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Journal of Clinical Research

ISSN: 2795-6172

Open Access

Volume 8, Issue 5 (2024)

Commentary Pages: 1 - 2

How and Why to Create and Maintain: A Database for Patients in Your Disease of Interest

Bruce Hough*

DOI: 10.37421/2795-6172.2024.8.262

One of the central requirements of a career in academic medicine is that one publishes original research while also seeing patients with that same disease state. I humbly recommend you spend a little of your protected time in the early years of your academic career starting a database in your disease of interest so you may enroll and follow these patients and potentially learn from their experience in a way that may not be obvious in clinic.

Research Article Pages: 1 - 14

Birth Weight and Associated Maternal Nutritional Factors among Mothers of Chifubu, Ndola, Zambia

Kisa Martha Nakana*

DOI: 10.37421/2795-6172.2024.8.177

Introduction: For a long time, birth weight has been considered an indicator of the health of the baby in the first few months of life. This is because babies who are of low birth weight are at increased risk of mortality and neonatal morbidity. Approximately 25% of children born in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) are of low birth weight. With maternal nutrition having the potential to influence birth outcomes in developing countries, studies have examined the effect of diet and nutrition on low birth weight. Despite improvements in newborn and child health indicators, low birth weight remains a major public health problem in many African countries and Zambia is no exception.

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of low birth weight and its relation to maternal nutrition among mothers in Chifubu; a peri-urban area in Ndola, Zambia.

Methodology: This cross-section analytical study measured diet and nutritional intake during pregnancy of mothers aged 15-45 years who attended under five clinics at Chipokotamayamba clinic by use of questionnaires and interviews. The univariate analysis and other descriptive statistics and associations were established using the chi-square with statistical significance set at 0.05.

Results: The prevalence of birth weight was 5.3%. None of the nutritional and diet factors was found to have an association with birth weight. However, maternal age at delivery, education level pre-pregnancy BMI and gestation period had a significant relationship with birth weight.

Conclusion: Low birth weight prevalence decreases with an increase in maternal age while the lower the educational level attained, the lower the prevalence of birth weight. A normal value of pre-pregnancy BMI is associated with a reduced prevalence of low birth weight and an increase in gestational period reduces the prevalence of low birth weight.

Research Article Pages: 1 - 3

Functional Outcome of Distal Third Tibia Fractures Managed by Minimally Invasive Plate Osteosynthesis

Rushikesh Abhyankar*

DOI: 10.37421/2795-6172.2024.8.179

The aim of this Study was to assess the “functional outcome of distal third tibia fractures managed by minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis”. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score was used to calculate the functional outcome. During above mentioned period total 15 patients were treated for distal tibial fracture using MIPO (Minimally Invasive Plate Osteosynthesis) technique.

At the end of six months, AOFAS scores were measured with 3 patients having excellent score, 9 patients having a good score and 3 patients having a fair score. Concerning the complications of surgery, no complication was encountered in 13 of the cases, 1 case encountered a superficial infection and 1 case had a wound dehiscence which were managed accordingly.

Distal tibial fractures typically result from high-velocity trauma and are accompanied by severe soft tissue injury. Consequently, it raises the question of whether to give soft tissue or articular congruity and anatomic reduction priority. The functional outcome of MIPO technique for distal third tibial fractures was evaluated with this study. In our study we have found there is less of soft tissue damage and better bone healing with using MIPO technique.

Research Article Pages: 1 - 12

HIV and Pregnancy: Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes

Richard Khondowe*

DOI: 10.37421/2795-6172.2024.8.178

Background: The HIV/AIDS epidemic is one of the major factors affecting women’s health, with 20 million women living with HIV and more than two million pregnancies in HIV-positive women each year. Several studies conducted in SSA have reported that HIV-infected women are at increased risk of maternal adverse pregnancy outcomes such as stillbirth, LBW and preterm new-born. In addition, children born to HIVinfected mothers are at increased risk of mortality regardless of their HIV infectious status. Understanding pregnancy related risks HIV infected women may face is critical to providing appropriate counselling and management of fertility intentions, decisions and unintended pregnancy.

Objectives: To determine the maternal and neonatal outcomes (morbidity and mortality) in pregnant HIV infected women at Masala, Lubuto and Mapalo Clinics of Ndola, Zambia.

Methodology: This is a cross sectional and descriptive study. Data was collected from relevant medical records of HIV-positive pregnant women who delivered using a data abstraction sheet and selected by convenience sampling. The data collected was entered and analysed using IBM SPSS v26.

Results: A total of 360 participants were recruited in the study, 36.7% were aged 25-29 years (majority), 43% attained secondary school as highest level of education, 78.1% were married and 78.2% were self-employed (traders). 91.6% were diagnosed with HIV infection prior to pregnancy, 98.3% and 96.1% received ARV and co-trimoxazole prophylaxis respectively. 60% delivered preterm 96.1% had no maternal morbidities/complications and 0% maternal death, 2.8% had epiostomy and 0.61% postpartum haemorrhage. 55% of neonates were females 82.2% had normal birth weight, 41.9% were premature and 2.2% had asphyxia, 12.8% had LBW and 1.1% stillbirths. Statistical significance was established between gestational age at delivery to birth weight and neonatal morbidities (P=0.001).

Conclusion: Majority of the maternal and neonatal outcomes were normal with only preterm delivery 60% and prematurity 41.9% the noted significant figures. According to the study, there is an association between gestational age at delivery and birth weight as well as neonatal morbidities in HIV positive pregnant women.

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