Body mass index and blood pressure correlate in nursery school children in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Introduction: Blood pressure (BP) is a vital indicator of health in children and adults. The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and BP is well established in children; and BMI has been shown to maintain an independent relationship with BP even after controlling for many other variables that characterize individuals. High BMI significantly increases the risk of hypertension. Epidemiological studies in various countries have been conducted to determine the relationship between BP and BMI in children; similar comparative studies are lacking in Nigeria, thus necessitating this study.Aim: To determine the relationship between BMI and BP in nursery pupils in Port Harcourt.Methods: Multi-staged sampling technique was used to select 710 nursery pupils from 13 schools. Biodata was obtained using a selfadministered (parent) questionnaire. Height and weight measurement were taken, and BMI calculated. BP was measured using a mercury sphygmomanometer; and relevant data analysis done.Result: There were 710 pupils 365 (51.4%) males and 345(48.6%) females. Mean systolic BP was 93.2 ± 10.6mmHg (70­130 mmHg); while mean diastolic BP was 58.8 ± 8.0mmHg(40 ­ 88.7 mmHg). Mean BMI was 15.0 ± 1.8 kg/m2(9.1 - 25.5 kg/m2). There is a positive linear relationship between systolic and diastolic BP and BMI (correlation coefficient r = 0.03). Obese pupils had significantly higher BP rates (25%) (X2= 15.35, p =0.002). BMI and height were significant predictors of diastolic BP (p<0.001).Conclusion: There is a positive correlation between BMI and BP; and high BMI is an important predictor of high BP in nursery pupils in Nigeria

Short-term outcomes of inborn v. outborn very-low-birth-weight neonates (<1 500 g) in the neonatal nursery at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

Background. The Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) neonatal nursery provides level 3 care for the Metro West Health District in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Worldwide, very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) neonates delivered in level 3 neonatal units have better outcomes than those transported from other facilities.Objectives. To identify the characteristics and outcomes of VLBW neonates at GSH, with emphasis on differences between inborns and outborns. Methods. This was a retrospective cohort study. VLBW neonates admitted to the GSH neonatal nursery between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2013 were enrolled on the Vermont Oxford Network database and reviewed.Results. Of 1 032 VLBW neonates enrolled, 906 (87.8%) were delivered at GSH and 126 (12.2%) were outborn. Access to antenatal care, antenatal steroids and inborn status were statistically significant predictors of mortality and survival without morbidity. The mothers of inborn patients were more likely than those of outborn patients to have received antenatal care (89.1% v. 57.9%; p<0.0001) and antenatal steroids (64.2% v. 15.2%; p<0.0001). Inborns required less ventilatory support (16.2% v. 57.9%; p<0.0001) and surfactant administration than outborns (25.3% v. 65.1%; p<0.0001), and developed less late infection (8.8% v. 23.4%; p<0.0001), severe intraventricular haemorrhage (3.7% v. 13.9%; p<0.0001) and chronic lung disease (5.3% v. 13.4%; p=0.003). The incidence of necrotising enterocolitis was similar in the two groups (5.9% v. 8.7%; p=0.227). The mortality rate was 18.4% for inborns and 33.3% for outborns (p<0.0001). Mortality declined as birth weight increased. Of the survivors, 85.0% of inborns and 70.2% of outborns did not develop serious morbidity (p=0.003).Conclusions. VLBW neonates delivered at GSH had better outcomes than their outborn counterparts. Perinatal regionalisation is beneficial to our patients, with antenatal care, timeous transfer in utero and antenatal steroids contributing to excellent outcomes