Contraceptive experience and factors associated with desire for postpartum family planning among pregnant women of the nkongsamba health district, Littoral Region, Cameroon.

Background: The postpartum period remains a very important period during which contraceptive needs can be met and a significant reduction of maternal and foetal morbi-mortality achieved. This study aimed to evaluate past contraceptive experience and identify factors associated with the desire for postpartum family planning among women in late pregnancy.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey from September 2020 to December 2021 in four major health facilities of the Nkongsamba Health District, Cameroon, and consecutively included all pregnant women in late pregnancy, who came for antenatal follow-up in these health facilities.

Association of hypertension in pregnancy with serum electrolyte disorders in late pregnancy among Cameroonian women.

Multiple electrolyte disorders, including sodium, potassium and calcium disorders, have been associated with hypertension in pregnancy. Most of these studies failed to evaluate the combined effect of low and high sodium, potassium, calcium and chloride ion concentrations on hypertension in pregnancy. This study evaluates the combined effect of these ion categories (low, normal, high) on hypertension in pregnancy.

Calcium supplementation in pregnancy: An analysis of potential determinants in an under-resourced setting.

Introduction: Despite the evidence that calcium supplementation in pregnancy improves maternofoetal outcomes, many women still do not take calcium supplements during pregnancy in Cameroon. This study identifies factors that influence calcium supplementation during pregnancy in a low resource setting.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional hospital-based study (from November 2020 to September 2021) targeting 1074 healthy women in late pregnancy at the maternities of four major health facilities in the Nkongsamba Health District, Cameroon.

Factors associated with full vaccination and zero vaccine dose in children aged 12-59 months in 6 health districts of Cameroon.

Background: Routine immunisation coverage in Cameroon is still below the target of the national Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), with only 42% of children fully immunised according to Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) report in 2018. The objective of this study was to evaluate factors associated with full immunisation and zero-dose in Cameroonian children.

Methods: A two-stage cross-sectional cluster survey was conducted in Yaoundé in November 2021, targeting children aged 12-59 months.

Risk factors for short birth interval: A hospital-based cross-sectional study among women in the Nkongsamba Health District, Littoral Region, Cameroon.

Short birth interval remains a major reproductive health problem, especially in the developing world. It is associated with maternal, neonatal, infant and under-five morbidity and mortality. This study identifies the risk factors of short birth interval among women in Cameroon.

Factors associated with routine vaccination card retention among children aged 0-59 months in Yaounde-Cameroon: A cross-sectional survey.

Background: The routine vaccination card is an important health record for children, but recent findings suggest that vaccination card retention in Cameroon is low, varying from 29%-53%. The aim of this study was to assess factors associated with children's routine vaccination card retention in Cameroon.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted in Yaoundé in November 2021, targeting children aged 0-59 months.

Adverse maternofoetal outcomes associated with ionised calcaemia, total calcaemia, albuminaemia, and calcium supplementation in pregnancy: Analysis from a resource-limited setting.

Introduction: Disorders of total calcium (tCa) in pregnancy have been associated with adverse maternofoetal outcomes. However, studies evaluating this from the viewpoint of ionised calcaemia are practically inexistent. This study estimates the prevalence of some adverse maternal and foetal outcomes and the potential effect of ionised calcium (iCa), tCa, albumin and calcium supplementation on some maternofoetal outcomes.

Ionised and total hypocalcaemia in pregnancy: An analysis of prevalence and risk factors in a resource-limited setting, Cameroon.

Introduction: Hypocalcaemia remains a prevalent laboratory finding in pregnancy, capable of inducing adverse maternofoetal outcomes. This study compares the prevalence of hypocalcaemia in apparently healthy pregnant women from the ionised, and total calcaemia viewpoints and further identifies factors associated with total crude and ionised hypocalcaemia in pregnancy.

Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2020 and September 2021, targeting apparently healthy pregnant women received in late pregnancy in four maternities in the Nkongsamba Health District, Cameroon.

Hypocalcaemia and calcium intake in pregnancy: A research protocol for critical analysis of risk factors, maternofoetal outcomes and evaluation of diagnostic methods in a third-category health facility, Cameroon.

Introduction: Hypocalcaemia in pregnancy remains a major health issue, particularly in the developing world where daily calcium intakes are suboptimal. This electrolyte imbalance can lead to severe maternofoetal and childhood consequences. Calcium supplementation, amongst others, contributes significantly to meeting calcium demands in pregnancy.

Knowledge of peri-menarcheal changes and a comparative analysis of the age at menarche among young adolescent school girls in urban and rural Cameroon.

Background: Menarche is an expected event that occurs during the development of every normal young girl. We designed this study to evaluate the knowledge of young school girls on puberty, menarche, and menstruation, and to update data on the age at menarche in a rural and urban setting in Cameroon.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey from February to March 2017, targeting female students aged 9 to 16 years in Yaoundé (urban) and Bamougoum (rural).

Prevalence and correlates of low serum calcium in late pregnancy: A cross sectional study in the Nkongsamba Regional Hospital; Littoral Region of Cameroon.

Introduction: Women from low and middle income countries are generally more likely to have sub-optimal calcium intake. The objective of this study was to assess serum calcium disorders and correlates in late pregnancy.

Methods: We conducted from December 2018 to April 2019, a cross-sectional hospital-based study targeting pregnant women in late pregnancy in the Nkongsamba Regional Hospital.

Grand multiparity in rural Cameroon: prevalence and adverse maternal and fetal delivery outcomes.

Background: Grand multiparity is a major public health concern especially among developing countries and has been associated with higher risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes compared with women of lesser parity. There is a dearth of evidence on this subject in Cameroon, especially in the rural areas. We therefore carried out this study to document the prevalence and maternal and fetal delivery outcomes of grand multiparity in a rural Cameroonian setting.

Contraceptive use and determinants of unmet need for family planning; a cross sectional survey in the North West Region, Cameroon.

Background: Reducing unmet need for family planning by increasing the rate of modern contraceptive use is indispensable if Cameroon must meet maternal mortality targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. The objective of this survey was to estimate the rate of contraceptive use and identify factors associated with unmet need for family planning in rural Cameroon.

Methods: It was conducted a community-based cross sectional survey from February to March 2016 targeting women in a union of the Wum Health District.

Contraceptive method mix and preference: A focus on long acting reversible contraception in Urban Cameroon.

Introduction: Meeting targets of the Sustainable Development Goals in the domain of maternal health and the Family Planning 2020 commitments for Cameroon requires an increased use of modern contraception. Long acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) are methods which have been proven highly efficient with contraceptive failure rates of less than 1%. The objective of this survey was to determine the contraceptive method mix in the Biyem-Assi Health District and identify factors associated to the use of LARCs.

Quantification and factors associated with HIV-related stigma among persons living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy at the HIV-day care unit of the Bamenda Regional Hospital, North West Region of Cameroon.

Background: The Human Immunodeficiency Virus /Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is not just a medical problem but its social impact is increasingly affecting its effective management. The fear of HIV-stigma constitutes a major barrier to HIV testing, prevention, uptake and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). We aimed to quantify HIV-related stigma, and identify the factors associated with high HIV-related stigma among persons living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIVA) and on ART.

Ruptured caesarean scar ectopic pregnancy: a diagnostic dilemma in a resource-limited setting.

Background: Caesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) remains a very rare form of ectopic pregnancy associated with serious life threatening obstetric complications and even death in case of late diagnosis and treatment.

Case Presentation: We report a case of a ruptured caesarean scar pregnancy in a 29 year-old gravida 5, para 3 with a past obstetric history of two consecutive caesarean sections done 9 and 5 years ago respectively. The patient presented with intermittent lower abdominal pains on a 20 weeks gestation associated with mild epigastralgia and 2 previous episodes of mild pervaginal bleeding (2 and 1 months ago respectively before consultation) managed with injectable progesterone.

Determinants of modern contraceptive practice in Yaoundé-Cameroon: a community based cross sectional study.

Background: Despite numerous efforts put in place to increase modern contraceptive use in Cameroon as a means to fight maternal and infant mortality, the prevalence of modern contraception has shown only a slow increase and maternal mortality is constantly rising. This paper attempts to identify barriers to contraceptive use in Biyem-Assi, Yaoundé-Cameroon so as to clearly define in which domain and how to intervene concerning contraceptive use in Cameroon.

Methods: It was a community-based cross sectional study involving a two-steps cluster sampling.

Knowledge of women in family planning and future desire to use contraception: a cross sectional survey in Urban Cameroon.

Background: The rate of modern contraceptive use will be on an increase and maternal mortality on a decrease if women had a good knowledge on family planning and its methods. This survey was designed to evaluate the knowledge and determine the future desires to use contraception among women in Urban Cameroon.

Methods: We conducted a cross sectional community based survey from March 2015 to April 2015 targeting women of childbearing age in the Biyem-Assi Health District.

Determinants of unmet need for family planning among women in Urban Cameroon: a cross sectional survey in the Biyem-Assi Health District, Yaoundé.

Background: With the unacceptably high level of unmet need for family planning in Sub-Saharan Africa, reducing unmet need is paramount in the fight against the high levels of induced abortions, maternal and neonatal morbi-mortality. A clear understanding of the determinants of unmet need for family planning is indispensable in this light. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of unmet need for family planning in Urban Cameroon while identifying major determinants of unmet need among women in a union in Urban Cameroon.