IntroductionThere is a decline in child mortality rate globally, courtesy of the erstwhile Millennium Development Goals. However, under-five mortality is still high in the African sub-regions. The need to review the morbidity and mortality pattern among children admitted into private health settings, where 60% of the medical conditions of the masses are being attended to in the sub-regions, cannot be overemphasized. This study aimed at documenting the morbidity pattern and outcomes of admissions among children admitted into the Living Word Mission Hospital (LWMH), Aba, Nigeria.MethodsThis was a retrospective descriptive study over a 3 year period. The study population comprised of all children aged 1 month to 15 years that were admitted into the pediatric wards of the Living Word Mission Hospital, Aba, Nigeria. The age, gender, diagnoses and disease outcome of these patients, were all retrieved from the pediatric ward registers and hospital medical records. The data were analyzed using SPSS, version 20.0.ResultsThere were 2278 pediatric medical cases admitted over the study period. Males were 1364 and females were 914, giving a male: female ratio of 1.5:1. More than 90% of these patients were aged < less than 5 years. Severe malaria (31.1%), septicaemia (16.6%), bronchopneumonia (15.4%), uncomplicated malaria (11.9%), acute watery diarrhea (10.5%) and meningitis (3.7%) were the leading causes of admission. Mortality rate was 5.7%, with 87.5% of these deaths occurring in under-fives. Septicaemia (34.6%) and Severe malaria (23.2%) were the leading causes of death.ConclusionThere is a high rate of paediatric admissions at Living Word Hospital, Aba. The under-five population remains a vulnerable group to both childhood morbidity and mortality. Septicaemia, malaria, bronchopnuemonia and acute watery diarrhoea were the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Childhood mortality at LWMH is lower than observed in most government hospitals in Nigeria.

Introduction: In anthropology, certain characteristics may help to distinguish these tribes or races from others. To some extent, it can be used as a method of identification for these people. The earlobes are regarded as a significant anthropological trait on the face. Again, some civilizations use piercing decorations to stretch and enlarge the earlobes in order to create artistic effects and make room for plugs. Materials and Methods: The sample size for the study was 401, recruited via a multistage sampling method. Physical and close examination of the earlobe to determine the type of earlobe attachment present was used to collect data from consenting participants. The research instrument was a self- created; closed-ended questionnaire that was adapted for use based on previous literature on similar studies and was administered by the researcher. The data were grouped into attached or detached categories. Results and Discussions: The result of the study showed that the attached earlobe pattern was most frequent (227, 56.6%), while the detached was 174, 43.4%). The result of the study showed that the males had more attached earlobes (130; 32.4%) and detached earlobes (93; 23.2%), while the females had attached earlobes (95; 23.7%) and detached earlobes (79; 19.7%). The distribution of the earlobe attachment differed significantly (X2 = 13.213, p-value 0.004). The most common marital status was married or cohabiting with an attached earlobe (118, 29.4%) or a detached earlobe (102, 25.4%). Conclusions: The result of the study showed that the attached earlobe pattern was most frequent (227, 56.6%), while the detached was 174, 43.4%). In the general population, for every six detached earlobes seen, there are eight attached earlobes in the same Idoma population. The study has revealed that there are more attached earlobes than detached ones in the Idoma population of Benue State. It further implies that this distribution could be taken as an anthropological feature un

Background: The use of hormonal contraceptives is on the increase among women of reproductive age in Nigeria. In this study effort was made to examine the influence of combined oral contraceptives on some Red blood cell (RBC) parameters in women attending family planning unit. Materials and Methods: Data for this study were obtained through questionnaire administered on one hundred and twenty (120) respondents who were randomly purposively selected. The subjects blood samples were collected and analysed using appropriate techniques. One way ANOVA was adopted as statistical analysis method for the study. Results and Discussions: It was observed that while combined oral contraceptives therapy caused reduction in MCV value, MCHC was significantly raised. The significant increase in haematocrit value coupled with con-comitant reduction in haemoglobin concentration in circulation as reported by this study is of great advantage in terms of oxygen carrying and delivery capacity of red blood cells and maintenance of normal function in individuals. Conclusion: The combined oral contraceptives does not show the capacity of inducing anaemia in users.

Background: Potable water, good sanitary conditions, and good hygienic practices are essential for the survival and development of children. Objective: The study aimed to determine the demographic and socioeconomic effect of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in the occurrence of diarrheal disease among pediatric age group in Aba, Abia State. Materials and Methods: The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey design to assess the environmental sanitation in the selected study areas. The survey was designed with the use of questionnaire which was administered to a sample size of 360 participants. The collected data were entered into computer software called Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20.0 and analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis. Results: The results were displayed in frequency tables and charts. The relation between variables was determined with Fisher’s exact test and the findings showed that 267 (74.1%) of the participants reported with 1–5 times episodes of diarrhea/year and 204 (56.7%) participants had available water supply and the major source of water supply was borehole in 227 (63.1%) participants. In terms of water treatment, 255 (70.8%) reported of not boiling water before use; 100 (27.7%) did not wash hands after defecation, 225 (62.5%) did not wash hands after touching pet animals, and only 32 (8.8%) reported of not washing fruits/vegetables before eating or cooking. A total of 264 (73.3%) had the knowledge of treating children with diarrhea at health center. Conclusion: WASH had impact in the occurrence of diarrheal disease among pediatric age group in relation to demographic and socioeconomic factors. However, the available and functional sanitary facilities do not meet the required standards. Therefore, awareness should be generated on the importance of WASH practices in all local governments in Abia State.

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