Browsing by Author "De Silva, C."

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Composition, determinants, and risk factors of low birth weight in Sri Lanka
(Public Library of Science, 2025-02) Mettananda, S.; Herath, H.; Thewage, A.; Nanayakkara, K.; Liyanage, I.; Udani, K. S.; Savanadasa, R.; Goonewardena, S.; Gamhewage, N.; Hewamalage, A.; Rowel, D.; Daniel, A. E.; De Silva, C.; Perera, S.
INTRODUCTION Low birth weight continues to pose significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. Despite substantial improvement in various public health indicators, many developing countries have failed to achieve a significant reduction in low birth weight rates. One major obstacle is the sparsity of data on the determinants of low birth weight. Here, we aim to determine the composition and risk factors for low birth weight in Sri Lanka, a prototype developing nation. METHODOLOGY We conducted a countrywide multicentre cross-sectional study in August and September 2023 in 13 purposively selected hospitals representing all nine provinces and different tiers of specialist hospitals in Sri Lanka. All live-born neonates were recruited prospectively, and their mothers were interviewed by trained data collectors to gather information on socio-demographic background, medical and obstetric history, and delivery details. Birth weight was measured immediately after the birth by trained healthcare personnel attending the delivery. RESULTS A total of 9130 live-born neonates were recruited, of which 52% were males. The mean birth weight was 2827g (95%CI 2817-2838g), and 1865 (20.4%) newborns were low birth weight. The prevalence of prematurity was 10.9% (n = 998), and 1819 (20.0%) neonates were born small for gestational age. Of the low birth weight neonates, 64% were small for gestational age, and 37% were preterm; 11% were both small for gestational age and preterm. Teenage pregnancy (p = 0.022), low maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (p<0.001), inadequate weight gain during pregnancy (p<0.001), maternal anaemia at delivery (p = 0.020), chronic lung disease (p = 0.019), and pregnancy induced hypertension (p = 0.019) were significant modifiable risk factors for small for gestational age. CONCLUSION This study presents the results of one of the most extensive country-wide studies evaluating the composition and determinants of low birth weight. The study highlights the importance of considering small for gestational age and prematurity as separate categories of low birth weight. Small for gestational age contributes to approximately two-thirds of the low birth weight burden. Therefore, targeting modifiable risk factors for small for gestational age while mitigating the burden of prematurity is the most feasible approach to reduce the prevalence of low birth weight in developing countries, including Sri Lanka.
Photocatalytic Activity of Biosynthesized of Silver Nanoparticles Using Leaf Extract of Annona glabra
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Paragodaarachchi, Y.L.; Wickramarachchi, P.A.S.R.; De Silva, C.; Amarasinghe, L. D.
Recently metallic nanoparticles were found to possess photocatalytic activity on organic molecules under visible radiation a phenomenon which will be useful in degrading and removing hazardous organic dyes. During this study the photocatalytic activity of Annona glabra - AgNPs (bare NPs) and Tween 80-stabilized Annona glabra – AgNPs (stabilized NPs) was studied by monitoring the degradation of methylene blue as a model dye. AgNPs were synthesized by incubating the leaf extract of A. glabra (2 mL) with silver nitrate (1 mM, 20.00 mL) for 3 hours. The solution was kept under dark conditions with continuous slow agitation. The solution was centrifuged at 6000 rpm for 20 minutes to separate the AgNPs and NPs were washed with water. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized using UV – Visible spectrometer, particle size analyzer, scanning electron microscope. In order to synthesize stabilized AgNPs, biofabricated AgNPs as above were ultrasonicated for 15 mins and added to a solution of Tween 80 (1% w/v, 20.0 mL) and kept stirring for 3 hours. To determine the photocatalytic activity, above prepared AgNPs (25mg/mL, 2.0 mL) were added to a Methylene blue solution (1 x 10-5 M, 50.0 mL). The suspension was stirred under dark conditions for 30 mins. It was exposed to sunlight under slow agitation. Photodegradation was monitored at 30-minute intervals by withdrawing 5 mL aliquots of AgNP added methylene blue solution. The aliquots were centrifuged, and the absorbance was measured using the UV-Visible spectrophotometer at 665for a period of 3 hours. The AgNPs are spherical in shape and show a characteristic absorbance peak at 417 nm. This peak is due to the surface plasmon resonance of the AgNPs. The average size range of the nanoparticles is 10 – 190 nm. Methylene blue solution with added AgNPs became opaque overtime. Initially, the methylene blue solution with bare AgNPs showed subtle reduction of absorbance of the solution. Then the reduction of absorbance was leveled off near the end of the experiment. The absorbance decreased from 0.985 to 0.796 within a period of 3 hours which is a 19.19% reduction of the initial absorbance of the solution. The opacity of the methylene blue solution with stabilized AgNPs increased only by the end of the experiment. Stabilized AgNPs showed methylene blue degradation with higher efficiency than bare AgNPs. The absorbance of the solution reduced from 1.361 to 0.145 within a period of 3 hours which is an 89.34% reduction of the initial absorbance of the solution. Both bare and Tween 80-stabilised AgNPs showed photocatalytic activity on the degradation of methylene blue. The Photocatalytic activity was enhanced by the stabilization of biogenic A. glabra AgNPs with Tween 80.