Toxoplasmosis among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in a health facility in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Pregnant women in Malawi receive information about pregnancy, labour and delivery during routine antenatal visits. This study aimed to explore knowledge of obstetric complications amongst primigravidae attending an urban health centre in Blantyre, Malawi. A descriptive study design was used. Recognition of obstetric complications in pregnancy, during labour and after delivery and actions that participants would take if they developed any complications in pregnancy and after delivery were explored. Actions that women would take for complications that occur during labour were not probed, as women have little control over actions taken when complications arise during labour. Methods: Participants were selected by means of purposive sampling from a population of pregnant women who fitted defined criteria and who were attending antenatal clinic at a health centre. Forty-five primigravidae from the urban setting with a gestation period between 28 and 42 weeks were interviewed. Data were analysed manually. Results: The findings showed that participants were more aware of obstetric complications that could occur in pregnancy than of complications that may occur during and after delivery. Sixty percent of the participants were knowledgeable about obstetric complications in pregnancy. The majority of the participants, 73% and 82.2% did not know of any problems that could occur during and after the birth of the baby respectively. Participants had limited knowledge of complications that may need immediate treatment during all three periods. Fifty-eight percent (95% ci: 43; 73) of the primigravidae had some knowledge and could make an informed decision to go to a health facility with pregnancy complications. However, only 24% (95% ci: 11; 38) of the primigravidae had some knowledge and could make an informed decision to go to a health facility with complications after delivery. These findings suggest a critical need for provision of information on obstetric complications especially those that may occur during and after birth with emphasis on those obstetric complications that require immediate treatment.

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Effects of Intervention Schemes on Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine Compliance Among Pregnant Women in a Health Facility in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

International Journal of Infection ◽

10.5812/iji.107940 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol In Press (In Press) ◽

Author(s):

Helen Onoja ◽

Florence Nduka ◽

Austin E Abah

Keyword(s):

Birth Weight ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Health Facility ◽

Birth Outcomes ◽

Control Measure ◽

Intermittent Preventive Treatment ◽

Preventive Treatment ◽

Therapeutic Drug ◽

Port Harcourt ◽

Sulphadoxine Pyrimethamine

Background: Malaria causes diverse adverse effects in the fetus due to the invasion of the placenta by Plasmodium. The use of intermittent preventive treatment (Sulphadoxinepyrimethamine- IPTp-SP) as a control measure for malaria in pregnancy has been recommended and shown to reduce unwanted birth outcomes. Objectives: This work aimed to evaluate the effects of intervention schemes on sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) compliance and utilization among pregnant women in a health facility in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Methods: A hospital-based survey was carried out among pregnant women admitted to the Labor ward of Obio-Cottage hospital. The information of mothers was collected using a well-structured and pre-tested questionnaire and from their antenatal care (ANC) records. Results: Time of ANC registration indicated that 87%, 11.33%, and 1.66% of mothers were registered during their first, second, and third trimesters, respectively. Sulphadoxinepyrimethamine was the drug of choice for 93.66% of the women while 6.33% took other drugs. The survey revealed that 97.15% and 2.85% of the women started SP usage in their second and third trimesters, respectively. It was observed that the majority of the women (69.39%) took SP thrice while 24.19% and 6.40% consumed it twice and once, respectively. Regarding knowledge about SP, 89% of the women viewed SP as a preventive drug for malaria while 11% acknowledged it as a therapeutic drug. The birth outcomes of the neonates whose mothers took SP indicated that 1.42% had low birth weight (LBW) while 98.57% had acceptable birth weight. Meanwhile, 10.53% of the babies born to the mothers who did not use SP had LBW, and 89.47% of them had acceptable birth weights. Overall, 98.93% of the neonates of SP-compliant women and 89.48% of the babies of non-compliant women were alive. Non- compliant women had higher prevalence of preterm birth (5.76%) and fetal death (5.26%) than SP-compliant women (0.7% and 0.35%, respectively). Conclusions: Adequate knowledge and compliance with SP usage were high in the studied population, which was associated with favorable birth outcomes.

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