Dr. Abebe Muche Moges

Background. In Ethiopia traumatic dental injury (TDI) is seriously neglected, regardless of its current increased incidence rate. Objective. To determine the etiology and types of TDIs among traumatized patients admitted to Gondar University Hospital Dental Clinic (GUHDC) between September 2013 and August 2015. Methods. A retrospective descriptive study design was conducted using previous medical records of 309 patients. Records were retrieved, reviewed and analyzed. Results. A total of 309 dental traumatic patients with a mean age of 24.32±5.47 were admitted to the GUHDC. It was found that TDIs were most frequent in males (80.3%), 21–30 age range (47.2%) and rural residents (58.3%). Interpersonal violence (74.1%) and road traffi c accidents (23.3%) were the most common etiological factors. The study also revealed that maxillary central incisor was the most frequently affected tooth. Key words: Traumatic dental injury, interpersonal violence, etiology, pattern of fracture

Background: The palmaris longus muscle, located in the superficial anterior compartment of the forearm, plays a crucial role in wrist flexion. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the anatomical variation (presence or absence) of the palmaris longus using the Anatomage Table 10.0, a cutting-edge virtual dissection tool. Method: The research was conducted at the University of Global Health Equity's simulation laboratory in Rwanda from June 10 to June 15, 2024. Five cadavers (2 female, 3 male) with varying resolutions were used to examine the muscle's anatomy. Prior to data collection, instructors received training, and a pilot study ensured the reliability and validity of the research. Virtual dissection and labeling of the palmaris longus muscle and corresponding nerves were performed, while preserving key anatomical structures. Result: The study revealed a bilateral absence of the palmaris longus muscle in one cadaver. Conclusion: Our findings on palmaris longus muscle variability highlight the significance of anatomical variations in treatment outcomes and patient care, contributing to the growing understanding of their clinical implications. This variability is crucial for surgeons and clinicians to consider when performing forearm surgeries and diagnosing conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome.

BackgroundThe brachial plexus is usually formed by the fusion of anterior primary rami of the fifth to eighth cervical and the first thoracic spinal nerves. Variations in the formation of the brachial plexus may occur. Variations in brachial plexus anatomy are important to radiologists, surgeons and anaesthesiologists performing surgical procedures in the neck, axilla and upper limb regions. These variations may lead to deviation from the expected dermatome distribution as well as differences in the motor innervation of muscles of the upper limb. This study is aimed to describe the anatomical variations of brachial plexus in its formation among 20 Ethiopian cadavers.MethodsObservational based study was conducted by using 20 cadavers obtained from the Department of Human Anatomy at University of Gondar, Bahir Dar, Addis Ababa, Hawasa, Hayat Medical College and St Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College. Data analysis was conducted using thematic approaches.ResultsA total of 20 cadavers examined bilaterally for the formation of brachial plexus. Of the 40 sides, 30 sides (75%) were found normal, seven sides (17.5%) prefixed, three sides (7.5%) postfixed and one side of the cadaver lacks cord formation.ConclusionThe brachial plexus formation in most subjects is found to be normal. Among the variants, the numbers of the prefixed brachial plexuses are greater than the postfixed brachial plexuses.

Background: The foramen magnum (FM) is the largest opening and is outlet through which medulla oblongata and spinal cord along with meninges, vertebral arteries, anterior and posterior spinal arteries, tectorial membrane, alar ligaments, and spinal branch of the accessory nerve. Occipital condyle (OC) is an important part of craniovertebral or craniocervical junction located anterolaterally on either side of the FM. The objective of the study was to assess variations of FM and OC in Ethiopian dried adult skulls. Methods: Observation-based descriptive study design was employed. The study was undertaken in 54 FM and 108 OC of 54 adult Ethiopian skulls. The morphometry of FM and OC were determined using a sliding vernier caliper. Results: The mean values of anteroposterior and transverse diameters of the FM were 35.19 and 30.17 mm, respectively, and the mean area of the FM was 853.36 mm2. The shapes of FM were determined as round in 22.2%, oval in 18.5%, egg like in 20.4%, triangular in 3.7%, pentagonal in 11.1%, hexagonal in 7.4%, irregular in 13%, and rectangular in 3.7% of the cases. The mean length of right and left OC was 25.69 and 26.96 mm, respectively, and the mean widths of the right and left OC were 12.76 and 13.04 mm, respectively. Conclusion: Our study identified various shapes of FM and diameter. The anteroposterior diameter is greater than the transverse diameter. The morphometric study of OC confirmed the length of left side is significantly greater than the right side.

Superficial veins in the cubital fossa are a common site for obtaining venous blood for analysis, transfusion, and intravenous therapy. These superficial veins are often visible through the skin, and are anatomically variable. These include cephalic vein, basilic vein, median cubital vein, and median antebrachial vein. The objective of this study is to assess variations of superficial veins arrangement in the cubital fossa. A tourniquet was applied 10 cm proximal to elbow crease for about three minutes with active flexion and extension of fingers until the veins are exposed for observation. Four types of superficial venous patterns were identified in cubital fossa. From the total of 800 studied arms 58.5%, 18.6%, 14%, 8.9% had type 1, type 2, type 3, and type 4 patterns, respectively. In the majority of studied subjects, the veins patterns go with the findings of former studies. However, some rare venous patterns were also identified. Key words: Cubital fossa; superficial veins; variations

Background: Anterior fontanelle is the largest, prominent and most important fontanelle, which is used for clinical evaluation. It is mainly characterized by its size and shape variation and is possibly influenced by gender, race and genetics. Understanding the variation of anterior fontanelle is used for recognition of different medical disorders and abnormal skeletal morphogenesis. Objective: To determine the mean size of anterior fontanelle among term neonates on the first day of life born at University of Gondar Hospital, Gondar Town, Northwest Ethiopia, 2018. Methods: Descriptive cross sectional study design was undertaken in 384 term and apparently healthy neonates, using standard methods. Descriptive analysis, student t-test, one way ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient were implemented. Results: In this study, the mean size of anterior fontanelle in term neonates was 3.00 ± 0.62 cm (range 1.70-5.50 cm). The mean size of anterior fontanelle was 3.10 ± 0.66 cm for males, and 2.88 ± 0.57 cm for females. There was statistically significant difference in anterior fontanelle size in neonates of different genders (p<0.001), mode of delivery (p<0.001) and duration of labour (p = 0.006). However, the size of anterior fontanelle was not significantly affected by the birth order, onset of labour and socio-demographic variables of the mother except occupation of the mother (p = 0.01). There was a significant positive correlation between the mean size of anterior fontanelle with birth weight (r = 0.11; p = 0.04) and head circumference (r = 0.17; p = 0.001). Conclusions: At term, male neonates had significantly larger anterior fontanelle than female neonates and anterior fontanelle size has a direct relationship with birth weight and head circumference.

Introduction:The jugular foramen is a large irregular hiatus that lies on each side of the skull. It is subdivided into ante-rior, middle and posterior compartments.The shape and size of jugular foramen are related to the size of internal jugular vein and the presence or absence of a prominent superior jugular bulb. Objective:The aim of the present study was to assess variations of jugular foramenin Ethiopian dried adult skulls.To our knowledge, this study is the first of its kind on Ethiopian skulls. Methods and materials:Observation based descriptive study design was employed. The study was undertaken in 58 adult Ethiopian skulls. The diameters and areas of jugular foramen were determined using a sliding jaw vernier caliper. The pres-ence of dome and septation were also examined. Results: The mean anteroposterior and mediolateral diameters and the area of jugular foramen are larger on the right side.It has been observed that all the skulls had a jugular foramen bilaterally. Out of the examined 116 jugular foramina, a domed bony roof was present in 63.79%bilaterally, in 18.97% unilaterally on the right, in9.90% skulls unilaterally on the left side, and it was absent bilaterally in 6.90% of skulls. The presence of bilateral partial bony septation was common and detected in 62.01% of the skulls. Conclusions:The various measurements on the jugular foramen reported in our study sheds light on the size and shape of jugular foramen and provide a baseline for further research on the foramen in Ethiopian skulls. Keywords:Skull, jugular foramen, morphological variation, dome, septation

The spleen is vital lymphatic organ in the human body which located in the left hypochondrial region. Currently, its anatomical variation with immunological and hematological functions for its clinical significance gets attention. The aim of this study was to assess the anatomical variation of spleen in an adult human cadaver. Methods: This study was conducted in 21 apparently normal adult male of unknown age human cadaveric spleens. institutional based observational descriptive study design was applied to assess the morphometric values of the spleen like its length, breadth, width and weight and the morphologic features like the shape, notches, borders, surfaces and impressions on the spleens were observed in all formalin fixed cadavers in selected university medical school of Ethiopian. Result: Out of 21 spleen samples various shapes of the spleens with triangular shaped 8 (38.10%), wedge shaped 5 (23.81%), tetrahedral shaped 3 (14.29%), oval shaped 4 (19.04%) and kidney shaped 1 (4.76 %) of the spleens were observed .The lengths of the spleens varied between 9.7 cm to 13.7 cm, with an average of 11.2 cm. Their breadth was between 3.5 and 9.5 cm with an average breadth of 6.6 cm. Their widths varied between 2.3 and 7.3 cm with an average of 5.0 cm. The weights of the spleens showed great variations, ranging between 45.72 and 331.41 gm, with an average of 147.76 gm. Out of 21 spleen samples,18 (85.71%) of spleens had the hilar length varies from 4-8 cm with an average of 4.5 cm. The splenic notches were present on the superior, intermediate and inferior borders. However, accessory spleens were not found at the hilum of the spleen. The knowledge on the anatomical variations of the spleen is of fundamental importance to the clinicians during the routine clinical examinations of the abdomen. Key Words: Spleen; Anatomical variation; Morphology; Morphometry

BACKGROUND: Recently, not only the medical school curriculum but also medical students’ attitude towards cadaver-based learning of anatomy has changed. This investigation is therefore designed to analyse students’ attitudes towards human cadaveric dissection before and after exposure to dissection. METHODS: A longitudinal survey was conducted among second year medical students in 2010 at the college of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar. All second year medical students (n=147) were included in the study where their attitudes were surveyed at three time points (one week prior to dissection session, a week after the initiation of dissection and eight weeks after the second survey). Three standardized and pretested questionnaires prepared in English were used to collected relevant data from the subjects. RESULTS: Out of the 147 students 85.7% were males. The subjects’ age ranged between 18 and 23 with a mean and standard deviation of 19.5+1 years. This study has revealed that among majority of the students fear and nausea have decreased while their interest and excitement has increased on subsequent exposure to dissection (P<0.05). About 75% of students considered the dissection room as slightly or highly stressful. Smell of the cadaver and eye irritation as a result of the chemicals in it were the major aspects identified as making the dissecting room stressful. The result also showed that almost all (99%) considered cadaver dissection had very important educational value for anatomy learning. CONCLUSION: In the majority of the students fear and nausea had decreased while interest and excitement had increased on subsequent exposure to dissection. It also showed that chemical odour and eye irritations were the leading factors which create discomfort in the dissection room even though anatomical dissection by itself was not considered as a stressor. Thus, instructors are recommended to adequately prepare students mentally and emotionally before the commencement of the dissection session for an exciting and stress free anatomy learning though dissection. KEYWORDS: Cadaver, dissection, attitude, Ethiopia

AbstractBackgroundCircle of Willis is the main structure that provides constant and regular blood flow to the brain, protects the brain from ischemia. Stroke has remained the second leading cause of death globally in the last fifteen years. It is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. It is also the leading cause of serious adult disability. Interlinked problems related to ischemic stroke are become increasing nowadays. Strong evidence is needed about the pooled measure of association between the circle of Willis (COW) and ischemic stroke. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis were intended to provide compressive and up to date evidence on the association between the variations of COW and ischemic stroke using the available studies.MethodsPubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched. All essential data were extracted using a standardized data extraction template. The heterogeneity across studies was assessed by using the Cochrane Q test statistic, I2test statistic, and P-values. A fixed-effect model was used to estimate the pooled effect of the measure association between COW and ischemic stroke.ResultsIn this meta-analysis, 2,718 participants were involved. The pooled measure of association between COW and ischemic stroke was 1.38 (95% CI 0.87, 2.19). Therefore, this indicated that the presence of any variation in COW was 1.38 times more likely to develop ischemic stroke as compared to the patent COW. The presence of hypoplasia/incompleteness in a posterior communicating artery (PcomA) [Pooled OR: 1.34 (95% CI 0.80, 2.25)] and anterior communicating artery (AcomA) [Pooled OR: 1.32 (95% CI 0.81, 2.19)] were a contributing factor for the development of ischemic stroke. Hypertension was the most common comorbid condition, followed by diabetes mellitus, smoking, coronary artery disease, and hyperlipidemia.ConclusionsThere was a non-significant positive association between COW variation and ischemic stroke in this meta-analysis.

The gastrocnemius muscle located on the posterior compartment of the leg, has two heads. Muscular variations presumably seriously compromise parts of the muscular, vascular, nervous, and skeletal and/or organ systems. The main causes of gastrocnemius muscle variation may be due to an error of embryologic developmental timing or persistence of an embryologic condition. On the other hand, variations in the origin, course, and termination of the superficial veins of the lower limb are common. However, variations of the short saphenous are rarely reported. Knowledge on the anatomical variations of structures has clinical significance to surgeons, radiologists who interpret plain and computerized imaging. Keywords:Bilateral, gastrocnemius, popliteal fossa, small saphenous vein, termination, variant muscle, variations

Background: Intestinal parasitic infections (IPI) cause serious public health problem in Ethiopia. They are more prevalent in the poor segments of the population with low household income, poor handling of personal and environmental sanitation, over-crowding and limited access to clean water.Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and distribution of common IPs inMetema District Hospital (MDH). Methodology: This retrospective study was undertaken in MDH from September 14, 2005 to April 21, 2008. The study subjects were those who gave stool samples for IPs investigation in the laboratory. Stool specimens were examined microscopically for the presence of protozoan, cysts and trophozoites. Results: Of the total 2592 (44.5%) had one or more intestinal parasitic infections. E. histolytica, G. lamblia, the Hookworm species, and A. lumbricoides were detected as single infection in 1435(24.8%), 694(12.0%), 215(3.7%) and 112(1.9%) of the infected study subjects, respectively. Multiple infection was found in 125 (4.8%) of the total examined. The prevalence of amoe-biasis was significantly high in infants less than 1 year and teenagers than other age groups (P<0.05).In addition, higher pro-portions of teenagers were infected by Hookworm, 46 (13.3%). Conclusion: Intestinal parasitoses, particularly protozoan infections, were highly prevalent in the study area. Periodical de-worming (once in 3 to 6 months) in addition to health education on how to practice personal hygiene, food and water sanita-tion, and the proper use of the latrine should be given to reduce the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections. Keywords: intestinal parasite, protozoan, multiple infection

Background: Fontanel can be defined as a space where two or more sutures meet. There are six fontanels in the newborn skull, namely anterior, posterior, two mastoid, and two sphenoid fontanels. The anterior fontanel is the most important for clinical evaluation. In Ethiopia, there is a paucity of information regarding the size of anterior fontanel dimensions . Thus, this study aimed to determine and compare the average values of the length and width of the anterior fontanel and to identify the factors that affect the dimensions. Method: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on three hundred eighty-four healthy and term newborns. A systematic sampling technique was used to select study subjects. The data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaire by interviewing the mothers of the neonates. The examination included assessment of the length and width of the anterior fontanel, birth weight, and head circumference. Socio-demographic, pregnancy, and labor variables were also recorded. Descriptive analysis, simple linear and multiple linear regression analysis were applied to analyze the data. Result: The mean length and width of the anterior fontanel was 3.07 ± 0.69 cm and 2.92 ± 0.61 cm, respectively. Cesarean mode of delivery (ABC (Adjusted B-Coefficient) = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.002, 0.18)), being daily laborer (ABC = -0.23, 95% CI: - 0.41, -0.05), width of anterior fontanel (ABC = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.84, 0.98), and head circumference (ABC = 0.03, 95% CI: 0.001, 0.050) were independently associated with length of anterior fontanel. Age of the newborn (ABC= 0.01, 95% CI: 0.008, 0.02) was associated with width of the anterior fontanel. Conclusion: At birth, the mean length of the anterior fontanel was larger than the mean width of the anterior fontanel. This study provides an insight on the mean length and width anterior fontanel for term neonates in the study area. which can serve as a baseline for future larger sample size studies to set reference values for the area.. Keywords: Length of anterior fontanel, width of anterior fontanel, comparison, newborns.

Abstract Background Oral diseases are a public health concern with a significant impact on the quality of life of individuals. Children with special needs face significant challenges in carrying out oral hygiene due to their disability, and they are more prone to poor oral health and illnesses. This study assessed dental health problems and treatment-seeking behaviors of special needs school students in Amhara region, Ethiopia. Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2020 to April 2021, in eight special needs schools located in the Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. A total of 443 randomly selected special needs students were included. Data were collected using a structured interview-administered questionnaire. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to identify factors associated with oral health problems and treatment-seeking behavior. A p-value of less than 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. Results The prevalence of self-reported dental health problems and treatment-seeking behaviors among special needs school students was 46.1% (95% CI: 41.4%, 50.7%) and 60.3% (95% CI: 53.4%, 66.8%), respectively. Place of residence, grade level, religious affiliation, years lived with disability, and knowledge of dental health-related risk behaviors were associated with dental health problems. Whereas, place of residence, being hearing impaired, and having prior information about dental health problems were associated with dental treatment-seeking behavior. Conclusions A significant number of special needs students reported dental problems and about 40% of them did not seek dental treatment. Oral hygiene practice and access to dental care services are important in the prevention of dental problems. Hence, oral hygiene promotion programs focusing on oral hygiene practice and dental treatment services are needed in special needs schools. It is also strongly suggested to incorporate oral health related information in health-related academic lessons to enhance optimum oral health among special needs students.

Background: Lumbar puncture is a difficult medical skill and used by anesthetists for administering local anesthetics to the subarachnoid space. Prior knowledge of how far the needle needs to be inserted from skin to the subarachnoid space distance (SSD) has a paramount role to guide spinal needle placement and reduce complications related to lumbar puncture. Therefore, we aimed to determine the depth of spinal needle insertion and its associated factors among patients who underwent surgery under spinal anesthesia. Methods: An institutional based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 274 patients who underwent surgery under spinal anesthesia. Following very successful lumbar puncture procedure, the distance from skin entry point to the tip of the spinal needle was measured. The data were entered into an Epi data version 4.3.1 and exported to SPSS software version 20 for analysis. Descriptive analysis, simple linear and multiple linear regression analysis were used. Then, in order to assess the correlation of depth of spinal needle insertion with other independent variables Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) was applied. Results: Two hundred seventy four patients comprising 112 (40.8%) male and 162 (59.1%) female were included in the study with a mean height, weight and body mass index (BMI) of 1.63 m, 62.9 kg, and 23.9 kg/m2 respectively. The mean distance from skin to the subarachnoid space was 5.13 ± 0.69 cm ranging from 3.5 to 7.1 cm. Pregnancy, weight and BMI had statistically significant effect on the mean SSD (p < 0.001, p < 0.001 and p = 0.014) respectively. Conclusions: The distance from the skin to the subarachnoid space was differed among individuals. The SSD was affected by individuals’ pregnancy status, BMI and weight. Hence, to minimize complications, these factors should be taken into consideration at the time of spinal needle insertion.

Background: Spleen size is an integral part of abdominal ultrasonography (US) because both enlarged and small spleens can be indicative of a variety of physical conditions. The purpose of this study was to define age and region corrected normal values for spleen dimensions determined with USG. Methods: A cross-sectional prospective study design was performed at the University of Gondar, hospital. The sonographic measurements of spleen length, width, thickness and volume were performed on 380 subjects. By Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficients, the relation of spleen dimensions to age was evaluated. Results: The splenic dimensions (length, width and thickness) decreased with increase in age of adult subject in both male and female. Comparison between mean splenic dimensions between urban and rural residency showed no statistical significance differences (P>0.05) for splenic length, width and volume. There is a statistically significant negative correlation between the age of the female subjects and splenic dimensions (r=-0.146, -0.221, and -0.185 for spleen length, width, and thickness, respectively). For the male subjects, there was a statistically significant negative correlation between age of subjects and splenic length, width, thickness and volume (r=-0.271, P<0.0001, r=-0.354, p<0.0001, r=-0.223, p<0.01 and r=-0.282, p<0.0001, respectively) which decreased with age. Conclusion: The study showed that spleen dimensions correlate partly independently with age and provide reference tables and tools for assessment of the upper limits of normal spleen dimensions for a given region. Keywords: Spleen dimensions, Age, Ultra-sonography

AbstractVascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been characterized as a heparin binding angiogenic growth factor displaying high specificity for endothelial cells. It is profoundly accumulated and co‐localized with amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients. In order to examine the effect of Aβ plaques on the expression level of VEGF mRNA and its receptors, brain tissue of both transgenic Tg2576 and wild type mice at ages ranging from 13 to 22 months was subjected to in situ hybridization followed by densitometric assessment using computer‐assisted image analysis. Strong expression of VEGF mRNA, fetal liver kinase (Flk)‐1 mRNA, and neuropilin (Nrp)‐1 mRNA in the piriform, entorhinal, somatosensory, frontal cortex and hippocampal formation of both transgenic and non‐transgenic mice brain was detected. Developmentally, only expression of VEGF mRNA was increased with age in the entorhinal, and somatosensory cortex of wild type mice. In 20‐month‐old transgenic Tg2576 mice, up‐regulation of VEGF mRNA, Flk‐1 mRNA, and Nrp‐1 mRNA transcripts was observed in the entorhinal cortex compared to age‐matched wild type mice. Our data suggest up‐regulation of VEGF mRNA, Flk‐1 mRNA and Nrp‐1 mRNA, at least in the entorhinal cortex at ages when Aβ deposition in Tg2576 is typically increasing.

Background: Diarrheal diseases are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in developing world. Understanding the etiologic agents of diarrheal diseases and their association with socio-demographic characteristics of patients would help to design better preventive measures. Thus, this study was aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites and enteropathogenic bacteria in diarrheic patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 384 consecutive diarrheal patients who visited Gondar teaching hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia from October 2006 to March 2007 was conducted. Stool specimens were collected and examined for intestinal parasites and enteropathogenic bacteria following standard parasitological and microbiological procedures. Results: Intestinal parasites were diagnosed in 36.5% of the patients. The most frequently encountered protozoan parasite was Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (7.3%) followed by Giardia lamblia (5.0%), Cryptosporidium parvum (1.8%) and Isospora belli (1.3%). The dominant helminthic parasite identified was Ascaris lumbricoides (5.5%) followed by Strongyloides stercoralis and Schistosoma mansoni (3.1% each), hookworm infection (1.8%), and Hymenolepis species (1.3%). Multiple infections of intestinal parasites were also observed in 6.3% of the patients. Among the enteropathogenic bacteria Shigella and Salmonella species were isolated from 15.6% and 1.6%, respectively, of the patients. Escherichia coli O57:H7 was not found in any of the stool samples tested. Eighty eight percent and 83.3% of the Shigella and Salmonella isolates were resistant to one or more commonly used antibiotics, respectively. Intestinal parasitosis was higher in patients who live in rural area, in patients who were washing their hands after visiting toilet either irregularly with soap and without soap or not at all, in patients who used well and spring water for household consumption, and in patients who had nausea (P < 0.05). Statistically significant associations were also observed between Shigella infections and patients who were using well and spring water for household consumption, and patients who had dysentery and mucoid stool (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The high prevalence of intestinal parasites and Shigella species in diarrheic patients calls for institution of appropriate public health intervention measures to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with these diseases. The rational use of antibiotics should also be practiced. Keywords: Intestinal parasitosis, Shigellosis, Gondar

IntroductionAnemia remains a major public health problem for children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Iron-rich foods consumption has a determinant role on the anemia status. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of good consumption of iron-rich foods and its associated factors among children aged 6–23 months in SSA.Materials and methodsThe recent Demographic and Health Survey data sets of thirty-five SSA countries were used. Data were analyzed using STATA/MP version 16.0 and all statistical analyses were done after weighting the data. A generalized linear mixed model using Poisson regression with robust error variance was used to determine factors associated with good consumption of iron-rich food. Association of variables was declared at a p-value of ≤0.05 and adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) ratio with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated for each variable.ResultsThe total weighted samples of 77,001 children aged 6–23 months were included. The prevalence of consumption of iron rich foods was 42.1% (95% CI: 41.78–42.48). Children with age of 12–17 (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.89–2.04) and 18–23 months (aPR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.97–2.14), who took drugs for intestinal parasites (aPR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.26–1.34), with postnatal check within 2 months (aPR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.06–1.13), and children from women with ANC visit of 1–3 (aPR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.24–1.37) and ≥4 (aPR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.34–1.48) had higher prevalence of good consumption of iron rich foods. Moreover, the prevalence of consumptions of iron rich foods was higher among children from; family with rich (aPR = 1.36, 95%CI: 1.30–1.42) and middle (aPR = 1.14 95% CI: 1.09–1.19) wealth index, and mother with media exposure (aPR = 1.26, 95%CI: 1.22–1.31).ConclusionThe prevalence of good consumption of iron-rich foods among children aged 6–23 months in SSA countries is low. Child factors, family factors, and community-level factors were significantly associated with consumption of iron rich foods. Strategies to increase the consumption of iron-rich foods during this critical stage of growth and development should be designed in SSA.

The normal growth and development of the fetus depends on the proper growth and functioning of the placenta. The macroscopic morphology of the placenta is highly affected by pre-eclampsia. This study was carried out to assess macroscopic morphological variation of the human placenta among normotensive and pre-eclamptic pregnant mothers in Northwest Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 term placentas. One hundred fifty placentas from normotensive mothers and 50 placentas from pre-eclamptic mothers were included in the study. Placental parameters such as shape, weight, diameter, thickness and number of cotyledons were examined. Fetal weight was also detected. The data were analyzed by using independent two-sample t-test and chi-square test. According to this study, the majority (68%) of placentas in normotensive participants were discoid-shaped and 18% oval. While 54% of placenta in pre-eclamptic mothers were oval-shaped and 24% were irregular. Mean placental weight, diameter and number of cotyledon in pregnant mothers with pre-eclampsia were significantly reduced as compared to normotensive mothers. The mean birth weight in pre-eclamptic pregnancies was significantly (p = 0.0001) lower than the mean birth weight in normotensive pregnancies. As a conclusion, mean fetal weight, placental weight, diameter, thickness and numbers of cotyledon in pre-eclamptic mothers were significantly lower than in normotensive mothers (p-value < 0.05). Placenta shape difference between normotensive and pre-eclamptic mothers was detected (p-value < 0.001). Keywords: Fetal weight �?? Macroscopic �?? Morphology �?? Placenta �?? Normotensive �?? Pre-eclampsia