Factors influencing gestational age at antenatal booking at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.

In order to achieve the aim of improved outcome of pregnancy for mother and fetus, early booking (first antenatal visit), prior to 14 weeks' gestation is usually recommended. A survey of information on personal data, index pregnancy, reasons for booking at a particular gestational age, past obstetric history and medical history of 205 pregnant women attending the antenatal booking clinic at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria was carried out using a structured questionnaire. The mean gestational age at booking was 21.82 (+/-7.0) weeks. Only 29 patients (14.1%) booked before 14 weeks. The reasons given for early booking among them were the perceived benefits of such practice (41.4%), physician's recommendation (34.5%) and occurrence of complication(s) in previous pregnancy (24.1%). Illness in the index pregnancy and nulliparity were the only factors found to significantly favour early booking. The need to educate women of the reproductive age group, who are potential mothers, on the benefits of early booking was recommended.

Acceptability of caesarean delivery to antenatal patients in a tertiary health facility in south-west Nigeria.

Today, caesarean section is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures the world over. Despite the well-documented record of safety, the strong aversion of women in sub-Saharan Africa to the procedure, especially in the presence of life-threatening indications, is of great concern to many obstetricians. This cross-sectional study, aimed at assessing the knowledge of the patients about caesarean section and its acceptability as mode of delivery, was conducted among antenatal patients at a University Teaching Hospital in south-west Nigeria. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used. Among the 201 patients surveyed, a high level of acceptability of caesarean section (85%) was found. However, 96.5% of those who would accept would give consent only after seeking the opinion of other people, especially their husbands. Previous major surgery and caesarean section were found to favour its acceptability, while age, tribe, marital status and the woman or her husband's educational status did not have any influence. With proper health education, especially during antenatal care, many more women would find caesarean section acceptable.

Abdominal pregnancy at the University College Hospital, Ibadan: a ten-year review.

Fourteen cases of abdominal pregnancy managed at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria, over a ten-year period (January 1994 to December 2003) were reviewed. The incidence ratio of abdominal pregnancy was one in 654 deliveries. It accounted for 4.3% of ectopic pregnancies. Age range was 20 to 43 years; 63.4% of the patients were unemployed and 50% were nullipara. Pre-operative diagnosis was possible only in half of the cases. Only two patients with advanced pregnancies and live fetuses (14.3%) were allowed to have conservative management while the others had immediate laparotomy. Live birth rate was 7.1%, but overall fetal survival rate was 0%. Fetal malformations were common, with talipes equinovarus and jaw abnormalities occurring in 49.2% and 14.3% respectively. Twelve patients (85.7%) who had complete removal of the placenta, though lost more blood, had better outcome than those with placenta left in-situ. The case fatality rate was 7.1%.

Awareness of cervical cancer, Papanicolaou's smear and its utilisation among female undergraduates in Ibadan.

A survey was conducted among 421 undergraduates of the University of Ibadan using self-administered questionnaires probing into their risk factors for neoplastic cervical lesions, awareness of cervical cancer, Papanicolaou's smear and its utilisation. The percentage of sexually active respondents was 81.5%. Sexual exposure before the age of 20 years occurred in 51.7%. The mean age at sexual debut was 18.8 years while the modal age was 18 years. Fifty seven per cent had multiple sexual partners, but only 38.1% used condoms. Seventy one per cent were aware of cervical cancer, while only 33.5% were aware of Papanicolaou's smear. Awareness was found to be more among medical students and the married ones. On the other hand, only 8.3% of them had ever done a Papanicolaou's smear. There is a need to increase awareness and incorporate cervical screening into the pre-existing university health services. Also, logistic barriers to cervical screening need to be removed.

Knowledge, attitude and practices related to prevention of cancer of the cervix among female health workers in Ibadan.

Cervical cancer, although largely preventable, remains a leading cause of cancer death in the developing world. The study was aimed at finding out the level of awareness of female health workers about cervical cancer and the level of utilisation of preventive measures. A 20-item questionnaire containing items on characteristics and knowledge of respondents on aetiology and prevention of cervical cancer was administered to a total of 205 female doctors, nurses and hospital maids in three hospitals within Ibadan metropolis. Knowledge about the condition was high among doctors, surprisingly inadequate among nurses and predictably poor among hospital maids (due possibly to lack of formal paramedical training). However, 93.2% of respondents have never had Pap smears performed. The poor utilisation of the test was independent of respondent's profession, marital status or hospital. Therefore, there is a need to intensify compaign towards prevention of cervical cancer even among health workers.