Abstract Background: Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is associated with growth failure. However, recent reports indicate high rates of overweight or obesity among children with SCA in developed countries. It is unclear whether overweight or obesity is also common in children with SCA in developing countries. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence of overweight or obesity, wasting and stunting and identify predictors of wasting and stunting among children with SCA in Nigeria. ...
Abstract Introduction: irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) which has been well described in western populations especially as the commonest cause of recurrent abdominal pain The aim of this study was to document the prevalence of Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) amongst children in western Nigeria and increase the aware ness of IBS amongst physicians who manage children with abdominal pain. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conduc...
Abstract Background: The clinical course of steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) among Nigerian children has rarely been reported; this makes prognostication difficult. Objectives: The objective was to determine the frequency of relapses including frequent relapses (FR) and steroid-dependence (SD) in a cohort of Nigerian children with SSNS. A secondary objective was to identify clinical and demographic factors associated with relapse in these children. Methods: Medical records of ch...
SUMMARY Objectives: To review the prevalence and pattern of cardiovascular disorders in childhood autopsies in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). To also determine the frequency of associated extra cardiac complications and characteristics of children with cardiovascular diseases that died. Materials and Methods: The autopsy register of the department of Morbid anatomy for the years 1991 to 2000 in LUTH was retrospectively reviewed. Data extracted including age, sex, primary diagnos...
Abstract Introduction: Children with steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome usually require treatment with second-line agents and calcineurin inhibitors such as cyclosporine are now recommended as initial therapy. These agents only recently become available in our environment and their impact on care is unknown. We reviewed the short-term treatment outcomes of their use in comparison with previous outcomes. Methods: Medical records of children managed for idiopathic steroid resistant nephroti...
Abstract Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a common health problem especially in preterm newborns. In Nigeria, prematurity accounts for about 25% of neonatal mortality and RDS have been identified as the major cause of these deaths. The major problem in RDS is immaturity of the lungs with deficiency of surfactant. Surfactant reduces surface tension in the alveoli, thereby preventing collapse of the lungs during expiration. Bubble continuous positive airway pressure (bCPAP) is a low cost...
Abstract Background: Vaccine preventable diseases still account for a large proportion of childhood morbidity and mortality in children less than five of age. The decline in immunization coverage over the years has worsened this resulting in the re-emergence of hitherto controlled infections such as diphtheria. Objective: To review the presentation, management and outcome of cases of probable diphtheria seen at the children emergency centre at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Metho...
ABSTRACT Context: Most cases of gut malrotation are diagnosed in the 1st year of life, but in minority of cases, the patient becomes symptomatic only in adolescence or adulthood. Aims: The aim of this study was to remind physicians to include intestinal malrotation in the differential diagnosis of children who present with recurrent abdominal pain, especially when it is associated with vomiting and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Settings and Design: This was an audit of the older children ...
ABSTRACT 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2 DS) is the most common microdeletion syndrome and is underdiagnosed in diverse populations. This syndrome has a variable phenotype and affects multiple systems, making early recognition imperative. In this study, individuals from diverse populations with 22q11.2 DS were evaluated clinically and by facial analysis technology. Clinical information from 106 individuals and images from 101 were collected from individuals with 22q11.2 DS from 11 countrie...
Background: Food allergy has been well described in white children, and cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA) still remains the most common allergy in these children. Information on the same subject in developing countries is very limited, and management of this condition remains challenging. Case presentation: We report on two cases of children with multiple food allergies. The first patient presented with chronic diarrhoea following the introduction and use of several infant formulas, while ...
ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE : to determine the social characteristic of mother who practice exclusive breast feeding in Calabar. SUBJECT AND METHODS: a prospective questionnaire based cross sectional survey of breast feeding practices among mothers of children aged 0-24 months was carried out in Calabar in April 1998. Using WHO indicators for assessing breast feeding practices the exclusive breast feeding rate was determined in mothers of children aged 0-6months. This study documents the social charac...
ABSTRACT Urethral prolapse is a rare cause of vaginal bleeding in prepubertal females and occurs most commonly in black people. It is characterized by a sliding outward of the urethral mucosa around the entire urethral meatus. Because it can present with vaginal bleeding in a child, it can be mistaken for sexual abuse. We report a five year old girl with urethral prolapse that was mistaken for complications of sexual abuse. She was treated by complete excision of the urethral prolapse with sa...
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Cardiac surgery is the definitive intervention for structural heart diseases particularly of congenital aetiology in children. Unfortunately, most developing countries currently lack adequate capacity for pediatric cardiac surgery often necessitating referral to foreign countries with appropriate facilities and capacities. We hereby report the in-hospital outcome of Nigerian children referred from Lagos University Teaching Hospital to undergo cardiac surgery abroad. METHO...
ABSTRACT Human immune deficiency virus (HIV) seroprevalence among pregnant women in Calabar was studied. The aims were to establish HIV seroprevalence rate and to identify factors which influence this rate in our pregnant women. HIV seroprevalence rate of 2.7% among antenatal women in Calabar was recorded with a vertical transmission rate of 20%. Husband and wife not living together, history of induced abortion and blood transfusion significantly increase HIV seroprevalence rate among antenat...
SUMMARY Vertical infection by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) among two consecutive pair of twins from a well to do family is presented. While the first twin of the first pair must have been infected in-utero, the second may have been infected at parturition of through breast milk. Severe protein-energy malnutrition was the main mode of presentation. A recommendation is made for routine screening of pregnant women during ante-natal care with family planning counselling of positive case...