The study aimed to determine correlates of gestational weight gain and infant birth weight of pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in public primary health care facilities in lfe Central and East Local Government Areas of Osun State, Nigeria. Over 1000 women were recruited during booking and antenatal clinic and followed up till delivery. Chi square was used in the bivariate analysis of association between gestational weight gain, pre pregnancy BMI and demographic characteristics. The correlates of gestational weight gain and infant birth weight were determined by linear regression analysis.Eight percent are underweight, 10.3% are overweight or obese, 78% had a weight gain less than 7kg and 0.5% had a weight gain above 11.5kg. Ninety seven percent gained less than recommended weight, only 3% of the women gained the recommended weight for their pre pregnant BMI mostly the obese women. Twenty eight percent of the women had infant weight within normal (2.5kg and above). The infant weight increases with the gestational age, maternal age and parity but decreases with gestational weight gain though not significant. Maternal age and parity were significant predictors of gestational weight gain and pre pregnancy BMI was a significant predictor of infant birth weight.The gestational weight gain and infant weight reduces as the pre pregnant BMI increases. Most of the women had low birth weight babies. There is a need to educate mothers on good weight before conception in order to improve birth outcome in view of other factors not looked into in the present study.

BackgroundThe continuing burden of maternal mortality, especially in developing countries has prompted a shift in paradigm from the traditional risk assessment approach to the provision of access to emergency obstetric care services for all women who are pregnant. This study assessed the knowledge of maternity unit operatives at the primary and secondary levels of care about the concept of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) and investigated the contents of antenatal care (ANC) counseling services they delivered to clients. It also described the operatives' preferred strategies and practices for promoting safe motherhood and averting maternal mortality in South-west Nigeria.MethodsThe study population included all the 152 health workers (doctors, midwives, nurses and community health extension workers) employed in the maternity units of all the public health facilities (n = 22) offering maternity care in five cities of 2 states. Data were collected with the aid of a self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire and non-participant observation checklist. Results were presented using descriptive statistics.ResultsNinety one percent of the maternity unit staff had poor knowledge concerning the concept of EmOC, with no difference in knowledge of respondents across age groups. While consistently more than 60% of staff reported the inclusion of specific client-centered messages such as birth preparedness and warning/danger signs of pregnancy and delivery in the (ANC) delivered to clients, structured observations revealed that less than a quarter of staff actually did this. Furthermore, only 40% of staff reported counseling clients on complication readiness, but structured observations revealed that no staff did. Only 9% of staff had ever been trained in lifesaving skills (LSS). Concerning strategies for averting maternal deaths, 70% of respondents still preferred the strengthening of routine ANC services in the health facilities to the provision of access to EmOC services for all pregnant women who need it.ConclusionWe concluded that maternity unit operatives at the primary and secondary care levels in South-west Nigeria were poorly knowledgeable about the concept of emergency obstetric care services and they still prioritized the strengthening of routine antenatal care services based on the risk approach over other interventions for promoting safe motherhood despite a global current shift in paradigm. There is an urgent need to reorientate/retrain the staff in line with global best practices.

To assess parents', teachers' and students' knowledge of sex education and their level of acceptance of its introduction into the school curriculum in Nigeria, questionnaires were sent to teachers, students and parents of eight secondary schools located within Ile-Ife town. The responses of individual groups were collated, analysed and compared. A total of 1000 respondents (400 students, 400 parents and 200 teachers) returned the completed questionnaires. All the teachers and parents and 60% of the students had heard of sex education. A majority of the parents (92%), teachers (90%) and students (78%) supported its introduction into the school curriculum and believed that it would prevent unwanted pregnancies, enhance healthy relationships between opposite sex, prevent transmission of HIV infections and STDs, provide the knowledge of sexual interactions, consequences and responsibilities and to educate the students on the basic processes of human reproduction. One hundred and fifty-four (15.4%) of the respondents opposed the introduction of sex education because they believed that it would corrupt the students, it might lead to experimentation and that it should be the responsibility of the parents at home. Adolescent sex education should be incorporated into Nigerian schools. It is probably the most cost-effective intervention that could be made to ensure the future reproductive health of the Nigerian community.

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