULTS: Ninety-three of these patients delivered at UCII, 2 had spontaneous abortions and five delivered elsewhere. At booking, 57 patients (61.3%) had normal albumin excretion and 22 (23.7%) and 14(15%) had microalbuminuria and gross albuminuria respectively. The men urinary albumin excretions for the normal, micro and gross albuminuria groups were 10.2 +/- 8.4, 67.0 +/- 55.2 and 321.4 +/- 14.0 mg/24 hours respectively. There was increased incidence of preeclampsia with an increase in albumin excretion and this was statistically significant (P value < 0.05). No patient developed eclampsia. With single urinary microalbumin excretion estimation at booking, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of albuminuria were 88.9%, 67.9%, 22.2% and 98.3% respectively. CONCLUSION: Urinary microalbumin excretion when used as a single test at booking appeared to predict preeclampsia with a high sensitivity but a low positive predictive value.