Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Editorial: Care During Pregnancy And Early Childhood For Growth And Development In Low- And Middle- Income Countries, Ranadip Chowdhury, Ravi Prakash Upadhyay, Bireshwar Sinha, Nita Bhandari, Sunita Taneja, Jai K. Das

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Pre And Post Foley Catheter Bishop’S Score: A Retrospective Record Review At Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi, Pakistan, Ayesha Malik, Sheikh Irfan Ahmed, Farheen Yousuf, Azra Amerjee, Sumaira Naz, Safna Naozer Virji Safna Naozer Virji

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Objective: To compare pre and post Foley's catheter Bishop Score during labour induction.
Methods: This study was a retrospective study conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi, Pakistan after approval from ethical review board. All women who underwent induction of labour with Foley's Catheter at gestation of 37 weeks or more from September 2014-October 2015 were included. Data was entered and analyzed in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19.0. The comparison between pre and post Foley's catheter Bishop Score during labour induction will be calculated by Wilcoxon sign test.
Results: There were 981 cases of inductions of …

Evaluating The Effect Of Maternal Non-Communicable Disease On Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes And Birthweight In Pakistan, A Facility Based Retrospective Cohort Study, Esther Wainwright, Sheikh Irfan Ahmed, Rahat Qureshi, Sana Yousuf, Raheela Khan, Matthew Elmes

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) claim 74% of global lives, disproportionately affecting lower and middle-income countries like Pakistan. NCDs may increase the risk of preterm birth (PTB), caesarean section (CS), and low birthweight. This study aims to determine whether the high prevalence of NCDs in Pakistan play a role in the high rates of preterm births, and CS. This retrospective cohort study from Aga Khan University Hospital, Pakistan, investigated effects of pre-existing NCDs on pregnancy outcomes of 817 pregnant women. Medical records were used to generate odds ratios for the risk of PTB, labour outcome and birthweight in women with type 1 …

Infant Growth And Body Composition From Birth To 24 Months: Are Infants Developing The Same?, Shane A. Norris, Lukhanyo H. Nyati, Alexia Murphy Alford, Nishani Lucas, Ina S. Santos, Caroline S. Costa, Rebecca Kuriyan, V Pujitha Wickranasinghe, Shabina Ariff, Andrew P. Hills

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Given the importance of infancy for establishing growth trajectories, with later-life health consequences, we investigated longitudinal body composition among infants from six economically and ethnically diverse countries.
Methods: We recruited mother-infant dyads using the WHO Multicenter Growth Reference Study criteria. We measured fat-free mass (FFM) in 1393 (49% female) infants from birth to 6 months of age (Australia, India, and South Africa; n = 468), 3-24 months of age (Brazil, Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka; n = 925), and derived fat mass (FM), fat mass index (FMI), and fat-free mass index (FFMI). Height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-age (WAZ), and weight-for-length …

Uterine Rupture In The First Trimester: A Case Report And Review Of The Literature., Steve Mutiso, Felix Oindi, Debbie Mundia

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Uterine rupture is a rare complication that can occur in the frst trimester of pregnancy. It can lead to serious maternal morbidity or mortality, which is mostly due to catastrophic bleeding. First trimester uterine rupture is rare; hence, diagnosis can be challenging as it may be confused with other causes of early pregnancy bleeding such as an ectopic pregnancy. We present a case of frst trimester scar dehiscence and conduct a literature review of this rare condition.

Case presentation: A 39-year-old African patient with four previous hysterotomy scars presented with severe lower abdominal pain at 11 weeks of gestation. …

Impact Of Opioid-Free Analgesia On Pain Severity And Patient Satisfaction After Discharge From Surgery: Multispecialty, Prospective Cohort Study In 25 Countries, Tabish Chawla, Aliya Aziz, Anoosha Marium, Ayesha Akbar Waheed, Faiqa Binte Aamir, Faiza Qureshi, Hammad Ather, Iqra Fatima Munawar Ali, Izza Tahir, Maha Ghulam Akbar, Ronika Devi Ukrani, Sajjan Raja, Sehar Salim Virani, Shahryar Noordin, Saif Ur Rehman, Shalni Golani, Syed Roohan Aamir, Syed Musa Mufarrih, Usama Waqar, Maliha Taufiq

Section of General Surgery

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.
Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview …

Support, Networks, And Relationships: Findings From A Mixed-Methods Evaluation Of A Mentorship Programme For Early Career Women Researchers In Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights, Muhammad Asim, Peter Muriuki Gatheru, Joy J. Chebet, Mehr G. Shah, Anna Thorson, Vanessa Brizuela

Community Health Sciences

Low research output among women researchers in health research has been linked to inadequate mentorship opportunities for early career women researchers and particularly in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) field. Mentorship has been recognized as a contributor to strengthening research capacity and as beneficial for both mentors and mentees. Women researchers oftentimes experience negative impacts of organizational and structural gender inequities related to formal and informal mentoring. In 2020, the UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction at WHO launched a mentorship programme for early career SRHR women researchers from low- and …

The Analgesic Efficacy Of Ultrasound-Guided Transversus Abdominis Plane Block Vs. Local Anesthetic Infiltration Technique In Major Gynecologic Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Samina Ismail, Akbar A. Mistry, Ali S. Siddiqui, Aliya Aziz, Nadeem Zuberi

Department of Anaesthesia

Background and aim: Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block and local anesthetic infiltration (LAI) technique are used as part of the multimodal analgesic regimen after abdominal surgery. Postoperative opioid consumption and analgesic efficacy was compared using TAP and LAI techniques in patients undergoing gynecologic surgery in a randomized, controlled clinical trial.
Material and methods: Total of 135 patients scheduled for major gynecological surgeries were allocated into three groups: group T received bilateral TAP block with bupivacaine 0.25%; group I received LAI with 0.25% bupivacaine with epinephrine 5 μ/mL in the peritoneum and abdominal wall, and group C was control group. Anesthesia …

Protocol For Intervention Development To Improve Adolescent Perinatal Mental Health In Kenya And Mozambique: The Inspire Project, Kethakie Lamahewa, Sally Griffin, Nadine Seward, Marleen Temmerman, Jonathan West, Málica De Melo, Elizabeth Raby, Aline Alonso, Bethan Burnside, Fernando Chissale

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Introduction: Mental health interventions have traditionally been developed by clinicians and researchers without the meaningful engagement and partnership with those who would receive, deliver, and fund them. Recent progress has highlighted the importance of the co-design of interventions, through stakeholder participation, as a means of increasing the integration of mental health interventions into existing health, education, and social care systems. This protocol describes the pre-implementation phase of the INSPIRE (Innovative approaches to adolescent perinatal wellbeing) project which aims to identify challenges, and design and test interventions to promote mental wellbeing and good mental health of adolescent girls during pregnancy and …

Microbiota Dynamics, Metabolic And Immune Interactions In The Cervicovaginal Environment And Their Role In Spontaneous Preterm Birth, Stanely Onyango, Jia Dai Mi, Anjela Koech, Patricia Okiro, Marleen Temmerman, Peter Von Dadelszen, Rachel Marie Tribe, Geoffrey Omuse

Pathology, East Africa

Differences in the cervicovaginal microbiota are associated with spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB), a significant cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Although establishing a direct causal link between cervicovaginal microbiota and sPTB remains challenging, recent advancements in sequencing technologies have facilitated the identification of microbial markers potentially linked to sPTB. Despite variations in findings, a recurring observation suggests that sPTB is associated with a more diverse and less stable vaginal microbiota across pregnancy trimesters. It is hypothesized that sPTB risk is likely to be modified via an intricate host-microbe interactions rather than due to the presence of a single microbial taxon …

Sars-Cov-2 Seroprevalence In Pregnant Women In Kilifi, Kenya From March 2020 To March 2022, Angela Koech, Geoffrey Omuse, Alex Mugo, Isaac Mwaniki, Joseph Mutunga, Moses Mukhanya, Onesmus Wanje, Grace Mwashigadi, Geoffrey Katana, Marleen Temmerman

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Background: Seroprevalence studies are an alternative approach to estimating the extent of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and the evolution of the pandemic in different geographical settings. We aimed to determine the SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence from March 2020 to March 2022 in a rural and urban setting in Kilifi County, Kenya.

Methods: We obtained representative random samples of stored serum from a pregnancy cohort study for the period March 2020 to March 2022 and tested for antibodies against the spike protein using a qualitative SARS-CoV-2 ELISA kit (Wantai, total antibodies). All positive samples were retested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 anti-nucleocapsid antibodies (Euroimmun, ELISA kits, NCP, …

Survival Of Cervical Cancer Patients At Moi Teaching And Referral Hospital, Eldoret In Western Kenya, E Mwaliko, P. Itsura, A. Keter, N. Buziba, H. Bastiaens, A. Jackie, A. Obala, V. Naanyu, P. Gichangi, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background Cervical cancer is a major health burden and the second most common cancer after breast cancer among women in Kenya. Worldwide cervical cancer constitutes 3.1% of all cancer cases. Mortality rates are greatest among the low-income countries because of lack of awareness, screening and early-detection programs and adequate treatment facilities.

The main aim was to estimate survival and determine survival predictors of women with cervical cancer and limited resources in western Kenya.

Methods Retrospective charts review of women diagnosed with cervical cancer and follow-up for two years from the date of the histologic diagnosis. The outcome of interest was …

Maternal And Perinatal Outcomes Of Women With Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Section Compared To Repeat Cesarean Birth In Select South Asian And Latin American Settings Of The Global Network For Women's And Children's Health Research, Lester Figueroa, Margo Harrison, Manolo Mazariegos, Shivaprasad Gouda, Avinash Kavi, Richard Derman, Archana Patel, Prabir Das, Sarah Saleem, Farnaz Naqvi

Community Health Sciences

Objective: Our objective was to analyze a prospective population-based registry including five sites in four low- and middle-income countries to observe characteristics associated with vaginal birth after cesarean versus repeat cesarean birth, as well as maternal and newborn outcomes associated with the mode of birth among women with a history of prior cesarean.
Hypothesis: Maternal and perinatal outcomes among vaginal birth after cesarean section will be similar to those among recurrent cesarean birth.
Methods: A prospective population-based study, including home and facility births among women enrolled from 2017 to 2020, was performed in communities in Guatemala, India (Belagavi and Nagpur), …

The Knowledge, Experiences, And Barriers Associated With Male Involvement In Family Planning At Lal Qila, District Dir (Lower), Kpk, Pakistan: A Descriptive Exploratory Study, Jalal Khan

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Pakistan is one of the world’s most populous countries with a high growth rate. The overgrowth in population negatively affects the country’s socioeconomic progress in many aspects, like education, housing, employment, and health. Family Planning (FP) is the best way to reduce the fertility rate and control population overgrowth through contraception. FP positively impacts the mother's health and the productive results of every pregnancy.
Purpose: This study aims to explore the knowledge, experiences, and barriers associated with male involvement in family planning.
Method: A qualitative exploratory design was used with a purposive sampling technique to explore the perceptions of …

Normative Spatiotemporal Fetal Brain Maturation With Satisfactory Development At 2 Years, Ana I. L. Namburete, Bartłomiej W. Papież, Michelle Fernandes, Madeleine K. Wyburd, Linde S. Hesse, Felipe A. Moser, Leila Cheikh Ismail, Robert B. Gunier, Waney Squier, Maria Carvalho

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Maturation of the human fetal brain should follow precisely scheduled structural growth and folding of the cerebral cortex for optimal postnatal function1 . We present a normative digital atlas of fetal brain maturation based on a prospective international cohort of healthy pregnant women2 , selected using World Health Organization recommendations for growth standards3 . Their fetuses were accurately dated in the first trimester, with satisfactory growth and neurodevelopment from early pregnancy to 2 years of age4,5 . The atlas was produced using 1,059 optimal quality, three dimensional ultrasound brain volumes from 899 of the fetuses and an automated analysis pipeline6–8 …

Leep More Effective Than Cryotherapy As Effective Treatment For Cin Lesions In Women Living With Hiv And Without Hiv In Western Kenya (2129), Naaman Mehta, Elkanah Omenge, Ann Mwangi, Victor Omodi, Tao Liu, Edwin Sang, Philip Tonui, Peter Itsura, Patrick J. Loehrer, Susan Cu-Uvin

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Objectives: Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in women with HIV (WHIV) is over twice as likely to progress in severity than in women without HIV. This study assessed the results of cryotherapy or LEEP for CIN among WHIV compared to women without HIV in Western Kenya.

Methods: A total of 120 WHIV (60 cryotherapies, 60 LEEP) and 120 women without HIV (60 cryotherapies and 60 LEEP) were intended to be enrolled after a positive visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA). However, only 86 WHIV (39 cryotherapies, 47 LEEP) and 89 women without HIV (46 cryotherapies, 43 LEEP) who had follow-ups within …

Health Facilities Preparedness To Deliver Maternal And Newborn Health Care In Kilifi And Kisii Counties, Kenya, James Orwa, Marleen Temmerman, Lucy Nyaga, Kennedy Mulama, Stanley Luchters

Population Health, East Africa

Introduction: Health facility preparedness is essential for delivering quality maternal and newborn care, minimizing morbidity and mortality by addressing delays in seeking skilled care, reaching appropriate facilities, and receiving emergency care. A rapid assessment of 23 government health facilities in Kilifi and Kisii counties identified poor maternal and newborn indicators in 16 facilities. The Access to Quality Care through Extending and Strengthening Health Systems (AQCESS) project supported these facilities with training, equipment, and referral linkages. This study focuses on facility preparedness of the 16 facilities to deliver maternal and newborn health services, specifically delays two and three at the end …

Umbilical Cord Hemangioma And Pseudocyst With Favorable Fetal Outcome, Sikolia Wanyonyi, Felix Nyagaka, Patricia Okiro, Lilian Ogutu, Alice Nyaichowa, Felix Oindi, Evan Sequeira

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Umbilical cord hemangiomas are rare neoplasms of vascular origin, commonly found in the free section of the umbilical cord proximal to placental insertion. They are associated with an increased risk of fetal mortality. We present a rare co- occurrence of an umbilical cord hemangioma and a pseudocyst managed conservatively, with favorable fetal outcome despite the interval increase in size, decreased caliber of the umbilical arteries, and fetal chest compression.

Pregnancy-Related Mortality Up To 1 Year Postpartum In Sub-Saharan Africa: An Analysis Of Verbal Autopsy Data From Six Countries, Ursula Gazeley, Georges Reniers, Julio E. Romero- Prieto, Clara Calvert, Momodou Jasseh, Kobus Herbst, Sammy Khagayi, David Obor, Daniel Kwaro, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Objective: To compare the causes of death for women who died during pregnancy and within the first 42 days postpartum with those of women who died between >42 days and within 1 year postpartum.

Design: Open population cohort (Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems).

Setting: Ten Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSS) in The Gambia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Ethiopia and South Africa.

Population: 2114 deaths which occurred within 1 year of the end of pregnancy where a verbal autopsy interview was conducted from 2000 to 2019.

Methods: InterVA5 and InSilicoVA verbal autopsy algorithms were used to at-tribute the most likely underlying …

The Impact Of Covid-19 Mitigation Measures On Sexual And Reproductive Health In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: A Rapid Review, Elizabeth Ochola, Maheshwari Andhavarapu, Poppy Sun, Abdu Mohiddin, Ferdinand Okwaro, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Pandemic mitigation measures can have a negative impact on access and provision of essential healthcare services including sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. This rapid review looked at the literature on the impact of COVID-19 mitigation measures on SRH and gender-based violence (GBV) on women in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) using WHO rapid review guidance. We looked at relevant literature published in the English language from January 2020 to October 2021 from LMICs using WHO rapid review methods. A total of 114 articles were obtained from PubMed, Google Scholar and grey literature of which 20 met the eligible criteria. …

Association Of Plasma Afatoxin With Persistent Detection Of Oncogenic Human Papillomaviruses In Cervical Samples From Kenyan Women Enrolled In A Longitudinal Study, Yan Tong, Philip Tonui, Elkanah Orang'o, Jianjun Zhang, Titus Maina, Kapten Muthoka, John Groopman, Joshua Smith, Erin Madeen, Aaron Ermel

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Cervical cancer is caused by oncogenic human papillomaviruses (HR-HPV) and is common among Kenyan women. Identifcation of factors that increase HR-HPV persistence is critically important. Kenyan women exposed to afatoxin have an increased risk of HR-HPV detection in cervical specimens. This analysis was performed to examine associations between afatoxin and HR-HPV persistence.

Methods: Kenyan women were enrolled in a prospective study. The analytical cohort for this analysis included 67 HIVuninfected women (mean age 34 years) who completed at least two of three annual study visits and had an available blood sample. Plasma afatoxin was detected using ultra-high pressure liquid …

Integrating Human Papillomavirus Testing As A Point-Of Care Service Using Genexpert Platforms: Findings And Lessons From A Kenyan Pilot Study (2019–2020), Valerian Mwenda, Joan-Paula Bor, Mary Nyangasi, James Njeru, Sharon Olwande, Patricia Njiri, Marc Arbyn, Philippe Tummers, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Globally, cervical cancer is a major public health problem, with about 604,000 new cases and over 340,000 deaths in 2020. In Kenya, it is the leading cause of cancer deaths, with over 3,000 women dying in 2020 alone. Both the Kenyan cancer screening guidelines and the World Health Organization’s Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy recommend human papillomavirus (HPV) testing as the primary screening test. However, HPV testing is not widely available in the public healthcare system in Kenya. We conducted a pilot study using a point of care (POC) HPV test to inform national roll-out.

Methods: The …

Trends And Factors Associated With Declining Lifetime Fertility Among Married Women In Kenya Between 2003 And 2014: An Analysis Of Kenya Demographic Health Surveys, James Orwa, Samwel Maina Gatimu, Paulino Ariho, Marleen Temmerman, Stanley Luchters

Population Health, East Africa

Background Globally, fertility has declined in the last three decades. In sub-Saharan Africa Including Kenya, this decline started more recent and at a slower pace compared to other regions. Despite a significant fertility decline in Kenya, there are disparities in intra- and interregional fertility. Reduction in lifetime fertility has health benefits for both the mother and child, thus it is important to improve women and children health outcomes associated with high fertility. The study, therefore evaluated the factors associate with change in lifetime fertility among married women of reproductive age in Kenya between 2003 and 2014.

Methods The study used …

Machine Learning For Accurate Estimation Of Fetal Gestational Age Based On Ultrasound Images, Lok Hin Lee, Elizabeth Bradburn, Rachel Craik, Mohammad Yaqub, Shane A. Norris, Leila Cheikh Ismail, Eric O. Ohuma, Fernando C. Barros, Maria Carvalho, Shama Munim, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Accurate estimation of gestational age is an essential component of good obstetric care and informs clinical decision-making throughout pregnancy. As the date of the last menstrual period is often unknown or uncertain, ultrasound measurement of fetal size is currently the best method for estimating gestational age. The calculation assumes an average fetal size at each gestational age. The method is accurate in the first trimester, but less so in the second and third trimesters as growth deviates from the average and variation in fetal size increases. Consequently, fetal ultrasound late in pregnancy has a wide margin of error of at …

Long-Term Safety And Efficacy Of Non-Absorbable Abdominal Mesh For Apical Prolapse Surgery: A 10-Year Experience At Tertiary Care Hospital, Samia Aijaz, Novera G. Chughtai, Urooj Kashif, Summera Malik

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Objectives: To evaluate the complications of apical prolapse correction with abdominally placed mesh and to assess the long-term efficacy of Sacrohysteropexy and Sacrocolpopexy.
Method: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Aga Khan University Hospital. All women who underwent apical prolapse surgery using abdominal mesh from January 2010 to December 2019 at AKUH were included. Patients with missing routine follow up visits and incomplete data up to one year post op were excluded. Patient notes were reviewed, and subjective and objective success and complications were analyzed. Safety was measured by incidence of intra, early …

Generalisability Of Fetal Ultrasound Deep Learning Models To Low-Resource Imaging Settings In Five African Countries, Carla Sendra-Balcells, Víctor M. Campello, Jordina Torrents-Barrena, Yahya Ali Ahmed, Mustafa Elattar, Benard Ohene-Botwe, Pempho Nyangulu, William Stones, Sikolia Wanyonyi, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Most artificial intelligence (AI) research and innovations have concentrated in high-income countries, where imaging data, IT infrastructures and clinical expertise are plentiful. However, slower progress has been made in limited-resource environments where medical imaging is needed. For example, in Sub-Saharan Africa, the rate of perinatal mortality is very high due to limited access to antenatal screening. In these countries, AI models could be implemented to help clinicians acquire fetal ultrasound planes for the diagnosis of fetal abnormalities. So far, deep learning models have been proposed to identify standard fetal planes, but there is no evidence of their ability to generalise …

Clinical Risk Factors Of Adverse Outcomes Among Women With Covid-19 In The Pregnancy And Postpartum Period: A Sequential, Prospective Meta-Analysis, Emily R. Smith, Erin Oakley, Gargi Wable Grandner, Gordon Rukundo, Fouzia Farooq, Kacey Ferguson, Sasha Baumann, Kristina Adams Waldorf, Yalda Afshar, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Objective: This sequential, prospective meta-analysis (sPMA) sought to identify risk factors among pregnant and postpartum women with COVID-19 for adverse outcomes related to: disease severity, maternal morbidities, neonatal mortality and morbidity, adverse birth outcomes.

Data sources: We prospectively invited study investigators to join the sPMA via professional research networks beginning in March 2020.

Study eligibility criteria: Eligible studies included those recruiting at least 25 consecutive cases of COVID-19 in pregnancy within a defined catchment area.

Study appraisal and synthesis methods: We included individual patient data from 21 participating studies. Data quality was assessed, and harmonized variables for risk factors and …

Metabolomics Of A Neonatal Cohort From The Alliance For Maternal And Newborn Health Improvement Biorepository: Effect Of Preanalytical Variables On Reference Intervals, Lena Jafri, Aysha Habib Khan, Muhammad Ilyas, Muhammad Imran Nisar, Javairia Khalid, Hafsa Majid, Aneeta Hotwani, Fyezah Jehan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: The study was conducted to determine reference interval (RI) and evaluate the effect of preanalytical variables on Dried blood spot (DBS)-amino acids, acylcarnitines and succinylacetone of neonates.
Methodology: DBS samples were collected within 48-72 hours of life. Samples were analyzed for biochemical markers on tandem mass spectrometer at the University of Iowa. Comparison of RI across various categorical variables were performed.
Results: A total of 610 reference samples were selected based on exclusion criteria; 53.2% being females. Mean gestational age (GA) of mothers at the time of delivery was 38.7±1.6 weeks; 24.5% neonates were of low birth weight and …

Quality Of Life And Sexual Function Of Women With Endometriosis At The Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi, Edna Mohere Chacha

Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Endometriosis is a benign, chronic condition that affects up to ten percent of women of childbearing age. It’s marked by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity (Giudice, 2010). It is a health condition with wide-ranging and pervasive sequelae making it a significant health concern requiring appropriate action (Rush & Misajon, 2018). We observed that there was a paucity of data relating to how endometriosis impacted on female sexual function and quality of life in sub-Saharan Africa, Kenya included.

Objectives: The primary goal of this empirical investigation was to determine the quality of life of women who …

Placental Histopathological Changes In Covid-19 And Their Associated Effects On Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes, Eric Mugambi

Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among pregnant women. Pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2 are at a greater risk of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, non-iatrogenic preterm birth, stillbirth, and small for gestational age infants/fetal growth restriction (SGA/FGR), which share a common placental etiology. Placental histopathological changes attributed to COVID-19 have been demonstrated but there is a knowledge gap in how these changes impact pregnancy outcomes particularly those of placental origin.

Objectives: To investigate if there is an association between placental histopathology (maternal vascular malperfusion (MVM), fetal vascular malperfusion (FVM), acute and chronic inflammatory pathology, and other findings …