Diagnostic Values of Dipstick Urinalysis Screening Among Exclusively Breastfeeding Mothers in South-South Region, Nigeria

Abstract

Dipstick urinalysis screening test was carried out to evaluate the prevalence of urinary abnormalities among apparently healthy exclusively breastfeeding mothers in South-South region, Nigeria. Two hundred urine samples were collected from exclusively breastfeeding mothers attending postnatal clinics at Federal Medical Center Yenagoa, between April, 2022 and November, 2022. The urine samples were screened using Multistix combi 10 strips for the presence of glucose, protein, ketone, blood, nitrites, bilirubin, urobilinogen, ascorbic acid, specific gravity and pH indicated on the urinalysis dipstick. The result revealed that out of the two hundred (200) subjects studied, 37(18.5%) had proteinuria, 26(13%) had hematuria, 16(8%) were ascorbic acid positive, 9(4.5%) were nitrite positive, and 6(3%) were glucose positive. Bilirubin, and urobilinogen results shows normal result in all 200 subjects, whereas ketone was negative in all subjects. The study also revealed that 46(23%) of the subjects had alkaline urine (pH˃7.0), and 11(5.5%) had elevated specific gravity. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the duration of breastfeeding in the distribution of the urinary abnormalities: for proteinuria, glucosuria, hematuria, pH and specific gravity. Older women within the age of 30-40 years had high prevalence of proteinuria (12%), glucosuria (2%), and hematuria (8.5%) compared to those within 20-30 years, but is not statistically significant (p>0.05). The findings from this study established the fact that few urinary abnormalities occur in exclusively breastfeeding mothers. However, there was no correlation between age, duration of breastfeeding and the pattern of urinary parameters studied in exclusively breastfeeding mothers.