Articles

This observational study assessed the knowledge of pregnant women attending antenatal clinics at two selected hospitals in Abeokuta South, Nigeria on the causes and risk factors of maternal mortality, identified barriers to knowledge acquisition, and examined the influence of parity of respondents on their knowledge of factors causing maternal mortality. Maternal mortality is extremely high in Nigeria, it is defined as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes. Descriptive research design was used in this study and qualitative data from 136 respondents selected randomly, were obtained through a self-designed questionnaire that comprised three sections. Data were analyzed and indicated that parity of the pregnant women do not have an influence on their knowledge of factors responsible for maternal mortality. Findings revealed that majority (67.6%) of the respondents had high knowledge on the causes of maternal mortality – haemorrhage, sepsis, prolonged/obstructed labour, anaemia, unsafe abortion, infection, hypertensive disorders, care rendered by unskilled medical practitioners and its risk factors - parity, poverty, place of last delivery and low attendance at antenatal clinic. Educational background, marital status, irregular antenatal visits, socio-cultural practices and occupational status were identified as barriers to knowledge acquisition. This paper concluded that pregnant women may have a high knowledge about the factors responsible for maternal mortality. This is probably due to the fact that all respondents had formal education and because they were interviewed on antenatal clinic days, which suggests that they might have heard about the causes and risk factors for maternal mortality during their visits. Authors recommended that government should employ qualified health professionals and provide medical subsidy, it is hoped that this will ensure that pregnant women get quality care throughout the period of pregnancy and delivery.

Pierre Maria and Sainton syndrome or cleido-cranial dysplasia (CCD) is a rare syndrome presenting an autosomal pattern of inheritance, characterized by characterized by a triad: clavicular aplasia, delayed ossification of the fontanelles and sutures of the vault of the skull. To these may be added multiple dental inclusions.

Mesenteric cysts are rare benign intra-abdominal tumors with an incidence of 1 case per 250,000 hospital admission. This lesion occurs most frequently in women in the reproductive period.The etiology of such cysts remains unknown but several theories regarding their development exist. Most of these lesions present with vague abdominal pain and nausea. Less commonly they will present with bowel obstruction due to external compression. The diagnosis of these tumors is by abdominal ultrasound or computed tomography. We report a case of Mesenteric cyst in 51-year-old female patient.

Background: The present study was conducted to assess effect of cigarette smoking on different denture base material. Materials & Methods: The present study was conducted in the department of Prosthodontics. A total of sixty wax specimens in the shape of circular discs were prepared. These were divided into two groups. Group I (30) specimens were heat‑cured denture base materials and group II (30) specimens were flexible denture base materials. Both specimens were further divided into four subgroups of 15 each. Subgroup I was heat‑cured denture base material specimens (control group), subgroup II was flexible denture base material specimens (control group), subgroup III was heat‑cured denture base material specimens exposed to cigarette smoking (study group) and subgroup IV was flexible denture base material specimens exposed to cigarette smoking (study group). The initial (IRa) and final (FRa) surface roughness was measured before and after smoking test of the specimens. Results: It was observed that in group I, mean IR (µm) value was 0.182 and FR value was 0.572. In group II, mean IR (µm) value was 0.265 and FR value was 0.831. In group III, mean IR (µm) value was 0.195 and FR value was 1.892. In group IV, mean IR (µm) value was 0.291 and FR value was 1.892. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). Conclusion: The surface roughness of the specimens fabricated from the flexible denture base material was found to be more compared to heat‑cured denture base specimens after exposure to cigarette smoke. There is need to educate the patients regarding cleanliness of denture to avoid infection in the oral cavity.

Despite evidence on major interventions on the uptake and scale up of interventions meant to promote maternal health care services, little is known about adequate use of such program in urban Ghana among reproductive aged women. This study examined the determinants of women’s Satisfaction on antenatal care use in selected health facilities in the Kwabre East Municipality of Ghana. Using facility-based cross-sectional survey design, a three-stage sampling technique was conducted to sample 220 women attending postnatal care at selected public health facilities. Open-ended questionnaires were used to obtain data from respondents. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics including binary logit regression model were used to analyze the data with the help of SPSS and STATA software. Logit analytical framework was computed to determine equations of variance. The association between antenatal care use and women’s satisfaction was determined and assessed using Pearson’s χ2 (2) test indicating 1% was run. Most women (92.7%) had at least four ANC visits during their entire pregnancy. The results indicate standard deviation of 7 with 81% regular ANC visits and 19% irregular. Most women (55%) received care by one caregiver, followed by women (35%) who received care by two caregivers and women (10%) who were cared for by three caregivers. The regression results showed varying utilization levels of 10%, 5% & 1% ANC satisfaction. System induced factors aimed at promoting maternal care use satisfaction are suggested. 

Background: Accessibility to healthcare is a major component of primary health care campaign for maintaining population health. Owing to this, the government of Ghana has instituted the free maternal care and focused antenatal care policies into the maternal health care policies to woefully control maternal mortality, morbidity and to ensure improved access, quality and continuous ANC use among pregnant women. Despite these interventions, pregnant women in the Kwabre East Municipality do not fully use ANC services as recommended by the World Health Organization. Methods: Using an in-depth interview and two focus groups conducted with women of reproductive age (15-49) in the Kwabre East Municipality. The study investigated women’s opinions, perceptions and experiences on their ANC visits. Results: The study revealed that physical accessibility and the social context of pregnant women continue to influence their ANC use even after the introduction of the free maternal care and focused antenatal care policies. Conclusion: The study suggests that in order to fully utilize ANC visits as recommended by the WHO in the Kwabre East Municipality, the Municipal Health Directorate should liaise with collaborating stakeholders if not eliminating to limit the influence of restrictive factors to women’s quest of using ANC. It is further recommended that management do away with hindrances that delay women who seek for ANC services in health facilities and adopt strategies and procedures that aim at increasing ANC uptake.

Several articles have discussed mandibular condyle position after bilateral sagittal split osteotomies (BSSO). However, previous studies have sought to establish a relationship between orthognathic surgery and the improvement of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) signs and symptoms. Also, they have been limited to two-dimensional evaluation of condylar position considering only the condylar “sag” or improper inferior seating of the condyle. The purpose of this study was to investigate a relationship between changes in condylar position using three-dimensional computed tomography and the negative clinical impact of BSSO on the temporomandibular joint. 

The Office hysteroscopy (OH) is a important procedure to make diagnosis and sometimes, treatment, of intrauterine pathology, without getting the patient to Operating Room. Its advantages are very well known: less costs, fast diagnosis, see and treat and several others. It's mainly difficulty is the discomfort during the procedure. To stimule to grow the number of gynecologist to leave OR and to go to office hysteroscopy, we propose thirteen steps for office hysteroscopy with minimal discomfort.

Background: Post abortion family planning (PAFP) is the initiation and use of family planning methods immediately after, and within 48 hours of an abortion, before fertility returns. In most women fertility returns on average about two weeks after an abortion; however, ovulation can occur as early as 11 days post-abortion. Objective: To assess utilization of post abortal contraceptive use and associated factors among women who came for abortion service at Debre Berhan Referral Hospital, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia March 2019. Methodology: Institutional based cross sectional study design was conducted using hospital data obtained from Gynecology ward in Debre Berhan Referral Hospital, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia, from March 1 -10, 2019. A systematic random sampling technique was used from the abortion register log book. Data was cleaned manually, coded and entered into Epi-data version 3.1 then exported to and analyzed by SPSS version 21 software. Multivariate analysis with AOR, 95% CI and p-value< 0.05 were used to identify variables which have significant association. Result: The finding of the current study showed that among 371 study subjects 170(45.8%) utilized post abortal family planning. There was a significant association between utility of post abortal family planning and post abortion family planning counseling [AOR: 19.245, 95% CI: (10.199, 36.313), p-value= 0.001] and women who were primiparous had 5 times more likely to utilize post abortal family planning as compared to the women who were nullyparous [AOR: 5.314, 95%CI (1.089, 24.210), p value=0.001]. Conclusion and Recommendation: From a total of 371 study subjects 45.8% have utilize contraceptive after abortion service received. This study also showed that parity and counseling’s of family planning were statistically significant associated with utilization of post abortal family planning. We recommend Debre Berhan hospital to scale up activities on post abortal care to increase the number of clients who post abortal family planning.

In our past 200 years we have seen the advancing development of Dental Arts and Science though discoveries by its practitioners. Perhaps it will do some good to review the basis upon which fixed tooth replacement has evolved—that is the prosthetic crown.