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Water samples were collected monthly from the upper Oldman River during 1982. In that year, precipitation at the nearest weather station was 7% below the 81-year average of 407 mm and could be considered a normal precipitation year. Surface runoff from annual precipitation in the watershed accounts for the dominant portion of the water that fills the Oldman River, which is highly dependent on winter snowpack and spring and fall rains. Twenty-two water quality parameters were determined. The parameters reflected seasonal fluctuations and provided baseline reference data for the upper Oldman River. Soluble salts were highest in the winter-spring period, and dropped during the summer period. Calcium and magnesium increased during the fall-winter period. Total water hardness was highest in the fall-winter period and specific conductance was highest in the winter-spring period. Total, soluble, and particulate phosphates were highest during the summer period owing to the heavy rains in June and July. Nitrates w...

An effective perinatal mother to child transmission (PMTCT) programme will reduce perinatal acquired HIV infections. This goal is within reach of the South African public health sector. Early antenatal attendance and knowledge of HIV status allows sufficient time to implement highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) or ART intervention. Both measures have been proved to be efficient to reduce MTCT of HIV. A transmission rate of 2% can be achieved with a dual therapy regimen in non-breastfeeding women. Mono therapy with single dose nevirapine (sd NVP) often fails due to the once off nature of the intervention as opposed to ample opportunity to administer zudovudine (AZT) antenatally with dual therapy. A higher CD4 threshold to initiate HAART increases the window of opportunity while women are reasonably healthy. Irrespective of the maternal disease the newborn babies receive the same ART regimen. Women requiring HAART following pregnancy with an interval of 6 months or longer since NVP exposure had the same virological response as compared to NVP naïve women. Dual or mono therapy for a second time will be as effective as with NVP naïve women. The present day routine use of ART will reduce the risk of obstetric interventions.South African Family Practice Vol. 49 (9) 2007: pp. 52-57

No Abstract.South African Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Vol. 12 (3) 2006: pp. 144-149

Evidence from large epidemiological studies has supported concern that being born light for gestational age (LiGA) may be detrimental. The incidence of LiGA babies is an important indicator of the health of women of reproductive age in deprived communities. In the assessment of LiGA in the Western Cape, centile charts constructed for populations in other parts of the world are generally used. These charts, however, may not be appropriate. Patients residing in the area served by the Tygerberg Hospital obstetric service, who booked early with singleton pregnancies, had their gestational age confinmed by early ultrasound and delivered between 1 March 1989 and 28 February 1990 were included in the study. The sample consisted of 3 643 patients. The mean birth weight was 2 995 g (SD 573 g) and the range 760 - 5 080 g. The distribution of birth weight at each week of gestation from 28 to 42 weeks was not nonmal. The 4-parameter Johnson family of densities was used to model the distribution of birth weight at each gestational age. A comparison of the distribution of birth weight in the study relative to the perinatal growth chart for international reference constructed by Dunn was also made. In addition to considering an overall chart, the sample was subdivided according to a number of characteristics (e.g. gender, firstborn and latter-born babies, smoking habit, hypertensive disorders and induction of labour) in order to explore their impact on the distribution of birth weight. Having explored the potential impact of all these factors, it was concluded that a single chart including all patients could be constructed.