BackgroundWorld Health Organization recommends a standard daily oral dose of iron and folic acid (IFA) supplements throughout pregnancy to begin as early as possible. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of use of antenatal IFA supplements, and the socio-demographic factors associated with the non-use of antenatal IFA supplements from 14 selected districts in Pakistan.MethodsData was derived from a cross sectional household survey conducted in 14 project districts across Pakistan. Trained female field workers conducted interviews with married women of reproductive age from December 2011 to March 2012. Women with the most recent live births in the preceding five years of the survey were selected for this study. Data was analysed by using STATA 13 and adjusted for the cluster sampling design. Multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to identify the independent factors associated with the non-use of antenatal IFA supplements.ResultsOf 6,266 women interviewed, 2,400 (38.3%, 95% CI, 36.6%, 40.1%) reported taking IFA supplements during their last pregnancy. Among IFA users, the most common source of supplements was doctors (49.4%) followed by community health workers (40.3%). The mean (±SE) number of supplements used was 76.9 (±51.6), and the mean (±SE) month of pregnancy at initiation of supplementation was 5.3 (±1.7) months. Socio-demographic factors significantly associated with the non-use of antenatal IFA supplements were living in Dera Ghazi Khan district (AdjOR: 1.72), maternal age 45 years and above (AdjOR: 1.97), no maternal education (AdjOR: 2.36), no paternal education (AdjOR: 1.58), belonging to the lowest household wealth index quartile (AdjOR: 1.47), and no use of antenatal care (ANC) services (AdjOR: 13.39).ConclusionsThe coverage of antenatal IFA supplements is very low in the surveyed districts of Pakistan, and the lack of parental education, older aged women, belonging to poorest households, residence in Dera Ghazi Khan district and no use of ANC services were all significantly associated with non-use of these supplements. These findings highlight the urgent need to develop interventions targeting all pregnant women by improving ANC coverage to increase the use of antenatal IFA supplements in Pakistan.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2393-14-305) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Objectives To evaluate the chest radiographs of children diagnosed with non-severe pneumonia on the basis of the current World Health Organization guidelines (fast breathing alone) for radiological evidence of pneumonia. Design Descriptive analysis. Setting Outpatient departments of six hospitals in four cities in Pakistan. Participants 2000 children with non-severe pneumonia were enrolled; 1932 children were selected for chest radiography. Interventions Two consultant radiologists used standardised WHO definitions to evaluate chest radiographs; no clinical information was made available to them. If they disagreed, the radiographs were read by a third radiologist; the final classification was based on agreement between two of the three radiologists. Main outcome measures Presence or absence of pneumonia on radiographs. Results Chest radiographs were reported normal in 1519 children (82%). Radiological evidence of pneumonia was reported in only 263 (14%) children, most of whom had interstitial pneumonitis. Lobar consolidation was present in only 26 children. The duration of illness did not correlate significantly with the presence of radiological changes (relative risk 1.17, 95% confidence interval 0.91 to 1.49). Conclusion Most children diagnosed with non-severe pneumonia on the basis of the current WHO definition had normal chest radiographs.
clinical outcome in children aged 2-59 months with WHO-defined nonsevere pneumonia is not different when treated with an antibiotic or placebo. Similar trials are needed in countries with a high burden of pneumonia to rationalize the use of antibiotics in these communities.
BackgroundGlobally 7.6 million children died in 2010 before reaching their fifth birthday and 40% of these deaths occur in the neonatal period. Pakistan has the third highest rate of neonatal mortality globally. To implement evidence-based interventions for the reduction of neonatal mortality, it is important to investigate factors associated with neonatal mortality. The aim of the current study was to identify determinants of neonatal mortality in Pakistan.MethodsData was derived from the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2006–07. All singleton live births between 2002 and 2006 were selected for the current analyses. Data was analysed by using STATA 13 and adjusted for the cluster sampling design. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were performed using step-wise backward elimination procedures to identify the determinants of neonatal mortality.ResultsA total of 5,702 singleton live births in the last five years preceding the survey were selected. Multivariate analyses showed that living in Punjab province (Adj HR = 2.10, p = 0.015), belonging to the poorest household wealth index quintile (Adj HR = 1.95, p = 0.035), male infants (Adj HR = 1.57, p = 0.014), first rank baby (Adj HR = 1.59, p = 0.049), smaller than average birth size (Adj HR = 1.61, p = 0.023) and mothers with delivery complications (Adj HR = 1.93, p = 0.001) had significantly higher hazards of neonatal death in Pakistan.ConclusionsTo reduce neonatal mortality, there is a need to implement interventions focusing on antenatal care, effective referral system and retraining of healthcare providers to manage delivery complications and smaller than average birth size babies in resource poor communities of Pakistan.
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