Sonographic Evaluation of Maternal Renal Echogenicity in Healthy Pregnant Women in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria.

Background: Increased renal echogenicity is a nonspecific ultrasound finding. It may be a normal variation or suggestive of various underlying conditions like renal amyloidosis, chronic kidney disease, sickle cell disease and HIV associated nephropathy (HIVAN).

Objective: To study maternal renal echogenicity in normal pregnancy, and explore its relationship with maternal baseline characteristics in our subregion.

Sociocultural practices, beliefs, and myths surrounding newborn cord care in Bayelsa State, Nigeria: A qualitative study.

Persisting sociocultural beliefs have continued to significantly influence the adoption of recommended newborn care practices by women in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed at identifying the sociocultural practices, beliefs, and myths surrounding newborn cord care by women residing in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. This was a qualitative study that involved 24 women and 3 traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in three focus group discussions and three in-depth interviews respectively.

Ultrasound Measurement of Foetal Kidney Length during Healthy Pregnancy: Relationship with Gestational Age.

Background: Foetal kidney length (FKL) measurements and comparisons to normal charts can be used to assess the development of the foetal kidneys throughout the entire course of pregnancy. This study was designed to assess FKL between 20 - 40 weeks' gestation, establish reference ranges for FKL and determine the relationship between FKL and gestational age (GA) in normal pregnancy.

Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted between March-August 2022, at the Obstetric Units and Radiology Departments of the two tertiary health facilities, one secondary facility and one radio-diagnostic facility in Bayelsa State, Southern Nigeria.