Caregivers perception of common neonatal illnesses and their management among rural dwellers in Enugu state, Nigeria: a qualitative study.

Background: Neonatal mortality continues to be a challenge in Nigeria, where low-quality care, caregivers' ignorance of signs of neonatal illnesses, and prevalent use of unorthodox alternatives to health care predominate. Misconceptions originating and propagating as traditional practices and concepts can be linked to adverse neonatal outcomes and increased neonatal mortality. This study explores the perceptions of causes and management of neonatal illness among caregivers in rural communities in Enugu state, Nigeria.

Determinants of academic performance in medical students: evidence from a medical school in south-east Nigeria.

Background: Medical education is considered one of the toughest college degrees to acquire. Exploring the factors that determine good academic performance in medical school will help in the planning of curriculum and assist students to navigate through medical school more effectively.

Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study enrolled 145 second year clinical students (500 level) of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology in south-east Nigeria using purposive and convenient sampling method.

Pattern of Congenital Anomalies in Newborn: A 4-Year Surveillance of Newborns Delivered in a Tertiary Healthcare Facility in the South-East Nigeria.

Congenital abnormalities are important causes of morbidity and mortality in children and significantly add to the burdens on healthcare in developing countries. Unfortunately, there remains a paucity of information on congenital birth defects in most developing countries. This is a 4-year prospective study that assessed the patterns and predictors of congenital anomalies among newborns at the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.

Parental practice of child car safety in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria.

Child safety restraints and seat belts are regarded as the most successful safety and cost-effective protective devices available to vehicle occupants, which have saved millions of lives. This cross-sectional descriptive study evaluated the practice and use of child car restraints (CCRs) among 458 purposively selected respondents resident in two local government areas in Enugu State, Nigeria. Self-administered questionnaires were sent to parents of children attending private schools who owned a car.

Outbreak of serotype W135 Neisseria meningitidis in central river region of the Gambia between February and June 2012: a hospital-based review of paediatric cases.

Background: Meningitis still accounts for many deaths in children especially during epidemics in countries within the African meningitis belt. Between February and May 2012, the Gambia witnessed an outbreak of meningitis in two of its six regions. This study presents a clinical perspective of this outbreak in central river region of the Gambia.

Infant feeding practices and maternal socio-demographic factors that influence practice of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers in Nnewi South-East Nigeria: a cross-sectional and analytical study.

Background: Malnutrition is an underlying factor in more than 50% of the major cause of infant mortality-Pneumonia, diarrhoeal disease and measles which account for 70% of infant mortality. Therefore, programs to promote adequate nutrition for age can help reduce mortality from these disease conditions and indispensible to achievement of MDG 4.

Aim: To describe the feeding practices of infants below six months of age and determine maternal socio-demographic factors that influences the practice of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among mothers in Nnewi, south-east Nigeria.

Pattern of morbidity and mortality of newborns admitted into the sick and special care baby unit of Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Enugu state.

Background: Being the highest contributor to under-5 mortality, neonatal mortality and morbidity has great impact to the attainment of millennium development goals 4 (MDG 4). In Nigeria and other developing countries, this indicator strongly poses a major challenge in achieving this goal.

Objectives: To determine the morbidity and mortality pattern of admitted babies in the special care baby unit (SCBU) of Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTH).

Out-of-pocket cost of managing sick newborns in Enugu, southeast Nigeria.

Background: Neonatal illnesses usually require long hospital stays and specialized care and/or facilities, which usually results in huge medical bills. With more than 70% of people in Nigeria living on less than US$2 per day, these bills are not affordable to many families' livelihoods.

Aim: This study aims to determine the average cost of managing neonatal illnesses in Enugu in southeast Nigeria and the proportion of family income spent on these illnesses.

Household bed net ownership and use among under-5 children in Nigeria.

Background: Malaria remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, with children under 5 years accounting for 86% of all malaria deaths. For effective control of malaria, WHO recommends rapid diagnosis and effective treatment, insecticide-treated bed nets, and indoor residual spraying. The use of insecticide-treated bed nets has been shown to be the most cost-effective strategy in preventing this infection.

The role of gender inequities in women's access to reproductive health care: a population-level study of Namibia, Kenya, Nepal, and India.

Background: The role of gender inequities in explaining women's access to reproductive health care was examined in four countries (two sub-Saharan African and two South Asian countries). The extent of gender inequities varies across and within countries, and is rooted in the different cultural practices and gender norms within these different countries, and differences in the status and autonomy of women.

Methods: Demographic and Health Survey data from women aged 15-49 years within these countries were analyzed with multivariate logistic regression analysis to examine the role of multidimensional characteristics of gender inequities, operationalized as access to skilled antenatal care, tetanus toxoid injection during pregnancy, and access to skilled antenatal care.