Exclusive Breastfeeding Practice and Its Factors in Rural Areas of Burkina Faso

Background: The recommendation of the WHO and UNICEF is that all infants should be exclusively breastfed up to 6 months of age. Identifying associated factors to exclusively breastfeeding is crucial to improve this key public health intervention. The objectives of the study were to investigate rates of exclusive breastfeeding and to identify potential associated factors. Methods: A Community based cross-sectional study design was conducted in three health districts. Cluster sampling was used. For the community based cross-sectional study, a total of 1832 infants was included. Exclusive breastfeeding have been investigated among the 563 under 6 month’s infants. The associations between exclusive breastfeeding and independent variables were tested using the Chi-square test. Crude Odds ratios with 95 % confidence intervals were used to investigate the factors independently associated with exclusively breastfeeding. Results: Proportion of infant 0 - 5.9 months of age who are fed exclusively with breastmilk was 40.0%. Ear of age for mother was found to be more likely to practice exclusive breastfeeding, COR [95CI%] = 2.11 [1.24 - 3.60] for 15 - 20 years of age and 2.0 [1.22 - 3.26]. Receiving advices, on exclusive breastfeeding was found to be more likely to practice exclusive breastfeeding, COR: 2.07, 95% CI: [1.44 - 2.98]. Mothers who have practice early initiation to breastfeeding were found to be more likely to practice exclusive breastfeeding COR: 1.62, 95% CI: [1.15 - 2.27]. Skilled delivery was found to be more likely to practice exclusive breastfeeding than non-skilled deliveries, COR: 1.66, 95% CI: [1.16 - 2.35]. Low numbers of living children by mother, young children, were found to be more likely to practice exclusive breastfeeding. Conclusions: Exclusive breastfeeding continues to be low in rural areas of Burkina Faso. As Exclusive breastfeeding is associated to lower morbidity and mortality risk, improving the skills of health providers to give adequate feeding support to the mothers is critical for promoting exclusively breastfeeding.

Antibiotics prescribed to febrile under-five children outpatients in urban public health services in Burkina Faso

Appropriate use of antibiotics remains critical for success in achieving MDG4. The aim of this study was to investigate antibiotics prescribing practices to febrile under-five children outpatients in urban public health services in a low income country. Methods: From March to April 2013, a cross-sectional epidemiological study of care facilities visit by under-five age, for febrile illness, was carried out in urban health services in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Patient demographics, diagnoses and medications were recorded. We calculated for each diagnoses several indicators for antibiotics use. Results: Our study showed an over-prescription of antibiotics at the university teaching hospital (78.08%) and at the first level facilities (57.71%) for under-five outpatients for febrile illness. There was evidence of high antibiotic prescription in children with diarrhea (more than 9 on 10 at university teaching hospital of diarrhea cases and 60% at the first level facilities), in children with Upper respiratory tract infections (respectively 60% and 85.2% of cases at university teaching hospital and at the first level facilities) and in children with malaria (respectively 47.5% and 17.6% of cases at university teaching hospital and at the first level facilities). Overuse, misuse and inappropriately prescribed antibiotic coexisted in our results: at university teaching hospital 90.9% of diarrhea cases, 60% of URTI cases,?47.5% of malaria cases received antibiotic prescription;at first level heath care facilities 85.2% of URTI, 17.6% of malaria cases received an prescribed antibiotic and 11.8% of LRTI did not received a prescribed antibiotic. Developing countries have poor access to newer antibiotics and irrational antibiotics use remains a global problem. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics combat, rigorous infectious diseases diagnosis, antimicrobial resistance consequences education of users and health professional’s prescribers, and improved surveillance of antimicrobial resistance, must be strengthened.

Early Initiation of Breastfeeding and Its Association in Rural Areas of Burkina Faso

Background: The global recommendations of the WHO and UNICEF are that all infants should start breastfeeding within one hour of birth. It is low-cost and has substantial potential to reduce neonatal and early infant morbidity. The objectives of the study were to investigate rate of early initiation of breastfeeding and to identify potential associated factors. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study design was conducted in three districts of Burkina Faso. Cluster sampling was used. The data were collected by using a structured and pretested interview questionnaire. The associations between early initiation and independent variables were tested using the Chi-square test. Crude Odds ratios (COR) with 95% confidence intervals were used. Results: Percentage of children who were put to the breast within one hour of birth was fair (41%). Having more than 2 antenatal care visits was found to be 1.43 times more likely to initiate breastfeeding early, COR: 1.4, 95% CI: [1.14 - 1.81], p Conclusions: This study demonstrates that delayed initiation of breastfeeding continues to be a problem in rural areas of Burkina Faso, as only four in 10 newborn infants received breast milk within the first hour of birth. The results show that receiving advices on early initiation of breastfeeding, child growth and feeding and skilled delivery were found to be more likely to initiate breastfeeding within one hour of delivery. Therefore improving the skills of health providers and, mother individual counselling and strengthening community-based support, are critical to improve timely initiation of breastfeeding.

Maternal Mortality Risk Factors in Regional Hospital of Burkina Faso

Individual causes and community determinants are synergic in maternal death occurrence. This study aimed to identify maternal mortality risk factors in a regional hospital. Material and Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study from data of 1807 hospitalized women. To identify maternal mortality risks factors, mortality hazard ratio (HR CI95%) has been calculated in univariate analysis and Cox proportional hazard model. Results: During hospitalization, 30 maternal deaths occurred. From Cox regression, adjusted mortality HR confirmed that women age older than 35 (HR = 2.5, CI95%: [1.2-5.7] and younger than 19 (HR = 3.02, CI95%: [1.5-6.7]);distance to hospital ≥10 Km (HR = 4.1, CI95%: [1.8-9.4];multiple deliveries (HR = 2.4, CI95%: [1.1-7.3]), less ante natal care (<3 visits) (HR = 3.03, CI95%: [0.97-9.48]);obstetrical maternal mortality directs causes (HR = 2.31, CI95%: [1.7-6.21]) and emergently reference (HR = 3.5, CI95%: [1.8-8.32]) were maternal mortality risk factors. Conclusion: In this regional hospital of low income country, identified maternal mortality factors are related to women socio-economic determinants and quality prenatal or obstetric care access. Interventions to reduce maternal mortality rate should be conducted within both household and women socio-economic status development and in maternal health and obstetric care strengthening.

Characteristics of Severely Anemic Pregnant Women and Perinatal Outcomes in Banfora Regional Hospital, Burkina Faso: An Epidemiological Study

Severe anemia during pregnancy remains an acute maternal health problem in low income countries and its management is a challenge. This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of hospitalized pregnant women with severe anemia and issue of the management in a regional hospital of a low income country. Material and Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2008, at a regional hospital maternity. Data of the 283 pregnancy severe anemia cases have been analyzed using usual Pearson’s Chi square test or Fisher’s exact test. Results: Of the 283 women with pregnancy severe anemia, 98% were illiterate, 98% were household women;majority were in the third trimester (64%);41% had no previous delivery;49% did not had antenatal care. There were no statistics association between hemoglobin values stage and gestational age, gravidity and parity. During the hospitalization, from the 283 women with pregnancy severe anemia, deliveries occurred on 22.6%;abortion on 1%. From the 64 deliveries, 45.3% were alive preterm birth, 20.3% preterm stillbirth, 25.0% at term birth and 9.4% at term stillbirth. Between the 45 alive babies, 91% were low birth weight. In global, from the 283 women, mortality rate was 2.8%. Conclusion:?Severe anemia during pregnancy results in maternal mortality, preterm, low birth and stillbirth even between hospitalized women. As most of the pregnancy anemia risk factors are chronic poverty related factors, intervention must be focused on prevention including health pregnant women iron supplementation and adequate nutritional diet promoting at both health facilities and community level.

Impact of Anemia on Mortality and Nutritional Recovery among Hospitalized Severely Malnourished Children in Burkina Faso

This study aimed to analyze the impact of anemia on mortality rate and nutritional recovery, during severely malnourished inpatient treatment. Material and Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted from data of severely malnourished children hospitalized at a feeding the rapeutic center. Pearson’s Chi square test, General linear model, Mortality relatives risks, Kaplan-Meir survival curves have been used. Results: At admission, 85.3% of included malnourished children had anemia (Hb ≤ 11 g/dl) and 10.6% severe anemic (Hb 6 g/dl). Mortality rate did not differed significantly from severely malnourished children with anemia (12.4%) and without anemia (22.2%), p = 0.12. Kaplan Meir survival curves did not differed significantly between the two groups, (p Log Rank = 0.11). From admission to discharge, anthropometric Z-scores means evolution did not differed significantly between severely malnourished children with and without anemia at admission. But anthropometric Z-scores means evolution differed significantly within each group’s subjects: WHZ (between groups: p = 0.74;within subjects: p 0.001), and WAZ (between groups: p = 0.54;within subjects: p 0.001). Conclusion: With a strong respect of current recommendation of anemia treatment of inpatient severely malnutrition management, there is no increased mortality rate in SAM anemic group;and nutritional recovery is significant within subjects of SAM anemic and non anemic children, without difference between groups.