Publications by authors named "D M Mwaengo"
We examined the association between serum aflatoxin B1-lysine adduct (AFB1-lys) levels in pregnant women and adverse pregnancy outcomes (low birthweight, miscarriage and stillbirth) through a nested matched case-control study of pregnant women enroled at ≤28 weeks' gestation in Mombasa, Kenya, from 2017 to 2019. Cases comprised women with an adverse birth outcome, defined as either delivery of a singleton infant weighing <2500 g, or a miscarriage, or a stillbirth, while controls were women who delivered a singleton live infant with a birthweight of ≥2500 g. Cases were matched to controls at a ratio of 1:2 based on maternal age at enrolment, gestational age at enrolment and study site.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRisk factors of adverse birth outcomes among a cohort of pregnant women in Coastal Kenya, 2017-2019.
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth
February 2024
Article Synopsis
- * The study enrolled 2,312 pregnant women under 28 weeks gestation in coastal Kenya and tracked them until delivery, finding that 20.9% experienced adverse outcomes, with specific rates for stillbirths, miscarriages, and congenital anomalies reported.
- * Key risk factors identified include febrile illnesses during pregnancy, previous poor birth outcomes, and high blood pressure, which significantly increase the likelihood of adverse birth outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- * Conducted from October 2017 to July 2019, the research involved monitoring 2,312 pregnant women and collecting various health data, including blood samples for Zika virus testing and measuring newborns' head circumferences for microcephaly.
- * Findings revealed that 7.2% of participants tested positive for Zika virus antibodies, with 11 newborns (0.9%) diagnosed with microcephaly, suggesting a possible link between ZIKV exposure during pregnancy and adverse fetal outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- - Several alphaviruses like chikungunya (CHIKV) and Onyong-nyong (ONNV) are common in Kenya and can lead to disease outbreaks.
- - Researchers tested blood samples from patients with acute febrile illness in both a rural area (Taita-Taveta County) and an urban settlement (Kibera) to check for antibodies related to these viruses.
- - Findings revealed that out of 537 patients, only a small percentage had antibodies for these viruses, indicating prior and current exposure in regions that hadn’t experienced outbreaks before.
Article Synopsis
- Maternal immunization against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is being explored to enhance antibody transfer to infants, potentially improving protection from severe RSV disease.
- A study involving 400 pregnant women from two regions in Kenya revealed efficient transplacental transfer of RSV-specific antibodies, with an overall transfer ratio comparable in both locations.
- However, factors like HIV infection, prematurity, and low birth weight significantly reduced the efficiency of this transfer, suggesting that combining RSV vaccination with additional interventions could optimize outcomes for vulnerable infants.