Search

Although anaemia is a common life-threatening condition among pregnant women, particularly those in low-income countries, literature remains very limited in Ghana in general and particularly in the Madina La-Nkwantanang Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, where no studies have been done. This study, therefore, assessed anaemia in pregnant women attending the Pentecost Hospital in the La-Nkwantanang Municipality, Ghana. This cross-sectional study conveniently recruited 300 Ghanaian pregnant women attending the Madina Pentecost Hospital for antenatal care. A structured questionnaire was administered to obtain data on sociodemographics (age, marital status, level of education, occupation and religion) and knowledge level of anaemia. Blood samples were taken for an automated complete blood count (CBC). SPSS software version 26 and GraphPad Prism were used for the statistical analysis. The prevalence rate of anaemia was 211/300 (70.3%). 159 (75.4%) of the anaemic subjects presented with a mild anaemia form, 51(24.2%) presented with a moderate form, and 1(0.47%) presented with severe form. Normocytic normochromic anaemia was the dominant anaemia type (33.6%), followed by microcytic normochromic anaemia (27.0%), and then normocytic hypochromic (24.64%). Pregnant women within their third trimester recorded the highest incidence rates of both normocytic normochromic 34 (47.89%) and mild types 71 (44.65%) of anaemia. The prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women is overwhelmingly high with a preponderance towards those in their third trimester. As such, high-risk pregnant women should be well-monitored to prevent exacerbating the condition.

Abstract Background Despite significant improvements in its management, preeclampsia continues to be one of the frequent causes of postpartum readmission. Increased awareness of the risk factors for postpartum readmission is required to reduce its incidence and related complications. This study determined the prevalence and associated risk factors for postpartum readmission among women with preexisting preeclampsia in a Ghanaian population. Methods This hospital‐based retrospective study was conducted at the obstetrics and gynaecology units of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Ghana. We reviewed the medical records including sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics of preeclampsia patients. Statistical analyses were performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 26.0 and GraphPad Prism version 8.0. p‐Value

Preeclampsia (PE) is associated with endothelial injury and hemostatic abnormalities. However, the diagnostic role of coagulation parameters and natural anticoagulants in predicting PE has not been explored in Ghana. This study assessed plasma levels of these factors as surrogate markers of PE and its subtypes. This case–control study included 90 women with PE (cases) and 90 normotensive pregnant women (controls). Blood samples were drawn for the estimation of complete blood count and coagulation tests. The prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and the calculation of the international normalized ratio (INR) were determined by an ACL elite coagulometer while the levels of protein C (PC), protein S (PS), antithrombin III (ATIII), and D-dimers were also measured using the solid-phase sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. All statistical analyses were performed using the R Language for Statistical Computing. Results showed significantly ( p

Objectives: Micronutrients, especially calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) are reported to reduce preeclampsia events via several factors such as endothelial cell control, optimal oxidative stress and a balanced angiogenic growth mediator. We evaluated the association of micronutrients with oxidative stress biomarkers, and angiogenic growth mediators in early-onset preeclampsia and late-onset preeclampsia. Methods: This case-control study recruited 197 preeclampsia (early-onset preeclampsia = 70 and late-onset preeclampsia = 127) as cases and 301 normotensive pregnant women as controls from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Ghana. Samples were collected after 20 weeks of gestation for both cases and controls and estimated for Ca, Mg, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1, placental growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor-A, soluble endoglin, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, 8-epiprostaglandinF2-alpha and total antioxidant capacity. Results: Early-onset preeclampsia women had significantly lower levels of Ca, Mg, placental growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor-A and total antioxidant capacity but higher levels of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1, soluble endoglin, 8-epiprostaglandinF2-alpha, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor ratio, 8-epiprostaglandinF2-alpha /placental growth factor ratio, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine/placental growth factor ratio and soluble endoglin/placental growth factor ratio than late-onset preeclampsia and normotensive pregnant women ( p

BackgroundPreeclampsia is a leading cause of foeto-maternal deaths especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the prevalence and risk factors of preeclampsia are scarce in the Central region of Ghana with previous study assessing individual independent risk factors. This study determined the prevalence and algorithm of adverse foeto-maternal risk factors of preeclampsia.MethodsThis multi-centre prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2021 to October 2022 at the Mercy Women's Catholic Hospital and Fynba Health Centre in Central region, Ghana. A total of 1,259 pregnant women were randomly sampled and their sociodemographic, clinical history, obstetrics and labour outcomes were recorded. Logistic regression analysis using SPSS version 26 was performed to identify risk factors of preeclampsia.ResultsOf the 1,259 pregnant women, 1174 were finally included in the study. The prevalence of preeclampsia was 8.8% (103/1174). Preeclampsia was common among 20-29 years age group, those who had completed basic education, had informal occupation, multigravida and multiparous. Being primigravida [aOR = 1.95, 95% CI (1.03-3.71), p = 0.042], having previous history of caesarean section [aOR = 4.48, 95% CI (2.89-6.93), pConclusionPreeclampsia is increasing among pregnant women in the Central region of Ghana. Pregnant women being primigravida with foetal growth restriction and previous history of caesarean section are the highest risk population likely to develop preeclampsia with neonates more likely to suffer adverse birth outcome such as birth asphyxia. Targeted preventive measures of preeclampsia should be created for pregnant women co-existing with multiple risk factors.

Hypertension (HTN) is the leading cause of cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, most individuals in developing countries are unaware of their blood pressure status. We determined the prevalence of unrecognized hypertension and its association with lifestyle factors and new obesity indices among the adult population. This community-based study was conducted among 1288 apparently healthy adults aged 18-80 years in the Ablekuma North Municipality, Ghana. Sociodemographic, lifestyle characteristics, blood pressure and anthropometric indices were obtained. The prevalence of unrecognized HTN was 18.4% (237 / 1288). The age groups 45-54 years [aOR = 2.29, 95% CI (1.33-3.95), p = 0.003] and 55-79 years [aOR = 3.25, 95% CI (1.61-6.54), p = 0.001], being divorced [aOR = 3.02 95% CI (1.33-6.90), p = 0.008], weekly [aOR = 4.10, 95% CI (1.77-9.51), p = 0.001] and daily alcohol intake [aOR = 5.62, 95% CI (1.26-12.236), p = 0.028] and no exercise or at most once a week [aOR = 2.25, 95% CI (1.56-3.66), p = 0.001] were independently associated with HTN. Among males, the fourth quartile (Q4) of both body roundness index (BRI) and waist to height ratio (WHtR) [aOR = 5.19, 95% CI (1.05-25.50), p = 0.043] were independent determinants of unrecognized HTN. Among females, the third quartile (Q3) [aOR = 7.96, 95% CI (1.51-42.52), p = 0.015] and Q4 [aOR = 9.87 95% CI (1.92-53.31), p = 0.007] of abdominal volume index (AVI), the Q3 of both BRI and WHtR [aOR = 6.07, 95% CI (1.05-34.94), p = 0.044] and Q4 of both BRI and WHtR [aOR = 9.76, 95% CI (1.74-54.96), p = 0.010] were independent risk factors of HTN. Overall, BRI (AUC = 0.724) and WHtR (AUC = 0.724) for males and AVI (AUC = 0.728), WHtR (AUC = 0.703) and BRI (AUC = 0.703) for females yielded a better discriminatory power for predicting unrecognized HTN. Unrecognized hypertension is common among the apparently healthy adults. Increased awareness of its risk factors, screening, and promoting lifestyle modification is needed to prevent the onset of hypertension.

IntroductionHaemoglobin variants and preeclampsia (PE) are associated with adverse fatal events of which oxidative stress may be an underlying factor. Oxidative stress (OS) among preeclamptic women with haemoglobin variants has been well established. It is, however, unclear whether haemoglobin variants induce OS to aggravate the risk of adverse foeto-maternal outcomes in pregnant women with preeclampsia. We measured the levels of OS biomarkers and determined the association between haemoglobin variants, and adverse foeto-maternal outcomes among pregnant women with PE.MethodsThis multi-centre prospective study recruited 150 PE women from three major health facilities in both Bono and Bono east regions of Ghana from April to December 2019. Haemoglobin variants; HbAS, HbSS, HbSC, HbCC, and HbAC were determined by haemoglobin electrophoresis. OS biomarkers such as malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), vitamin C, and uric acid (UA) along with haematological and biochemical parameters were estimated using standard protocol. Adverse pregnancy complications (APCs) such as post-partum haemorrhage (PPH), HELLP (Haemolysis, Elevated liver enzymes, Low platelet count) syndrome, preterm delivery, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, and neonatal jaundice were recorded.ResultsOf the 150 pregnant women with preeclampsia, the distribution of haemoglobin AA, AS, AC, CC, SS and SC phenotypes were 66.0%, 13.3%, 12.7%, 3.3%, 3.3% and 1.3%, respectively. The most prevalent foeto-maternal outcomes among PE women were NICU admission (32.0%) followed by PPH (24.0%), preterm delivery (21.3%), HELLP syndrome (18.7%), and neonatal jaundice (18.0%). Except for vitamin C level which was significantly higher in patients with at least a copy of Haemoglobin S variant than those with at least a copy of Haemoglobin C variant (5.52 vs 4.55; p = 0.014), levels of MDA, CAT, and UA were not statistically significantly different across the various haemoglobin variants. Multivariate logistic regression model showed that participants with HbAS, HbAC, having at least a copy of S or C and participants with HbCC, SC, SS had significantly higher odds of neonatal jaundice, NICU admission, PPH and HELLP syndrome compared to participants with HbAA.ConclusionReduced levels of vitamin C are common among preeclamptics with at least one copy of the HbC variant. Haemoglobin variants in preeclampsia contribute to adverse foeto-maternal outcomes with Haemoglobin S variants being the most influencing factor for PPH, HELLP, preterm labour, NICU admission, and neonatal jaundice.

Foetal haemoglobin (HbF) has been speculated to have an impact on the quantity of micronutrients and the latter also have a role to play in oxidative stress (OS) in sickle cell anaemia (SCA). No previous study in Ghana has examined the interplay of these factors together among SCA children. This study compared the levels of OS biomarkers (8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine [8-OHdG] total antioxidant capacity [TAC]) and micronutrients (zinc and copper), and their relationship with HbF in SCA and sickle cell negative, apparently healthy children. This case-control study recruited 58 SCA (out-patients [n = 42] and in-patients [n = 16]) children aged 1–14 years as cases and 62 sickle cell negative children as controls from the Sickle Cell Unit at the Eastern Regional Hospital, Ghana. The micronutrients were measured using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) whereas OS biomarkers and HbF were assayed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). SCA out-patients had a significantly higher level of HbF compared to HbA patients (p = 0.035). SCA in-patients had significantly increased levels of zinc, but a reduced 8-OHdG than SCA out-patients compared to control group (p

Preterm birth is a global epidemic and a leading cause of neonatal mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. We evaluated the prevalence and risk factors of preterm birth among women attending the labor ward for delivery at a tertiary hospital in Ghana. This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among a cohort of 209 pregnant women admitted to the labor ward of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). Pregnant women who delivered between 28 and 36 completed weeks of gestation were classified as preterm delivery whereas those who delivered after 37–42 completed weeks were described as term. Sociodemographic, clinical, and obstetric data were collected from patient's folder and hospital archives. Categorical variables were analyzed and expressed as frequencies and proportions. We determined the association between obstetric factors and preterm delivery with multiple logistic regressions. Significance level of the strength of association was determined at p-value < 0.05. of the 209 participants, the prevalence of preterm birth was 37.3% (78/209) whereas 62.7% (131/209) delivered at Term. Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) [aOR = 2.15, 95% CI = (1.819.55), p = 0.0390], HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelet count) syndrome [aOR = 3.94, 95% CI = (1.64–9.48), p = 0.0020], early gestational obesity [aOR = 2.11, 95% CI = (1.31–11.92), p = 0.0480] and preeclampsia [aOR = 4.56, 95% CI = (1.63–12.76), p = 0.004] were identified as independent risk factors of preterm birth. Prevalence of preterm birth was high among women attending labor admission at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and this was independently influenced by IUGR, HELLP syndrome, early gestational obesity, and preeclampsia. Identifying early signs of adverse pregnancy outcomes would inform the need for management policy to prevent high prevalence of preterm births.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a global public health issue that have serious consequences on mother and her child’s health. However, limited data is available on the prevalence of GDM and its associated risk factors in Ghana. This study investigated the prevalence and associated risk factors of GDM among women attending selected antenatal clinics in Kumasi, Ghana. This cross-sectional study included 200 pregnant women who attended antenatal clinics from Three-selected health facilities in the Ashanti Region, Ghana. Women already diagnosed of GDM were identified through their medical records and were confirmed based on the criteria of the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG), which uses a fasting blood glucose of ≥ 5.1 mmol/L. A well-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic, obstetric, clinical and lifestyle risk factors. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine the independent risk factors of GDM. The overall prevalence of GDM among study participants was 8.5%. GDM was prevalent among age 26 and 30 years (41.2%), married participants (94.1%) with basic education (41.2%) and being Akan by ethnicity (52.9%). Previous history of oral contraceptive use (aOR: 13.05; 95% CI: 1.43–119.23, p=0.023), previous history of preeclampsia (aOR: 19.30; 95% CI: 2.15-71.63; p=0.013) and intake of soda drinks (aOR: 10.05, 95% CI: 1.19–84.73, p=0.034) were found to be independent risk factors of GDM. The prevalence of GDM was found to be 8.5% and this was associated with the previous use of oral contraceptives, history of preeclampsia and intake of soda drinks. Public health education and dietary lifestyle modification may be required for pregnant women who are at risk of GDM.

Cardiometabolic syndrome (MetS) is closely linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and is the leading cause of diabetes complications. Anthropometric indices could be used as a cheap approach to identify MetS among T2DM patients. We determined the prevalence of MetS and its association with sociodemographic and anthropometric indices among T2DM patients in a tertiary hospital in the Ashanti region of Ghana. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 241 T2DM outpatients attending the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and the Kumasi South Hospital for routine check-up. Sociodemographic characteristics, clinicobiochemical markers, namely, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) were measured. Anthropometric indices, namely, body mass index (BMI), Conicity index (CI), body adiposity index (BAI), A body shape index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI), Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were computed based on either the Height, Weight, Waist circumference (WC) or Hip circumference (HC) of the patients. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) was classified using the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) criteria. Data entry and analysis were done using Excel 2016 and SPSS version 25.0 respectively. Of the 241 T2DM patients, 99 (41.1%) were males whereas 144 (58.9%) were females. The prevalence of cardiometabolic syndrome (MetS) was 42.7% with dyslipidemia and hypertension recording a prevalence of 6.6 and 36.1%, respectively. Being a female T2DM patient [aOR = 3.02, 95%CI (1.59–5.76), p = 0.001] and divorced [aOR = 4.05, 95%CI (1.22–13.43), p = 0.022] were the independent sociodemographic predictors of MetS among T2DM patients. The 4th quartile for ABSI and 2nd to 4th quartiles for BSI were associated with MetS on univariate logistic regression (p