Screening by culture of endocervical specimens revealed four cases of gonorrhea among 744 pregnant women attending the prenatal clinic at the University Hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The observed prevalence of gonorrhea (0.54%) in pregnant women is similar to that in Great Britain (0.2-0.7%), but lower than the prevalences reported for North America (2.5-7.5%) and Thailand (11.9%). The results indicate that routine screening of pregnant women attending prenatal clinics in Malaysia would aid in the control of gonorrhea in that country.
The study presents recent data on the prevalence and pattern of nutritional anemia in the Maternity Hospital, Kuala Lumpur. A total of 309 pregnant women in their third trimester, of Malay, Chinese and Indian origin from the lower socio-economic strata were randomly selected for the study. Hematological indices (including Hb, PCV, MCHC, and TRBC), serum iron, transferrin saturation and ferritin, serum folate as well as protein and albumin were determined. Based on Hb and PCV values, 30-40 percent of the women could be considered anemic; approximately 50 percent of them presented with unsatisfactory serum iron, transferrin saturation and ferritin values; 60.9 percent had low serum folate levels; and about 30 percent may be considered to be of poor protein nutriture. Anemia in the study population was seen to be related mostly to iron and to a lesser extent, folate deficiency. Hematological, iron, folate and protein status was observed to be the poorest amongst the Indian women, better in the Malay group and generally the best amongst the Chinese women. Birth records of 169 of these women revealed that all of them had live births. Nearly all the infants were delivered by normal vaginal delivery (NVD) The mean gestational age was 38.6 weeks. One of the infants had a birth weight of <2.0 kg; incidence of low birth weight, <2.5 kg, was 8.3 percent. Although there was a trend of deteriorating hematological, iron and protein status of women from the 0, 1 -3 and >=4 parity groups, these differences were not statlstlcally significant.
A study of food ideology and eating behavior in a Malay village demonstrates that the relationship between belief and action is complex and not always predictable. Over-reliance upon stated beliefs, and generalizations derived from particular ecological settings, have influenced investigators into making universal and logical statements about Malay eating behavior and its health consequences--a logic which, however, does not always jibe with reality. Food ideology, like any other portion of a belief system, is subject to innovation, interpretation and rationalization, and contains within it 'rules to break rules' which assure the continued integrity of the symbolic system by patterning what might otherwise be seen as rifts in its fabric. An understanding of eating behavior must be based both on a knowledge of the subsidiary, as well as primary, clauses of food ideology, and on direct observation of the behaviors elicited by these beliefs and modified by the setting, the situation and the individual.
PIP: The effectiveness and impact of the Population and Family Health Project in the rural areas of Malaysia is evaluated. A total of 790 women who delivered during the past 3 years from the time of the survey, were identified from 2,013 women aged 15-49 years, during the 2nd Family and Health Survey (1979) in Peninsular Malaysia. The rural health districts which were selected by random sampling include: Perlis, Kubang Pasu, Sebeang Perai Selatan, Kuala Selangor, Hulu Langat, Melaka Utara, Kota Bharu/Tumpat, and Pasir Mas. The pattern of maternal care during pregnancy, delivery and puerperium are examined with respect to selected variables. These women are further classified into 2 groups by type of birth attendant at delivery and these 2 groups are also examined in relation to selected socioeconomic variables. The major proportion of women had their 1st antenatal visit during the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy. The highest % (28.3%) of 1st antenatal visits occurred during the 5th month of pregnancy. Use of a trained medical practitioner is preferred (82.5%), while only 17.5% of women preferred the services of traditonal birth attendants. Women in this latter group had less education and were in lower income groups, than the former group of women. Majority of women in all ethnic and age groups had no postnatal check after their last childbirth.