ABSTRACT Background: Babies delivered before term (ie. 37 completed weeks) are known as preterm birth. Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal mortality globally with associated long term disability. However, there are factors that affect the survival rate in premature babies; these include the use of corticosteroids during antenatal, the weight of babies at birth, the sex, gestational age and plurality. This study seeks to assess the association of preterm characteristics such as birt...
ABSTRACT Background: Malaria burden among vulnerable groups is of immense public health importance. Both local and international stakeholders in health are harnessing efforts to curtail the consequences of malaria through control interventions like indoor residual spraying (IRS), intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp), seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC), and ITN use to reduce transmission. ITNs are freely distributed to meet universal coverage and the Abuja declaration of attaining over...
ABSTRACT Introduction: The increase in contraceptive knowledge does not correlate with user uptake and fertility decline. Majority of women are knowledgeable about contraceptives and its benefits, however, few women are using it. Method discontinuation or switching after adoption has increased among women. Since the pattern of a women’s contraceptive use has a direct impact on fertility and population growth, it is imperative that population control programs target them to ensure consistenc...
ABSTRACT Background Autism is a condition that is increasing worldwide. Preschool teachers who are the primary caregivers beside parents in most situations, are not able to accurately detect the signs and symptoms of autism and respond appropriately as this is of utmost importance to help provide the best healthcare to autistic children. The study was conducted with the aim to assess the perception of preschool teachers towards child autism in the Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipality. Methods A to...
ABSTRACT Background: The first two years of a child’s life is particularly important, as good nutrition during this time lowers morbidity and mortality, and promotes development of the child. Complementary feeding (CF) period represents a window of opportunity for avoiding all forms of malnutrition. It has also been established that when CF practices are scaled up to nearly universal levels, about 100,000 deaths of children under five could be prevented. In Ghana, only 13% of mothers practi...
ABSTRACT Introduction: The incidence of meconium in amniotic fluid (MAF) is between 10%and 16% of full-term births of women considered to be at normal risk. Meconium Aspiration Syndrome (MAS) is a complication present in MAF and constitutes an important cause of perinatal mortality. Objectives: The study was to determine the factors influencing meconium stained amniotic fluid deliveries outcomes. Specifically, the study sought to assess factors influencing fetal outcomes of Meconium Stained ...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Access to quality healthcare depends on the availability of qualified and adequate healthcare workers; unfortunately, most health workers prefer to work in urban and peri-urban communities to the detriment of those living in rural communities including Krachi West District. Identifying factors influencing acceptance of rural posting and formulating policies based on these factors will improve rural posting acceptance. This study, therefore, investigated factors influenc...
ABSTRACT Among some of the diseases of public health importance in the Tema metropolis, diarrhoea has consistently been one of the five most prevalent diseases (DHMT report 2006). Though there had been some work done on hospital based surveillance for severe diarrhoea to assess the burden of disease due to rotavirus, it did not extend beyond the hospital setting. However, home management is usually the initial approach adopted by caregivers of children with acute diarrhoea. This study therefo...
ABSTRACT Anaemia in pregnancy continues to be a huge public health problem worldwide with multiple adverse outcomes on both mother and child especially in developing countries. The causes of anaemia among pregnant women (PW) are multifactorial and may be associated with inadequate dietary intake of iron-rich foods. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of a nutrition education (NE) intervention on haemoglobin (Hb) levels, knowledge and dietary intake of anaemic PW in Gomoa East (GE)...
ABSTRACT Background Beneficial effects of Intermittent Preventive Treatment in pregnancy (IPTP-SP) on the mother and birth outcomes are known. The few studies on the effects of IPTp-SP beyond in utero have been contradictory and tended to focus on late infancy and beyond. Mechanisms and targets explaining effects of IPTp-SP beyond in utero remain largely unknown. This study determined if IPTp-SP use was associated with risk of malaria and all cause mortality in early infancy and if maternall...
ABSTRACT Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) contributes largely to the burden of sexual ill health in Ghana. It is, therefore, important to apply a continuum of strategies to curtail these outcomes (postpartum hemorrhage, puerperal endometritis, operative vaginal delivery, episiotomy, pre- term delivery, maternal disability and death). The Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GSS, 2014) recorded low (25.1%) Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) knowledge among Ghanaian adolescents. T...
ABSTRACT The issue of maternal mortality continues to plague many developing countries including Ghana. To address this problem the Prevention of Maternal Mortality (PMM) programme was established in two districts in Ghana by a team of both local and foreign researchers in 1989. They constituted themselves into two teams in Accra and Kumasi. However actual work on the field by the Kumasi team in the Ejisu-Juaben district where they concentrated their activities was started in 1993 and ende...
ABSTRACT Rational use of medicines (RUM) for all medical conditions is an essential element in achieving quality of health and medical care for patients. Yet more than 50% of all medicines worldwide are prescribed, dispensed or sold inappropriately. Ensuring the availability, affordability and rational use of quality medicines is an issue of concern in developing countries. Irrational drug use affects quality of health care and access and exerts undue financial burden on the health care ...
ABSTRACT Overweight and obesity have reached unprecedented levels worldwide and the WHO has described obesity as an „epidemic‟. Of great concern are the data pointing to the recent increase in the prevalence of obesity regardless of age group and country. Childhood and adolescence obesity are on the rise worldwide. Several factors have been associated with overweight and obesity, some of which are; diet, physical inactivity, age, sex, familial, socioeconomic status, childhood obesity. The...
ABSTRACT Evidence indicates that promoting birth preparedness and pregnancy complications readiness have important roles in combating maternal mortality. The purpose of the study was to assess birth preparedness and determinants influencing facility-based deliveries among expectant mothers in the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ghana. The systematic random sampling technique was then used to select pregnant women for the study using structured questionnaires. Data quality was ensured via crossche...