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INTRODUCTION: Preterm birth, a leading cause of neonatal mortality accounts for 35 percent of all neonatal deaths worldwide. Uganda's high preterm birth rate of 13.6 per 1000 live births ranks 28th in the world. Efforts at reducing these pre-term births must entail interventions that target any associated risk factors. This study therefore aimed at identifying and describing the risk factors for preterm births among mothers delivering in Mulago Hospital. METHODS: This was a case control study among postpartum women in Mulago Hospital. Ninety nine women with preterm newborns were recruited as cases and 193 with full term babies were the controls. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was entered into Epidata version 3.1 and exported to STATA 11 for univariate analysis and multivariate analysis by logistic regression. RESULTS: Risk factors for preterm birth included maternal height less than 1.5 meters (OR 131.08 (20.35-844.02)), rural residence (OR 6.56(2.68-16.10)) and failure to attend antenatal care clinic (OR 8.88(1.44-54.67)). Pregnancy related risk factors included PPROM (OR 287.11(49.26-1673.28)), antepartum haemorrhage (OR 7.33(1.23-43.72)) and preeclampsia/eclampsia (OR 16.24(3.11-84.70)). CONCLUSION: Preterm birth is more likely to occur in women of short stature, living in rural areas and those who do not attend antenatal care clinic. The preterm birth risk is higher for women who get PPROM, APH and preeclampsia/eclampsia in pregnancy. Early recognition and management of these high risk conditions among pregnant women may lead to a reduction in preterm birth rates.

INTRODUCTION: birth preparedness and complication readiness (BP/CR) promotes timely access to skilled maternal and neonatal services, active preparation and decision-making for seeking health care to prevent any adverse outcomes. The aim was to assess level of male partner (MP) involvement in the birth plan, the attitude of the women towards maternal care and factors associated with BP/CR among obstetric referrals in rural Rwanda. METHODS: this was a cross-sectional study among 350 pregnant women who were admitted as referrals at Ruhengeri hospital, between July 2015 and November 2015. Data was collected on socio-demographics, level of MP's participation in maternal health care and domestic activities, women's attitude towards involvement of men in maternal care and BP/CR. Any woman who arranged to have a birth companion, made a plan of where to deliver from, received health education on pregnancy and childbirth complications, saved money in case of pregnancy complication and had attended antenatal care (ANC) at least 4 times, was deemed as having made a birth plan. RESULTS: the mean age was 27.7 years, while mean age of the spouse was 31.3 years. Majority of the women (n=193; 55.1%) and their spouse (n=208; 59.4%) had completed primary education. Men's role was found to be mainly in the area of financial support. The level of men ANC attendance was low (n=103; 29.4%), while 78 (22.3%) women were accompanied to the labor ward. However, there was a strong opposition to the physical presence of MP in the labor room (n=178; 50.9%). The main reason cited by women opposing MP presence is that it is against their culture for a man to witness the delivery of a baby. On multivariable analysis, maternal education level of secondary or higher adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.4 95% CI (1.8-2.6), formal occupation of spouse, AOR 2.4 95% CI (1.4-4.2) and personnel checked during ANC being community health worker AOR 2.2, 95% CI; (1.3,3.7) were associated with being well prepared. CONCLUSION: male involvement in pregnancy and antenatal care is low. To increase men involvement in birth plan addressing cultural barriers and refraining care-givers and health facility policies towards family delivery is paramount.

Helicobacter pylori gastritis infection rate increases with age. Higher rates have however been reported among young people in the developing countries of the world. The infection however has rarely been reported in infants, especially in Africa. This case series describes three cases of Helicobacter pylori gastritis infection as diagnosed in three infants. The goal is to raise the suspicion index of medical practitioners about the possibility of this this infection among infants who present with suggestive symptoms. On three separate occasions in 2012 and 2013, three ill, indigenous, black African female infants aged 4, 6 and 7 months, were brought to hospital with symptoms ranging from fever, refusal to feed, diarrhoea, restlessness, vomiting and irritability. In each case, systemic examination findings were unremarkable. After several laboratory investigations, each infant was found to have Helicobacter pylori infection following positive blood antibody (using Tell Me Fast H. Pylori antibody serum and Plasma test manufactured by Biocan Diagnostics Canada) and fecal HpSA ImmunoCardSTAT antigen tests. Repeat stool antigen test was negative in each case after completion of the recommended triple therapy. Helicobacter pylori infection has been rarely reported among infants. This case series highlights the need for health care providers to have a high index of suspicion so that infants with suggestive symptoms, especially in settings with high Helicobacter pylori colonization prevalence can be evaluated for Helicobacter pylori gastritis infection.