FUOYE’s Research Proffers Solution to Infant Mortality

The research team of Federal University Oye Ekiti has proffered a solution to infant mortality in its new findings.

According to the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor of FUOYE, Wole Balogun, the research was conducted by a group of scientists/research fellows of the Drug Discovery and Infectious Diseases Research Group (DDIDRG), Department of Microbiology of the University who found the causes and solution to the plague.

The Principal Investigator was Dr Stephen K. Ojo who led other members of the team comprising Bamigbose O.V, Makanjuola E.O, Fafiyebi O.E, Oladeji O.M, Adebayo E.O, Ademola E.M, and Olowomeye T.M.

Ojo disclosed in a statement made available to the University Media Team that the researchers worked on pre-term and full-term neonates on hospital admission after birth (72hrs or less), who were diagnosed with neonatal sepsis in 2018 and 2019 at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH).

“Of the 166 isolates obtained after secondary microbial succession, we sequenced the genes of 41 representative isolates, and the results were strains of Enterococcus gallinarium, Enterococcus casseliflavus, Enterococcus avium, Enterococcus gilvus, Enterococcus pseudoavium, and vagococcus fluvialis, which were novel strains in Nigeria from our study because Group B Streptococcus was always associated with neonatal sepsis globally,” disclosed Ojo.

According to him, “The discovery revealed that pregnant mothers who were infected with this bacteria easily transmit it to their unborn child causing blood infection, pneumonia, meningitis and death in the newborn baby.

He advised pregnant mothers to visit hospitals for their antenatal regularly and during delivery, and not the traditional birth attendants more than the hospitals.

He advised that traditional birth attendants should go for more training organized by the Primary Health Care Development Agency, and quickly refer any case that is going beyond their control to prevent complications from germs.

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