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Objective To compare the effects of early and delayed cord clamping on the haemoglobin levels of neonates delivered at term. Methods This randomized controlled trial enrolled pregnant women during the second stage of labour. They were randomized into either the early cord clamping (ECC) group or the delayed cord clamping (DCC) group in the ratio of 1:1. Following delivery of the baby, the umbilical cords of participants in the ECC group were clamped within 30 s of delivery of the neonate while those of participants in the DCC group were clamped after 2 min from the delivery of the neonate. The primary outcome measure was the effect of ECC and DCC on the haemoglobin levels of neonates delivered at term. Results A total of 270 pregnant women were enrolled in the study. Their baseline sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were similar in both groups. There was no significant difference in the mean haemoglobin level between ECC and DCC groups at birth. The mean haemoglobin level of the neonates at 48 h postpartum was significantly higher in the DCC group than the ECC group. Conclusion DCC at birth was associated with a significant increase in neonatal haemoglobin levels at 48 h postpartum when compared with ECC. Trial Registration: The trial was registered at Pan African Clinical Trial Registry with approval number PACTR202206735622089.

Abstract Background This study determined the rate of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV among HIV positive women with placenta malaria and factors associated with placenta malaria. Methods This was a prospective observational study of booked HIV positive pregnant women in labour. A smear for malaria parasite was made from blood taken from the placental tissue post-delivery. The baby HIV testing was done with DNA polymerase chain reaction at 6 weeks postpartum. Data on age, parity, gestational age, religion, address, highest educational attainment and knowledge about malaria prevention in pregnancy was obtained with questionnaires and analysed using SPSS version 20. The P-value was set at 0.05 providing a confidence interval of 95%. Results A total of 174 booked HIV women participated in this study. The placental malaria parasitaemia prevalence was 44.8%. Overall rate of MTCT of HIV infection was 17.2%. Number of infants with HIV infection among women with maternal placental malarial parasitaemia was 30/78 (38.5%), while it was 0/96 (0%) for women without placenta malaria. There was significant relationship between placenta malaria density and infant HIV status (P-value = 0.001). The relative risk for MTCT of HIV for women with placenta malaria Density > 5000 was 25% with 95% confidence interval of 11.41–54.76%. Conclusion The mother-to-child transmission rate of HIV was high among HIV positive women with placental malaria parasitaemia. There is the need to review the malarial treatment and prophylactic measures at least in this group of women and to establish the nature of relationship between placenta malaria and MTCT of HIV infection.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a significant cause of intellectual disability and autism, while Fragile X Premutation -Associated Conditions (FXPAC) are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality globally. This study assessed the level of knowledge and perceptions about FXS and FXPAC among doctors in Nigeria. It was a web-based, cross-sectional study conducted among a cohort of doctors in Nigeria. Socio-demographic profile, knowledge of FXS, perceptions about FXS, knowledge of FXPAC, experience of doctors, and suggested ways of improving knowledge and management of FXS were obtained. Data were analyzed using STATA 16.0. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests of association were used to determine the association between variables, with the significance level set at p < 0.05. A total of 274 doctors participated in the study. A significant proportion of respondents had limited knowledge about the clinical features of FXS. Nine of ten (90.0%) participants with good knowledge of FXS had good perceptions of FXS management. This was statistically significant (p < 0.001). There was a high nonresponse rate to what FXPAC is (164/274, 59.9%) among the respondents because of insufficient knowledge. Suboptimal knowledge of FXS which influenced perception was noted among doctors. More strategies should be considered to improve doctors' knowledge and management of FXS and FXPAC in Nigeria., (© 2024 The Author(s). Clinical Genetics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)