Nigeria like most developing nations still faced with a higher rate of short birth interval (SBI), and its associated consequences, such as adverse maternal and child health outcomes. This study aimed to determine the distribution and factors associated with SBI in rural and urban Nigeria. The data for this study were extracted from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (2018 NDHS). Statistical analyses were descriptive analysis and binary logistic model. The proportions of SBI in rural and urban Nigeria were 20.7% and 20.3% respectively. Women’s age, geopolitical region, education level, and the number of children ever born were significantly associated with SBI in rural and urban Nigeria. Maternal Wealth index and antenatal care visits were only significant in rural while working status was only significant in urban Nigeria after controlling for other factors. Higher odds of SBI for middle class women than poor women (AOR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.06–1.35), and increase in ANC visits reduces the odds of having SBI: 4–7 visits (AOR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.77–0.98) and > 7visits (AOR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.69–0.99). There were slight disparities in the prevalence of short birth intervals in rural and urban areas. Wealth index and ANC visits were only significant in rural Nigeria. Public health awareness campaigns should be strengthened to drive the importance of birth spacing techniques such as the utilization of modern contraceptives and breastfeeding in all the geo-political regions and across all age strata. Women particularly those residing in the rural areas should be encouraged to advance their education to at least a secondary level and enlightened on the importance of ANC.

Background: Caesarean section (CS) is a major obstetric surgery done for pregnant women and is lifesaving.  Aim: The study was aimed at reviewing CS at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), to determine the prevalence, trend and indications, for improved management outcomes. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we reviewed five thousand, five hundred and ninety-eight (5598) cases of caesarean sections (3699 emergency, 1899 planned) managed at the RSUTH from 1st January, 2015 to 31st December, 2019.  Data collected were analysed using IBM, Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS), version 25.0 Armonk, New York. Results: There were 13,516 deliveries and 5,598 cases of CS over the review period, giving the prevalence of CS as 41.4% or 414 per 1000 deliveries.  Emergency and planned CS cases accounted for 66.1% and 33.9% respectively. An increasing trend of CS was observed over the review period. The mean age ± SD of the participants was 32.30±1.04 years (95% CI:30.26,34.34). Modal age group was 35-39 years, accounting for 33.2% followed by those aged 30-34 years (26.2%). Majority of the patients were multipara [3396 (60.7%)], married [4890 (87.4%)], Christians [5540 (99%)] and had tertiary level education [2800 (50%)]. The commonest indication for CS in RSUTH was previous caesarean section [1925(34%)], followed by cephalopelvic disproportion [757(13.4%)], foetal distress [418(7.4%)], preeclampsia [390(6.9%)] and multiple gestation [252 (4.5%)]. Conclusion: The rate of caesarean section is high in RSUTH with an increasing trend.  Although CS is lifesaving, efforts should be made to reduce the rate to the level recommended by WHO, especially in Low-middle-income countries (LMICs), where there is high aversion to CS.

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Background: Most people across rural areas in Africa depends of phytomedicine for the treatment of various diseases. This study aims to evaluate the impact of hydro-alcohol extract of mistletoe leaves on changes in body-weight, uterus-weight, ovary and liver of female Wistar rats.Methods: Forty-nine female rats were randomly selected into nine groups with five rats per group. Group 1 received 5 ml/kg of water, group 2 received mono sodium glutamate (MSG) 800 mg/kg, group 3 received extract 100 mg/kg, group 4 received extract 200 mg/kg, group 5 received extract 400 mg/kg, group 6 received extract 100 mg/kgand MSG 800 mg/kg, group 7 received extract 200 mg/kgand MSG 800vmg/kg, group 8 received extract 400 mg/kg and MSG 800 mg/kg and group 9 received letrozole 0.6 mg/kg and MSG 800 mg/kg. Administration of extract was done for 28 days.Results: Findings from the study revealed significance decreased in the final weight of the animals. When treated groups received extract “100 mg/kg, extract 200 mg/kg, extract 400 mg/kg, and extract 200 mg/kg and MSG 800 mg/kg”, it shows significance decreased in body weight difference. The results also show significance increased in the weight of the right ovary in the treated groups extract 100 mg/kg, extract 100 mg/kg and MSG 800 mg/kg. Extract 100 mg/kg, extract 400 mg/kg and MSG 800 mg/kg and letrozole 0.6 mg/kg and MSG 800 mg/kg, shows significance decreased in the weight of the uterus. MSG 800 mg/kg, “extract 100 mg/kg, extract 200 mg/kg, and extract 400 mg/kg”, it shows significance decreased in the weight of the liver. Statistical analysis was done using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 23 and p<0.05 was significant.Conclusions: There was significance decreased in rat’s body weight and significant increase in the right ovary when a lower dose of the extract was given and this increase could be due to MSG. The uterus significantly decreases when low dose of the extract was administered and the liver organ also has significant decreased in all the groups treated with extract alone.

Background: The case of sexual behavior in adolescents is increasingly worrisome because teenage sexual behavior is now exceeding the limits and quite alarming. This is supported by research an increasing pattern in adolescent pregnancy in sub-Sahara Africa. Methods: An interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was used to conduct a cross-sectional study of knowledge and perception of 200 adolescent females was carried out in a semi-urban area in Rivers state, Nigeria. Results: About 61% of the respondents are reportedly sexually active and 39% are not sexually active while 70.0% of the respondents had poor knowledge of teenage pregnancy and 30.0% had good knowledge of teenage pregnancy. About 33.3% of respondents with good knowledge of teenage pregnancy was between 13 – 16 years old and 56.67% of individuals with good knowledge had tertiary education. It was observed that 76% of the sexually active respondents had poor knowledge of teenage pregnancy and only 60.3% of the non-sexually active persons had poor knowledge. The analysis shows that most of the sexually active persons had poor knowledge of teenage pregnancy (chi-square = 5.78 p =0.016) and the likelihood of poor knowledge was 1.2 times (95% C.I: 1.0 – 1.5) more among the sexually active adolescents. The findings also showed that 52% think peer pressure leads to teenage pregnancy, 78% indicated that poor sexual education at school lead to teenage pregnancy, 71.5% indicated that substance abuse led to teenage pregnancy. Other factors and consequences as indicated by the respondents include: Unsupervised teenagers (83.5%), rape (86.5%), social media (81.5%), Poverty (72.0%), Unsafe abortion (87.5%), stigma and isolation (93.5%). Conclusion: The study showed a relatively poor knowledge of teenage pregnancy especially among sexually active female adolescents. Sexual education and increased awareness are recommended to curb the spread of teen pregnancy in this region.