<strong>Background: </strong>South Africa struggles to improve maternal health outcomes resulting to its failure to achieve millennium development goal for maternal health. Non-utilisation of antenatal hea...<strong>Background: </strong>South Africa struggles to improve maternal health outcomes resulting to its failure to achieve millennium development goal for maternal health. Non-utilisation of antenatal health services by pregnant mothers is the leading cause of unbooked cases that complicate the labour stages. <strong>Purpose:</strong> The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of midwives for caring unbooked pregnant women in a maternity unit at a district hospital in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. <strong>Design and Methods:</strong> A phenomenological approach was adopted in this study. Specifically, a descriptive phenomenological deign was used to explore midwives’ experiences for caring unbooked pregnant women in maternity ward of a district hospital on six (6) purposively selected midwives. In this study, the researcher utilised individual, semi structured phenomenological interviews to collect data from midwives caring for unbooked pregnant mothers in a maternity unit. Data saturation was reached after carrying out the six interviews. These interviews were audio taped and transcribed verbatim and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis framework steps method of qualitative data was applied to analyse the collected data.<strong> Results:</strong> Three thematic categories emerged from data analysis: 1) Experiences of midwives, which interfered with emotional challenges leading to fear and anxiety. Experiences of midwives were also associated with shortage of midwives and leading to maternal incidences. 2) Caring for unbooked pregnant mothers interfered with incompetency and inexperienced midwives and reported a lack of debriefing. 3) Support system which was seen as lacking from managers. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> The study recommended collaboration with primary health care clinics including community leaders, and employment of highly skilled professionals and in-service trainings of the current midwives to minimise unnecessary incidences.展开更多
Background:Self-medication is a common practice among pregnant mothers in many developing countries Uganda inclusive.Despite its adverse effects to the pregnant mother and the developing fetus,limited efforts are in p...Background:Self-medication is a common practice among pregnant mothers in many developing countries Uganda inclusive.Despite its adverse effects to the pregnant mother and the developing fetus,limited efforts are in place to reduce the practice.This study was conducted to assess the practices and knowledge of the dangers of self-medication among pregnant mothers attending antenatal care in Iganga district,Uganda.Method s:A cross sectional approach was employed using convenient sampling technique among 181 pregnant mothers at the antenatal clinic.An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect data that was analyzed descriptively using SPSS software.Results:Out of the 181 respondents,119(65.75%)self-medicated during their current pregnancy obtaining drugs from pharmacies 42(23.20%).Majority of the mothers 129(71.27%)had good knowledge concerning the dangers of self-medication with 66.85%reporting that it was a bad practice.Regarding the dangers of self-medication,23.76%reported fetal death while 24.86%stated miscarriages.There was a significant association between self-medication practice and occupation(P-value=0.04;OR=1.21 at 95%CI).Conclusion:Self-medication remains a common practice among pregnant mothers in Iganga district despite the fact that a large proportion of them have good knowledge regarding the dangers of self-medication.Therefore,further investigations into the associated factors and strict measures to combat the risks of self-medication during pregnancy should be embarked on.展开更多
Background:Prenatal iron and folic acid supplementation is an economical strategy for reducing iron and folic acid deficiency anemia among expectant mothers in resource-limited countries like Uganda.This study aimed t...Background:Prenatal iron and folic acid supplementation is an economical strategy for reducing iron and folic acid deficiency anemia among expectant mothers in resource-limited countries like Uganda.This study aimed to assess the level of compliance with iron and folic acid supplementation(IFAS)and identify associated factors among mothers receiving prenatal services in Lira district,Uganda.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted at the antenatal clinic of Lira Regional Referral Hospital,involving 252 pregnant mothers.Adherence levels to IFAS were evaluated using a visual analogue scale,and associated factors were collected through an interviewer-administered questionnaire.The data were analyzed using SPSS software,and the results were presented in tables.Results:Only 46%of the mothers attending the antenatal clinic adhered to IFAS during the 30 days preceding the study.Participants who had good knowledge of IFAS before recruitment(odds ratio(OR)1.49,95%confidence interval(CI)1.12–1.97),utilized reminder techniques(OR 1.05,95%CI 1.02–1.09),and received support from their partners or relatives(OR 1.56,95%CI 1.07–2.29)were more likely to have good adherence.The main reasons for missing IFAS were forgetfulness and fear of taking too many tablets.Conclusions:There was a low adherence rate to IFAS among mothers attending antenatal clinics in Lira district.Further investigations are recommended to identify barriers to adherence,and comprehensive health education programs should be provided to pregnant mothers.展开更多
More than 90% of HIV-positive children come from mother-to-child transmission, so mother-to-child interdiction is the main measure to prevent AIDS in children. Relevant data show that the incidence of mother-to-child ...More than 90% of HIV-positive children come from mother-to-child transmission, so mother-to-child interdiction is the main measure to prevent AIDS in children. Relevant data show that the incidence of mother-to-child transmission of HIV usually fluctuates between 15% and 50% without intervention. Standardized and effective comprehensive intervention can reduce the transmission rate of mother to child to less than 1%. At present, it is believed that mother-to-child transmission of AIDS can be blocked by comprehensive intervention, and its mechanism has been clearly studied. Combined with highly effective antiviral treatment, safe labor and artificial feeding, the mother to child transmission rate can be reduced to less than 1%. However, due to the effect of drugs on mother-to-child transmission of AIDS may lead to some changes in the main biochemical indicators of mother-to-child, there is no systematic analysis of the viral load, T lymphocyte subsets and major biochemical indicators of HIV/AIDS pregnant women before and after maternal-to-child transmission. In this study, the viral load, T lymphocyte subsets and major biochemical indicators of HIV/AIDS pregnant women before and after maternal-infant blockade were dynamically analyzed. It is hoped that this study will help to observe the basic physical fitness and disease development of pregnant women with HIV/AIDS during pregnancy, to provide a strong basis for the treatment and evaluation of maternal-infant blockade of HIV/AIDS pregnant women, and to establish a complete set of laboratory indicators to understand the body status of pregnant women at all stages to minimize the probability of fetal transmission, which will make good economic and social benefits.展开更多
An understanding of factors influencing haemoglobin (Hb) level among antenatal mothers can help healthcare providers assess, take appropriate action and manage anaemia in this risk group more effectively. A cross-sect...An understanding of factors influencing haemoglobin (Hb) level among antenatal mothers can help healthcare providers assess, take appropriate action and manage anaemia in this risk group more effectively. A cross-sectional study was conducted in urban areas in Malaysia to determine the Hb levels of antenatal mothers and their association with various socio-economic characteristics. Data for this study were collected from pregnant women during their first antenatal check-up at three selected polyclinics in Malaysia. Anaemia in pregnancy was determined by the Hb level recorded during the first and the last antenatal visits. Determination of Hb was either by a photo calorimetric method or by the Sahliís method. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to identify the factors influencing Hb level among the antenatal mothers. This study found that 73 out of 217 mothers (33%) were anaemic in that their Hb levels were below 11.00 g/dl. The findings also suggested that Hb levels among the antenatal mothers were influenced by various factors such as education level, occupation, and family income. Anaemia was generally more common among antenatal mothers who had a lower level of education and who were from a background of lower family income.展开更多
文摘<strong>Background: </strong>South Africa struggles to improve maternal health outcomes resulting to its failure to achieve millennium development goal for maternal health. Non-utilisation of antenatal health services by pregnant mothers is the leading cause of unbooked cases that complicate the labour stages. <strong>Purpose:</strong> The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of midwives for caring unbooked pregnant women in a maternity unit at a district hospital in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. <strong>Design and Methods:</strong> A phenomenological approach was adopted in this study. Specifically, a descriptive phenomenological deign was used to explore midwives’ experiences for caring unbooked pregnant women in maternity ward of a district hospital on six (6) purposively selected midwives. In this study, the researcher utilised individual, semi structured phenomenological interviews to collect data from midwives caring for unbooked pregnant mothers in a maternity unit. Data saturation was reached after carrying out the six interviews. These interviews were audio taped and transcribed verbatim and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis framework steps method of qualitative data was applied to analyse the collected data.<strong> Results:</strong> Three thematic categories emerged from data analysis: 1) Experiences of midwives, which interfered with emotional challenges leading to fear and anxiety. Experiences of midwives were also associated with shortage of midwives and leading to maternal incidences. 2) Caring for unbooked pregnant mothers interfered with incompetency and inexperienced midwives and reported a lack of debriefing. 3) Support system which was seen as lacking from managers. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> The study recommended collaboration with primary health care clinics including community leaders, and employment of highly skilled professionals and in-service trainings of the current midwives to minimise unnecessary incidences.
文摘Background:Self-medication is a common practice among pregnant mothers in many developing countries Uganda inclusive.Despite its adverse effects to the pregnant mother and the developing fetus,limited efforts are in place to reduce the practice.This study was conducted to assess the practices and knowledge of the dangers of self-medication among pregnant mothers attending antenatal care in Iganga district,Uganda.Method s:A cross sectional approach was employed using convenient sampling technique among 181 pregnant mothers at the antenatal clinic.An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect data that was analyzed descriptively using SPSS software.Results:Out of the 181 respondents,119(65.75%)self-medicated during their current pregnancy obtaining drugs from pharmacies 42(23.20%).Majority of the mothers 129(71.27%)had good knowledge concerning the dangers of self-medication with 66.85%reporting that it was a bad practice.Regarding the dangers of self-medication,23.76%reported fetal death while 24.86%stated miscarriages.There was a significant association between self-medication practice and occupation(P-value=0.04;OR=1.21 at 95%CI).Conclusion:Self-medication remains a common practice among pregnant mothers in Iganga district despite the fact that a large proportion of them have good knowledge regarding the dangers of self-medication.Therefore,further investigations into the associated factors and strict measures to combat the risks of self-medication during pregnancy should be embarked on.
文摘Background:Prenatal iron and folic acid supplementation is an economical strategy for reducing iron and folic acid deficiency anemia among expectant mothers in resource-limited countries like Uganda.This study aimed to assess the level of compliance with iron and folic acid supplementation(IFAS)and identify associated factors among mothers receiving prenatal services in Lira district,Uganda.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted at the antenatal clinic of Lira Regional Referral Hospital,involving 252 pregnant mothers.Adherence levels to IFAS were evaluated using a visual analogue scale,and associated factors were collected through an interviewer-administered questionnaire.The data were analyzed using SPSS software,and the results were presented in tables.Results:Only 46%of the mothers attending the antenatal clinic adhered to IFAS during the 30 days preceding the study.Participants who had good knowledge of IFAS before recruitment(odds ratio(OR)1.49,95%confidence interval(CI)1.12–1.97),utilized reminder techniques(OR 1.05,95%CI 1.02–1.09),and received support from their partners or relatives(OR 1.56,95%CI 1.07–2.29)were more likely to have good adherence.The main reasons for missing IFAS were forgetfulness and fear of taking too many tablets.Conclusions:There was a low adherence rate to IFAS among mothers attending antenatal clinics in Lira district.Further investigations are recommended to identify barriers to adherence,and comprehensive health education programs should be provided to pregnant mothers.
文摘More than 90% of HIV-positive children come from mother-to-child transmission, so mother-to-child interdiction is the main measure to prevent AIDS in children. Relevant data show that the incidence of mother-to-child transmission of HIV usually fluctuates between 15% and 50% without intervention. Standardized and effective comprehensive intervention can reduce the transmission rate of mother to child to less than 1%. At present, it is believed that mother-to-child transmission of AIDS can be blocked by comprehensive intervention, and its mechanism has been clearly studied. Combined with highly effective antiviral treatment, safe labor and artificial feeding, the mother to child transmission rate can be reduced to less than 1%. However, due to the effect of drugs on mother-to-child transmission of AIDS may lead to some changes in the main biochemical indicators of mother-to-child, there is no systematic analysis of the viral load, T lymphocyte subsets and major biochemical indicators of HIV/AIDS pregnant women before and after maternal-to-child transmission. In this study, the viral load, T lymphocyte subsets and major biochemical indicators of HIV/AIDS pregnant women before and after maternal-infant blockade were dynamically analyzed. It is hoped that this study will help to observe the basic physical fitness and disease development of pregnant women with HIV/AIDS during pregnancy, to provide a strong basis for the treatment and evaluation of maternal-infant blockade of HIV/AIDS pregnant women, and to establish a complete set of laboratory indicators to understand the body status of pregnant women at all stages to minimize the probability of fetal transmission, which will make good economic and social benefits.
文摘An understanding of factors influencing haemoglobin (Hb) level among antenatal mothers can help healthcare providers assess, take appropriate action and manage anaemia in this risk group more effectively. A cross-sectional study was conducted in urban areas in Malaysia to determine the Hb levels of antenatal mothers and their association with various socio-economic characteristics. Data for this study were collected from pregnant women during their first antenatal check-up at three selected polyclinics in Malaysia. Anaemia in pregnancy was determined by the Hb level recorded during the first and the last antenatal visits. Determination of Hb was either by a photo calorimetric method or by the Sahliís method. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to identify the factors influencing Hb level among the antenatal mothers. This study found that 73 out of 217 mothers (33%) were anaemic in that their Hb levels were below 11.00 g/dl. The findings also suggested that Hb levels among the antenatal mothers were influenced by various factors such as education level, occupation, and family income. Anaemia was generally more common among antenatal mothers who had a lower level of education and who were from a background of lower family income.
