PREVALENCE OF INTESTINAL PARASITES AMONG PATIENTS ATTENDED AZADI TEACHING HOSPITAL  IN DUHOK CITY-KURDISTAN REGION / IRAQ

Background and Objectives: Teenage first pregnancy is a significant public health problem as it often occurs in the context of poor social support and maternal wellbeing. It is consid-ered high risk for both the mother and infant. This study aimed to find out the effect of teenage pregnancy on neonatal health outcomes. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, prospective study was conducted in Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and involved all pregnant teenage mothers admitted to Sulaymaniyah Maternity Teaching Hospital from January 1, 2019, to June 30, 2019. Results: 332 of mothers aged ≤19 years and their newborns were studied. A higher pro-portion of teenage mothers were from rural areas than the urban areas (59.3% vs 40.7%). The percentage of teenage mothers who did not attend antenatal care was 11.14%, and irregular attendees represented 9.94 %. Compared with teenage mothers aged 14–16 years, teenage mothers aged 17–19 years had higher risks of anaemia, systemic infections, coincidental condition, low birth weight, preterm delivery and low Apgar score. The risk of aspiration of meconium and stillbirth among infants born to teenage mothers was statisti-cally not significant after adjustment for gestational age and birth weight, in addition to maternal characteristics and mode of delivery. Teenage pregnancy was associated with higher risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Conclusion: Prevention strategies and the improvement of healthcare are essential to re-duce the consequences of teenage pregnancy on maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Teenage women were less likely to receive antenatal care services. Use of community- and health facility-based education programs are necessary to prevent teenage pregnancy and thus reduce adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.

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A Retrospective Study of Intestinal Parasite among Patients in the Ho Teaching Hospital, Ghana

International Journal of TROPICAL DISEASE & Health ◽

10.9734/ijtdh/2019/v37i430173 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Maxwell Afranie Appiah ◽

Ebenezer Enam Adzaklo ◽

Eric Agboli

Keyword(s):

Retrospective Study ◽

Teaching Hospital ◽

Intestinal Parasite ◽

Intestinal Parasites ◽

Age Groups ◽

Parasite Infection ◽

Stool Examination ◽

Parasitic Infections ◽

Intestinal Parasite Infection ◽

Parasite Infections

Aim: To assess the prevalence of intestinal parasite infections among patients who visit the Ho Teaching Hospital for stool examination from 2012 to 2016. Study Design: Retrospective study. Place and Duration of Study: Ho Teaching Hospital, August 2017 to January 2018. Methodology: The hospital’s laboratory records were reviewed. Patients’ data were recorded using a well-designed data collection tool. Data was analyzed with Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20.0. Results: A total of 7045 patients visited the Ho Teaching Hospital laboratory for routine stool examination within the five-year period. From the 7045 patients, 703 of them were infected with at least one of the intestinal parasites. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasite infection for the five-year period was 10.0%. Intestinal flagellates (90.0%) were the most predominant intestinal parasites, and Entamoeba histolytica recorded 5.7%. Hookworm (0.9%) was the most prevailing soil-transmitted helminth. Ascaris lumbricoides (0.1%) and Schistosoma mansoni (0.1%) were the least recorded parasites. Highest infection was among patients within age group 20 to 29 years. However, age groups below 10 years recorded low infection. This study showed that age was a risk factor for acquiring intestinal parasite infection (P≤0.001). Conclusion: Intestinal parasitic infections were recorded among patients who visited the Ho Teaching Hospital. However, most of the patients were infected with intestinal flagellates. Various stakeholders should provide advance techniques in laboratory investigation of stool samples to enhance accurate diagnosis. Sensitization of the public about the dangers of intestinal parasites should also be undertaken by the stakeholders.

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