Thyroid hormones in normal quantity are vital for physical growth and mental development during fetal and postnatal life. The available publications in Sub-Saharan Africa on the thyroid function of newborn infants was reported in babies delivered in moderate to severe goitre zones; utilizing the hormone levels from these studies may have a measure of bias. Newborn screening for congenital hypothyroidism (CH) in Sub-Saharan Africa is still a mirage, the technicality of the best timing for collection of blood samples need to be studied. Consequently, we report the serum levels of total thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) at birth and at 72 h after birth, and to ascertain if there is any significant difference between them. This was a prospective cross-sectional study (6 months period) between November and April 2005. One hundred and fourteen apparently healthy term AGA neonates had their thyroid function analyzed, the females (59) were slightly more in number than the (males 55). Most of them were between GA of 37-38 weeks at birth. The observed 72 h mean values of serum T3 and T4 (1.06 and 101.38 nmol l(-1)) compared with the cord values at birth (0.89 and 75.48 nmol l(-1)), was not statistically significant. The mean cord TSH levels (13.59 mU l(-1)) compared with 72 h serum TSH levels (10.25 mU l(-1)) was also insignificant p = 0.3. For Sub-Saharan Africa cord TSH analysis may be a reasonable choice for newborn screening for congenital hypothyroidism.

Background Many developing countries are in a state of nutritional transition from prevalent under-nutrition to the emergent problem of over-nutrition (overweight and obesity), which is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, and whose complications can persist into adulthood with long-term consequences. However, data are limited on the risk factors for overweight and obesity (O&O) among primary school children, particularly those in rural and semi-urban areas in these countries. Aim and objectives To determine the socio-demographic factors associated with overweight and obesity among primary school children in semi-urban areas. Subjects and methods 1187 school pupils aged 6–11 years recruited from semi-urban areas using multistage sampling were interviewed for risk factors of overweight and obesity using a structured questionnaire. Nutritional status was assessed using body mass index and this was classified using a standard method. The proportions were compared using Pearson’s chi-squared. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was also carried out with overweight and obesity as the dependent variable and socio demographic factors as independent variables. The level of statistical significance was set at p <0.05 in all the statistical analyses. Results Fifty-eight pupils (4.9%) had overweight and obesity while 1129 (95.1%) were either of normal nutritional status (1088, 91.6%) or were thin/severely thin (41, 3.5%). Among those with overweight and obesity, 41 (3.5%) were overweight and 17 (1.4%) obese. A higher prevalence of overweight and obesity was significantly associated (in unadjusted analysis) with female gender [unadjusted Odds Ratio, OR (95% CI) = 2.42 (1.37, 4.28)], attendance at private schools [OR (95% CI) = 3.34 (1.86, 6.00)], higher socio-economic status families [OR (95% CI) = 2.32 (1.65, 5.80)] and presence of a television in the pupil’s bedrooms [OR (95% CI) = 2.22 (1.02, 4.82)] on bivariate analyses. However, only gender, school type and family socioeconomic status were independently associated with overweight and obesity on multivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusion We conclude that overweight and obesity among primary school pupils in semi-urban areas is associated with female gender, attendance at private schools and higher socioeconomic status families. Preventive programmes should accordingly be more directed at children from affluent families; particularly those who are females and those attending private schools.

The transmission of HIV via breastmilk has led to various recommendations for HIV-infected mothers. In this study, the feeding practices of HIV-infected mothers in the first six months of their infants' lives were evaluated. In total, 103 consecutive mothers of children, aged 6-24 months, were evaluated for their feeding practices in the first six months of their infants' lives. The mothers were recruited in two cohorts based on their entry (PMTCT cohort) or non-entry (non-PMTCT cohort) to an HIV MTCT-prevention programme. Information obtained included maternal age, socioeconomic class, and the educational level attained. All the babies in the non-PMTCT cohort were breastfed compared to none in the PMTCT cohort. Infant formula was inadequately prepared for 77.42% of babies in the non-PMTCT cohort compared to 18.64% in the PMTCT cohort. The mixed-feeding rate was high (70.45 %) in the non-PMTCT cohort. Over 70% of babies in both the cohorts were bottle-fed. Voluntary counselling and testing services in the healthcare system should be strengthened. All mothers should receive infant-feeding counselling, with exclusive breastfeeding being encouraged in those with unknown HIV status.

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Background: Congenital hypothyroidism is a common congenital endocrine disorder prevailing all over the world. No nationwide screening exists for any sub-Saharan country. We present normative cord and capillary thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) values for healthy Nigerian newborns. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 6 university hospitals in Nigeria between January 1 and December 31, 2013. Cord and heel blood placed on 4 concentric circles on a Whartman filter paper were analysed for TSH within 1 week of collection using AutoDelfia 1235 immunoassay (Perkin Elmer Wallace, Boston, Mass., USA) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. The mean TSH levels of the newborns were determined, considering their sex, birthweight, socioeconomic status, and birth city. The association between the mean TSH level and other parameters was determined by analysis of variance. Results: A total of 2,014 subjects were recruited during the study period. The mean TSH value for the subjects was 1.86 μIU/ml, and 98.1% of the newborns were within the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles (range: 0.09-7.90 μIU/ml) of the TSH levels. We collected 247 cord and 1,767 heel samples, respectively, and the range was slightly higher in samples from cord blood. Conclusion: The study highlights the normal reference values for capillary/cord TSH levels in term Nigerian newborns. TSH was higher in one region, attributable to earlier sampling, but was not influenced by gender, socioeconomic status, or birthweight.