BackgroundThe use of non-nutritive sucking materials like pacifiers and fingers poses health challenges to children in resource-limited settings, where hygiene practices and provision of clean water are poor. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of non-nutritive sucking habits and its association with acute diarrhea in children aged 6–23 months in urban communities of Nigeria.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 12 communities from 4 out of 12 geopolitical wards in Ibadan North Local Government Area and 427 mothers of children aged 6–24 months were randomly selected. A pre-tested, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-demographic characteristics, recent history of diarrhea (3 months prior to visit) and use of non-nutritive sucking materials. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and logistic regression were used for data analysis at p = 0.05.ResultsMean age of the children was 13.9 ± 5.3 months and 50.6% were males. Prevalence of non-nutritive sucking was 45.2%. Prevalence of non-nutritive sucking was not significantly different between males (45.8%) and females (44.5%). The odds ratio of engaging in non-nutritive sucking increases by 6.0% with increasing age (OR = 1.06; 1.02; 1.10). More children who were not exclusively breastfed (53.5%) than exclusively breastfed (26.2%) were likely to engage in non-nutritive sucking (OR = 3.25; 95% CI = 2.07, 5.12). Acute diarrhea was more frequently reported in non-nutritive sucking group than the other (OR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.03, 2.22).ConclusionNon-nutritive sucking was linked with failure to practice exclusive breastfeeding, worse with increasing age, and predisposes to acute diarrhea. Further studies are necessary to verify the nature of these associations.

Background: Viral load testing is the gold standard for HIV treatment monitoring, periodic viral load tests are the most accurate way of determining whether antiretroviral treatment is working to suppress the replication of HIV. The achievement of viral suppression among persons living with HIV has a lot of benefits to the individual, community, and entire population level. Therefore, the review is aimed at summarizing and documenting the public health impact of viral load monitoring among PLHIV initiated on anti-retroviral therapy. Methods: A literature search was conducted for relevant articles, reports, and HIV treatment guidelines on viral load suppression among PLHIV. Electronic databases [Medline and PubMed], National, WHO and US-CDC HIV treatment guidelines were searched to identify relevant literature published in English. All identified articles and reports on viral load monitoring and treatment outcomes among PLHIV on ART were reviewed. Results: The search strategy identified three [3] WHO, five [5] UNAIDS, one [1] National and two [2] HIV treatment program reports. Furthermore, thirty-nine [39] peer reviewed articles were identified and summarized. Conclusion:Viral load monitoring helps keep PLHIV in good health, prolonging, improving their quality life and reduces HIV related morbidity and mortality. It aids in early detection of antiretroviral treatment failure enabling clinicians in the management of HIV/AIDS. Viral load monitoring is the bed rock for global epidemic control as achieving undetectable viral load reduces or eliminates the risk of HIV transmission [undetectable equal untransmittable U = U], reduces the risk of HIV mother to child transmission, information from viral load monitoring could be used for surveillance purpose, as well as help in directing and improving HIV/AIDS programs interventions outcome.