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Introduction: Preeclampsia with severe features and eclampsia has remained a serious challenge in tropical obstetric practice. It is a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in Nigeria. Aim: This study was aimed at determining the prevalence, the risk factors and feto-maternal outcome of preeclampsia with severe features and eclampsia in Abakaliki. Materials and Methods: This was a 5-year retrospective casecontrol study of preeclampsia with severe features and eclampsia at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki. Case notes of preeclampsia with severe features and eclampsia between January 2008 and December, 2012 were retrieved. Similarly, the case file of next parturient that did not have any medical disease was included in the study. The cases and controls were selected at the ratio of 1:1. The data assessed were information on maternal age, parity, booking status, diagnosis, mode of delivery, complications, maternal and perinatal outcomes. Results: A total of 13,750 deliveries were recorded within the study period. The prevalence of preeclampsia with severe features and eclampsia were 136(0.99%) and 104(0.76%) respectively. Preeclampsia with severe features and eclampsia was more common among adolescents, rural dwellers, poorly educated, unemployed, unbooked and nulliparous women. It was more associated with preterm delivery, caesarean section, low birth weight babies, maternal and perinatal mortality. Conclusion: Preeclampsia with severe features and eclampsia is common among the adolescents, unbooked, rural, and low socio-economic group of women in this study. It has also contributed to high maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. There is need for policy makers to formulate policies toward female education, women empowerment and provision of social amenities in rural areas. These policies may reverse the current ugly trend in this environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Detecting and treating asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) prevents urinary tract infection and its consequences. The cost-effectiveness of routine screening for ASB in pregnancy is controversial. In populations with high prevalence, however, it is worthwhile and justifiable. Aim: To determine the profile, prevalence, microbiological isolates, and risk factors of ASB among booking antenatal clinic attendees in Abakaliki, Nigeria. Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving booking antenatal clinic attendees at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, who met the inclusion criteria. This study occurred between January and December, 2012. The midstream urine samples of these women were subjected to microscopy, culture, and sensitivity. Results: A total of 300 randomly selected booking antenatal clinic attendees participated in the study; 74 of them had ASB, giving a prevalence of 24.7%. With the exception of rural residence, sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics did not influence the risk of ASB among the participants in this study. Staphylococcus aureus was the commonest organism isolated. The majority of the organisms were sensitive to ofloxacin and ceftriaxone. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of ASB among pregnant women in Abakaliki. With the exception of rural dwelling, sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics did not significantly influence the risk of ASB among these pregnant women. Therefore, routine ASB screening of pregnant women is recommended in our environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The association between hormonal contraception and cervical cancer is controversial. These controversies may hamper the uptake of hormonal contraceptives. Objective: To determine the association between hormonal contraceptives and cervical neoplasia. Materials and methods: This was a case-control study in which Pap-smear results of 156 participants on hormonal contraceptives were compared with those of 156 participants on no form of modern contraception. Modern contraception is defined as the use of such contraceptives as condoms, pills, injectables, intrauterine devices, implants, and female or male sterilization. Those found to have abnormal cervical smear cytology results were subjected further to colposcopy. Biopsy specimens for histology were collected from the participants with obvious cervical lesions or those with suspicious lesions on colposcopy. The results were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics at a 95% level of confidence. Results: A total of 71 (45.5%), 60 (38.5%), and 25 (16.0%) of the participants on hormonal contraceptives were using oral contraceptives, injectable contraceptives, and implants, respectively. Cervical neoplasia was significantly more common among participants who were ≥35 years old (6% versus 1%, P<0.0001), rural dwellers (6% versus 3.5%, P<0.0001), unmarried (7.6% versus 3.5%, P<0.0001), unemployed (6.8% versus 3.5%, P<0.0001), less educated (6% versus 3.8%, P<0.0001), and had high parity (6.8% versus 3.6%, P<0.0001). There was no statistical significant difference in cervical neoplasia between the two groups of participants (7 [4.5%] versus 6 [3.8%], P=1.0). Conclusion: There was no association between hormonal contraceptives and cervical neoplasia in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer in pregnancy accounts for 2%-3% of all breast cancers. The increased vascularity and lymphatic drainage from the breast during pregnancy potentiate the metastatic spread of the cancer to the regional lymph nodes. However, the increased breast density in pregnancy makes it difficult to detect breast lesions early. Aim: To evaluate and compare the detection rate of breast lesions using clinical breast examination (CBE) and breast ultrasonography among pregnant women. Methodology: A cross-sectional comparative study involving antenatal clinic attendees at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, was conducted between March 3, 2014, and December 31, 2014. CBE and breast ultrasonography were done in the participants at booking and repeated at 6 weeks postpartum. Fine-needle aspiration cytology and histology were done in women with suspicious breast lesions on CBE or breast ultrasonography or both. Data analysis was both descriptive and inferential at the 95% confidence level using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 17.0. Test of significance was done using chi-square test. A P-value of less than or equal to 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 320 pregnant women participated in the study. Of these, 267 (83.4%) were aware of breast cancer. Although more lesions were detected with breast ultrasonography than by CBE, there was no statistically significant difference between them (25 versus 17; P=0.26). The histology of the lesions revealed 21 benign lesions and 4 normal breast tissues. The sensitivity of breast ultrasonography was 95.2%, while that of CBE was 66.7%. The specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were similar between CBE and breast ultrasonography. Conclusion: The detection rates of breast lesions by both CBE and breast ultrasonography were equivalent during pregnancy and 6 weeks postpartum, making CBE a convenient and very cost-effective method of detecting breast lesions in the low-risk population. However, both CBE and breast ultrasonography should be done in women with high risk of breast malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study aims to determine the influence of maternal socio-demographic and anthropometric parameters on birth size and delivery outcomes at AE-FUTHA Methods: The study involved a cross section of pregnant mothers and their newborn babies. A total of 400 pregnant mothers that were certified by an obstetrician as being healthy in the antenatal ward of AE-FUTHA, Nigeria from 1st May 2020 to 1st June 2021, were involved. Informed consent was voluntarily signed by each participant. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics and Research committees of AEFUTHA. The study adopted direct standard anthropometric measurements, obstetric protocol and a questionnaire approach. Maternal and neonatal anthropometric features, socio-demographic factors and delivery outcomes were considered in this study, using guidelines of Institute of Medicine. Results: There was a significant difference between the birth length of male and female neonates (p<0.05). The mode of delivery of male neonates was strongly associated with maternal degree of pain during labor. Furthermore, there is an association between Apgar score at 5 minutes of birth for male neonates and maternal parity (p<0.05). The logistic regression shows that the mode of delivery of male neonates depends on the maternal degree of pain during labor. Conclusion: The study established that maternal sociodemography and anthropometry are determinants of delivery outcomes. It also suggested that gynecologists and nurses should place great emphasis on weight control measures during antenatal visits to reduce birth complications, especially through spontaneous vaginal delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human T-cell lymphoma/leukemia virus (HTLV)-1 is a retrovirus transmitted vertically from mother to child parenterally and sexually by infected lymphocytes. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of HTLV-1 antibodies and associated risk factors for HTLV-1 infection among pregnant women in University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, southeast Nigeria. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out from July to October 2010. Two hundred pregnant women were recruited consecutively from the antenatal clinic. Five milliliters of blood was collected from each of the participants into a plain sterile bottle and allowed to clot. The serum obtained was stored at -20°C until required for analysis. The serum samples were then analyzed for antibodies to HTLV-1 using a one-step incubation double-antigen sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Participants' demographic characteristics and degree of exposure to the risk factors associated with HTLV-1 infection were captured using a questionnaire. Statistical analysis of results was done using SPSS version 17. Results: The average age of the pregnant women was 28.94 years (standard deviation 4.17). The age-group with the highest representation was those between the ages of 26 and 30 years. Thirty-six percent of the population was above 30 years old. The result of the tests showed that only one respondent, a 31-year-old pregnant woman tested positive for HTLV-1 antibodies. Therefore, the seroprevalence of HTLV-1 antibodies among pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital was 0.5%, with a 95% confidence interval of 0%-2.8%. Some of the sociodemographic risk factors of HTLV-1 infection found to be applicable to the 31-year-old woman who tested positive included positive history of previous sexually transmitted diseases, high parity, low socioeconomic status, female sex, and age above 30 years. The pregnant women that participated in this study were exposed to risk factors and behaviors associated with HTLV-1 infection. Some of the pregnant women (17.5%) had contracted sexually transmitted diseases, and 80.5% did not use condoms during coitus. Conclusion: The seroprevalence obtained in this study was low, though it is 100% for anyone infected. More prospective and multicenter studies are required to determine the infectivity of HTLV-1 among pregnant women in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Intrauterine Device (IUD) is a contraceptive method used by women of reproductive age group. However, there are conflicting reports on the association between IUD and cervical neoplasia. These controversies may further hamper the poor uptake of modern contraception in Nigeria., Aim: This study was therefore aimed at evaluating the association between IUD and cervical neoplasia., Materials and Methods: This was a case control study in which Pap smear results of 156 participants on IUD were compared with those of 156 non-users of modern contraception. The participants who were found to have abnormal cervical smear cytology results were further subjected to colposcopy. Biopsy specimens for histology were collected from the participants with obvious cervical lesions or those with suspicious lesions on colposcopy. The results were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics at 95% level of confidence., Results: Seven (4.5%) and 2(1.3%) of participants using IUD had Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) 1 and CIN 2 respectively. Also, 5(3.2%) and 1(0.6%) of non-users of modern contraception had CIN 1 and CIN 2 respectively. The prevalence of cervical neoplasia among all the participants was 4.8%. Although, the proportion of women who had CIN was more among participants using IUD than non-users of modern contraception, the difference was not statistically significant., Conclusion: There was no significant association between IUD and cervical neoplasia in this study.

Background: Assent is the child's affirmative agreement to participate in research. Consent from parents and assent from children are required in research involving children., Objective: To determine the knowledge, perception, and level of practice of assent in children among medical specialists and trainees in research work as well as the level of ethical norms observed during research., Methods: A semistructural questionnaire was designed for a cross-sectional survey of medical specialists and trainees at the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki at their different departments in the months of January and February 2013. The questionnaires were completed and analyzed., Results: A total of 113 questionnaires were distributed, correctly completed, and analyzed. The mean age of the respondents was 36.2±5.9 years, with a range of 25-55 years. The mean duration of practice was 6.3±3.9 years, with a range of 3-20 years. The majority of respondents were trainees (106, 93.8%). There was no significant association between sociodemographic variables of the respondents and the practice of obtaining assent in research involving children (P>0.05). Ethical clearance was obtained by all medical specialists during their research, but none of those whose research involved children got assent from the children. The majority of medical specialists (80%) and trainees (65.1%) support the practice of assent as a mandatory prerequisite in ethical study. Most of the medical specialists (83.3%) and trainees (65.1%) agree that parents could be influenced by other considerations and benefits in enrolling their children in research. Assent after consent in research involving children in African setting was acknowledged as a necessity by 66.7% of medical specialists and 75.2% of trainees., Conclusion: Assent was observed as a necessary ethical issue in research involving children in this study; however, it is often not sought in our setting.