ISPUB.COM The Internet Journal of Third World Medicine Volume 4 Number 1 1 of 6 Sociocultural Impediments To The Use Of Amniotic Membranes In South Western Nigeria P Olaitan, J Ubah, D Adekanle Citation P Olaitan, J Ubah, D Adekanle. Sociocultural Impediments To The Use Of Amniotic Membranes In South Western Nigeria. The Internet Journal of Third World Medicine. 2006 Volume 4 Number 1. Abstract Background: Various surgical specialties have made use of the amniotic membranes in wound care with good success. In Yoruba land, south western Nigeria, the placenta is taken as a very important tissue that had to be taken home by the father after the child is born. Objectives: The present study was designed to assess the willingness or otherwise of pregnant women in Osogbo, South Western Nigeria to allow amniotic membranes to be harvested from the placenta after they deliver their babies. It was also to find out what the community does with the placenta. Materials And Methods: Structured questionnaires were distributed to consented pregnant women attending antenatal clinics at the Lautech Teaching Hospital, Asubiaro State Hospital and Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Hospital, all in Osogbo, Nigeria. Biodata, methods of discarding the placenta, willingness to donate etc. were some of the information on the questionnaires. Results: A total of 279 women were interviewed. Only 26(9.3%) were willing to donate placenta for medical use of the amniotic membranes. Placentas are taken as an important part of the baby both in utero and after birth and they are usually "carefully" discarded. The beliefs as well as the culture on placenta use, appear to be the important factors in knowing who may consent to harvesting of amniotic membranes for medical use. Conclusion: There are sociocultural impediments in this part of the world to the use of amniotic membranes. Education of the women as well as their husbands (who have great influence on them) on the uses to which placenta may be made, is likely to make more women consent to harvest of amniotic membranes from the placenta for therapeutic uses. INTRODUCTION The first reported use of fetal membranes in skin transplantation was by Davis in 1910 1 . In 1913, Sabella used amniotic membrane on burned and ulcerated skin surfaces and observed lack of infection, marked decrease in pain, and increased rate of re-epithelialization of traumatized skin surface. Others have demonstrated the use of amniotic membranes as a biological dressing for open wounds including burns and chronic ulceration of the legs. Amniotic membranes have been successfully used in cases of eye surgery to prevent adhesion and in reconstruction in gynaecological, neurological, urological and vascular diseases. Our centre is a young teaching hospital in the South Western Nigeria. In this part of the world, the placenta is usually held dear and is commonly asked after by the father shortly after the birth of a child. We decided to commence processing of amniotic membranes for surgical use in our centre. We however wanted to find out whether the pregnant women who are the potential donors of the placenta would be willing to consent to harvesting amniotic membranes from the placenta after they deliver. We also wanted to know the sociocultural believes of the people on the use of placenta and possible implications. PATIENTS AND METHODS This study was conducted at the Antenatal Clinics of three main hospitals in Osogbo, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Asubiaro State Hospital and Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Hospital. Ethical approval was obtained from the College of Health