Challenges on sexual health communication with secondary school learners, Limpopo province

A conversation about sexuality is most likely to encourage healthy and positive sexual practices while reducing risky sexual behaviour among adolescents. Traditionally, sexuality is discussed in hushed tones in proverbs and is reserved for adults. On the other hand, adolescents must be well informed about their sexuality to assist them to make informed decisions about their sexual behaviour.Objectives: The study determined parents' views regarding challenges of sexual health communication among secondary school learners in the Limpopo province.Method: A qualitative, exploratory-descriptive and contextual approach was employed for the study. Fifty-six parents were purposively selected, resulting in five focus group discussions that had 8­12 members. One central question was asked, and based on the participants' responses, probing questions followed. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Trustworthiness and ethical considerations were ensured.Results: Three themes, namely communication concerns, role shifting in imparting sexuality education and poor parent­child relationships, and eight subthemes emerged from the data.Conclusion: This study identified that communication concerns influence parent­child dialogue on sexuality education. Therefore, there is a need to address factors hindering communication such as cultural barriers, role shifting in imparting sexuality education and poor parent­child relationships. This study suggests that parents should be empowered in dealing with children's sexuality.Contribution: Parents should be equipped with reproductive knowledge to enable them to talk freely about sexuality with their children. This should be complemented with broader programmes aimed at promoting sexual health education within the traditional family institution

Challenges of caregivers and needs of children with parents in a Nigerian prison

Separation of a parent from the family as a result of incarceration has both short-term and term effects on the family, even after release from prison. This study is a report of factors and challenges of the family left to adapt to the changed circumstances of separation from parent(s) who are incarcerated. Methods: This was a cross sectional study carried out on 89 cares-givers of children whose parents are incarcerated at the Agodi prison, Ibadan who gave informed and written consent to interview their families. Results: Most caregivers had little or no formal education (69.7%) and 67.4% are into petty trading or subsistence farming. A majority of the caregivers reported the need of schooling (85.4%), provision of food (84.3%) and medical care (71.9%) as major challenges, only 25% received any form of support to meet these needs. Twenty-nine (32.6%) respondents reported receiving financial support to provide for the child's feeding. Some caregivers 21 (23.6%), obtained loans to cope with the financial needs of the children while only 3 (3.4%) received support from family or other non-

Adolescent­parent communication on sexual and reproductive health issues amongst secondary school students in Western Region 1 of The Gambia

Background: Adolescent­parent communication about sexual issues is a challenging issue worldwide. In The Gambia, many traditional communities limit such communication and this can have an adverse influence on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes and behaviours in adolescents. Aim: The study assessed adolescent­parent communication on selected SRH issues amongst secondary school students. Setting: The study was conducted in selected secondary schools in Western Region 1 of The Gambia. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study utilised mixed methods. For the questionnaire survey, secondary school students were selected using a multistage sampling technique whilst parents for focus group discussions were purposively selected. Results: A total of 600 adolescents and 48 parents were studied. Only 360 (60.0%) of the students had heard of SRH. One-third (67.3%) knew about sexually transmitted infection (STIs) such as human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (56.5%), gonorrhoea (40.5%) and syphilis (2.5%). Social media (31.0%) were the predominant source of information regarding SRH issues, followed by television (22.0%), school (14.0%) and parents (9.0%). Half (50.8%) of the adolescents discussed sexual intercourse with their parents ­ mostly with their mothers. Parental and cultural factors, fear, shyness and ignorance were the main reasons why adolescents did not discuss specific SRH issues with their parents. Conclusion: This study showed that adolescent­parent communication on SRH issues was poor. Programmes supporting parents to effectively communicate SRH matters with their children should be designed and implemented

Satisfaction des parents accompagnateurs des enfants de moins de 5 ans pris en charge au centre médical de Kokologho au Burkina Faso

La satisfaction des usagers des centres médicaux (CM) au Burkina Faso n'est pas connue. Notre objectif était d´étudier le niveau de satisfaction et les facteurs associés des parents accompagnateurs des enfants de moins de 5 ans pris en charge au CM de Kokologho en 2018. Il s'est agi d'une étude transversale. Réalisée dans l'aire de santé du CM de Kokologho, les cibles étaient les parents accompagnateurs d'enfants de moins de 5 ans pour l´enquête ménage et pour les entretiens qualitatifs les représentants de la communauté, les agents de santé et les leaders administratifs et coutumiers. Les outils de collecte des données ont été construits à partir des référentiels (SAPHORA-job 2014, conseil Québécois d'Agrément 2005). Des scores de satisfaction, Odds Ratio ajustées et IC95 % ont été calculés. Des analyses thématiques ont été effectuées. Le niveau de satisfaction globale des parents accompagnateurs des enfants pris en charge au CM de Kokologho en 2018 était satisfaisant (70,6 %). Les dimensions étudiées étaient l'accueil (47,2 %), le respect (65,3 %), l'empathie (60,5 %), la confidentialité (73,8 %), la fiabilité (71,9 %), la rapidité (51,4 %), le confort (89,0 %), l'accessibilité géographique (97,5 %) et l'accessibilité financière (28,5 %). Le niveau d'instruction non scolarisé, le sexe féminin et la situation matrimoniale mariée étaient significativement associés à la satisfaction globale des parents. Les usagers sont satisfaits des services du CM de Kokologho. Cependant, des efforts doivent être faits pour améliorer l'accueil, la rapidité de l'offre de service et l'accessibilité financière

Lived experiences of parents of premature babies in the intensive care unit in a private hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa

Background: Many of the 15 million premature babies born worldwide every year survive because of advanced medical interventions. Their parents have intense experiences when their babies are in the intensive care unit (ICU), and these have an impact on their thoughts, feelings and relationships, including their relationships with their premature babies. Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of parents of premature babies in an ICU. Method: Research design was qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual. A purposive sample of parents with premature babies in an ICU in a private hospital in Johannesburg Gauteng in South Africa was used. Eight parents, four mothers and four fathers, married and either Afrikaans or English-speaking, were included in the study. Data were collected by conducting in-depth phenomenological interviews with them and making use of field notes. Trustworthiness was ensured by implementing the strategies of credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. Ethical principles such as autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence and justice were adhered to throughout the research process. Results: Thematic analyses were utilised to analyse the data. Two themes in the experiences of parents with premature babies in ICU became apparent. Parents experienced thoughts, emotions and hope while their premature babies were in the ICU as well as challenges in their relationships and these challenges influenced their experiences.Recommendations: Mindfulness of intensive care nurses should be facilitated so that intensive care nurses can promote the mental health of parents with premature babies in the ICU.Conclusion: Parents with premature babies in the ICU have thoughts and emotional experiences which include hope and they affect parents' relationships

But is this Really the 'Parent' or 'Guardian'? Practical Strategies for Consent to Child Research in South Africa

Research ethics committees (RECs) in South Africa may require consent from a parent or legal guardian for child research. In instances where an REC determines that parental or guardianship consent is required; how far should researchers go to establish if the accompanying adult is in fact the parent or guardian? Should researchers accept disclosures at face value; probe assertions that are made; or even call for supporting documentation? In this article we set out the facts research staff should possess; propose key questions they could ask; and recommend practical steps for uncertain cases. We recognise that a parental/guardianship consent strategy may not be appropriate in all instances; but do not debate that issue in this article. This article is confined to practical advice for researchers wishing to implement a parental or guardianship consent approach

An analysis of national data on care-seeking behaviour by parents of children with suspected pneumonia in Nigeria

Background. Pneumonia is responsible for 940 000 under-5 deaths annually. Most of these deaths result from delays in instituting effective treatment. Objectives. To determine care-seeking behaviour by parents of children with pneumonia and sociodemographic factors that influence decisions to seek appropriate care.Methods. The study was an analysis of the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2013; which was a nationwide cross-sectional survey using a stratified cluster design of 40 680 households. All children under-5 living in the surveyed households with suspected pneumonia in the preceding 2 weeks were recruited along with their mothers. Sociodemographic characteristics of the parents and where they sought care for their child were obtained. Binomial logistic regression analysis was used to determine the contribution of various sociodemographic variables to the decision on seeking appropriate medical care.Results. Of the 28 950 children surveyed; 565 had suspected pneumonia; which equates to an occurrence rate of 19.5 per 1 000 children. About 36% of parents were judged to have sought appropriate care when their children had pneumonia. High paternal education; health decision-making by both husband and wife; and belonging to the higher quintiles on a wealth index were factors that positively influenced care-seeking behaviour. Conclusion. Care-seeking behaviour for pneumonia is poor. Paternal education and joint decision-making are key determinants of parents seeking appropriate care for their children with suspected pneumonia in Nigeria

Impact of Parental Sex Education on Child Sexual Abuse among Adolescents

Background: Parental sex education of children is an often overlooked issue in pediatrics; especially in our society where talking about issues concerning sex is regarded as a taboo.Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine the impact of sex education on child sexual abuse among adolescents attending secondary schools in south east Nigeria.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that was carried out among children in three secondary schools in Enugu and Ebonyi states of Nigeria. Five hundred and six adolescents who met inclusion criteria were consecutively recruited into our prospective study between June and October; 2014.Results: Eighty (80%) of respondents were educated by parents on sex abuse. Of those educated majority was by mother (46.2%) and both parents (45.2%). Most (72.1%) were not informed that family members or family friends can abuse children and 73.8% were not told to inform adults if it happens to them. A lower proportion (37.9%) of those educated by parents at home was abused. Those educated by parents were 1.23 times less likely to be abused than those not educated. There was significant difference in sex abuse between males and females (p=0.014) while there were no significant difference for age (p=0.157) and social class (p=0.233).Conclusion: Children educated by parents on sexual abuse were less likely to be sexually abused than those not educated. There is no link between socioeconomic class and child sexual abuse among adolescents

Parents Perceptions of Stress in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Rwanda

Background: Having a newborn infant hospitalised in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is an unexpected and stressful event for a family. A number of potential stressors to which family members of patients in these units may be exposed have been identified; although no studies about this issue have been conducted in Rwanda.Aim: The aim of this study was to describe and analyse parental perception of stress that resulted from having their infant admitted to a NICU in Kigali; Rwanda.Method: A quantitative survey was used to describe and analyse parents' perceptions of stress when they had an infant admitted to a NICU. The Parental Stress Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit was used to measure the level of stress that those parents experienced.Results: The results indicated that parents experienced stress from having their infants cared for in a NICU. The most stressful events were the appearance and behaviour of the baby with a mean score of 4.02; whilst the subscale items related to sights and sounds were found to be the least significant source of stress for parents with a mean score of 2.51. In addition; the current study found that parents' age; educational level; occupation; and infant birth weight were associated with parental stress.Conclusion: The study established that a range of factors was responsible for parental stress when a baby was cared for in a NICU. Identification of these factors could enable health professionals from a hospital in Kigali; Rwanda; to facilitate parents' adjusting and coping

Factors Determining Disclosure by Parents among Children Living with HIV/AIDS Attending the Center of Excellence in Kigali University Teaching Hospital

"The increasing access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and survival of HIV-infected children has raised challenges on disclosing HIV diagnosis to children. Many parents and guardians are reluctant to allow children living with HIV to know their status; arguing that they are too young and will not understand fully their circumstances causing emotional disturbances as a result. There are further concerns that children may blame their parents and ask questions on how they got the disease; even inadvertently ""blurting out the secret"" and thus exposing the family to stigma and discrimination. In this cross-sectional study; eligible children were recruited to participate. Data on these children was obtained from the electronic databases and completed with data extraction from the individual patient fie. A sample of both parents and guardians who disclosed and those who did not disclose have been interviewed to identify the factors and reasons behind their decision-making process in addition to what they believe would improve their disclosure. A total of 64of HIV positive (HIV+) children had their status disclosed to them by parents while 35.8 did not. The majority of parents or guardians (80) found that disclosing status improved adherence. A large number of parents or guardians (67) attended psychosocial support groups and accordingly disclosure status was highly associated with psychosocial support group attendance (p0.05). Disclosure and statistical tests showed that disclosure status was highly associated with CD4 outcomes (p0.05). In addition; disclosure status was highly associated with viral load outcome (p0.05). Moreover; 64.4 of children living with HIV underwent an increase of weight greater or equal 4 kg after disclosure and statistically disclosure status was highly associated with weight outcomes (p0.05)."

Factors Associated with Disclosure of HIV Status among HIV Positive Children in Rwanda

As the number of treatment-managed cases of pediatric Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) increases; the issue of disclosure has become increasingly important. In this article; we evaluate factors associated with disclosure in Rwanda among HIV-positive children of 7 to 15 years. A 2008 survey in Rwanda was conducted to determine these factors. Participants in the study included 1;034 children on HAART and in the pre-HAART phase; among them 65 knew their HIV status; and 35 were unaware. The child's age was positively associated with awareness of HIV status. Children with illiterate parents were two times (aOR: 2.2; 95 CI: 1.4-3.6) more likely to be disclosed than children with high school educated parents. Children who engaged in dialogue with their parents or other family members were 15 times and four times; respectively; (aOR: 15.2; 95 CI: 9.4- 24.7 and aOR: 4.1; 95 CI: 2.4-6.9) more likely to be disclosed than those who did not. Findings offer ways for Rwanda to improve its approach to disclosure issues; counseling and psychosocial support for HIV-positive children

Prevalence Patterns and Predictors of Alcohol Use and Abuse among Secondary School Students in Southern KwaZulu-Natal; South Africa: Demographic Factors and the Influence of Parents and Peers

Used alcohol and 32Background: The prevalence and predictors of alcohol use and abuse among school students were investigated with the aim of gaining insight to guide prevention interventions.Method: A cross-sectional; self-administered survey pertaining to a one-month period was conducted among students in grades 11 and 12 in purposively selected schools with mixed-race groups. Frequencies and ?2 analyses were conducted and forward stepwise; conditional entry logistic regression models were fitted to determine the significant demographic predictors and influence of peers and parents on students' alcohol use and binge drinking.Results: About 54 of students had used alcohol before; while 14.5 had had their first drink before the age of 13. In the relevant month; 41 engaged in binge drinking. Students who were more likely to have used alcohol in the preceding month were older [odds ratio (OR) = 1.44; P = 0.006]; male (OR = 2.1; P 0.001); white (OR

Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux in Infants and Children

Gastro-oesophageal reflux is a normal physiological phenomenon that is frequently associated with regurgitation in infants. In general; it resolves by the age of one year. Some children are more likely to have persistent symptoms and develop complications; e.g. children with congenital abnormalities of the oesophagus; neurological impairment; and a family history of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). Preliminary evidence suggests that GORD in infancy and childhood may be a precursor to adult GORD. GORD is reflux that is associated with troublesome symptoms or complications. These complications are categorised into oesophageal and extra-oesophageal difficulties. Diagnosis in most patients relies on a thorough history and physical examination. However; the symptoms in infants and young children are often atypical. Patients with significant symptoms require more extensive diagnostic assessment; such as contrast radiography; oesophagoscopy and oesophageal pH-metry. In most cases; parental reassurance and advice on feeding are sufficient. Thickened feeds reduce the frequency of regurgitation. Patients with complications require potent acid inhibition and occasionally anti-reflux surgery

Childhood Hearing Impairment: How do Parents Feel about it?

"Hearing impairment or deafness is a major disabling condition worldwide. The etiology of hearing loss range from congenital to acquired; and includes common and preventable childhood infections like otitis media and meningoencephalitis. The morbidity and burden of hearing impairment on the children and their parents is enormous. This is because affected children have developmental delay in many domains including speech; cognition as well as behavioural and other aspects of psychosocial development. Early identification and effective treatment of hearing loss improves language; other forms of communication; and cognitive skills. This study was carried out to evaluate and ascertain the perception and attitude of parents of children with hearing impairment.Material and Method: This was a questionnaire based study of parents' perception and attitude about children with hearing impairment in the Port-Harcourt metropolis from 1st June 2011 to 31st May 2012.Results: Thirty seven parents of children with hearing impairment were studied. The parents demonstrated different attitudes towards the children. Majority; 34(94.59) of them felt sad; others expressed anger. Twenty seven (72.97) felt hearing loss was due to punishment from the ""gods"" for an evil deed by a family member. The attitude and feelings of parents included sadness; self-blame and anger. Parents also believe that immediate cause is spiritual.Conclusion: The public should be enlightened about common preventable causes so as to correct all negative attitudes about hearing loss/ impairment."

Micturitional Dryness and Attitude of Parents Towards Enuresis in Children Attending Outpatient unit of a Tertiary Hospital in Abeokuta; Southwest Nigeria

Background: There is significant variability of the age at which children achieve dryness. Objectives: We determine the age at achievement of micturational dryness and attitude of parents about enuresis among urban Nigerian children. Method: A total of 346 questionnaires were administered to parents of children between the ages of 12 - 180 months who came for routine paediatric care at the outpatient unit of Federal Medical Centre; Abeokuta. Results: At age 36 months; 86 (51.8) and 34 (20.5) out of 166 children had achieved dryness at daytime and night time respectively. Achievement of dryness was significantly related to low maternal education (p = 0.022) and low social class (p= 0.009). Twenty-four (26.7) children had nocturnal enuresis. Four (4.4) of these children also had diurnal enuresis. All the parents/guardians were aware about enuresis but only 9.8correctly identified it as a health problem. Even though none of the children with enuresis ever visited health facility for their problem; a statistically significant proportion of the parents desire to discuss with health practitioners (p = 0.015). Conclusions: The proportion of children achieving dryness by age 36 months is very small when compared with children from developed parts of the world. There is also a high prevalence of enuresis which are not reported. Therefore; health workers in the tropics should as a routine enquire about enuresis in their daily paediatric care particularly for those children from polygamous homes and high social class

Experiences of Violence among Pregnant Women Attending Ante-Natal Clinics in Selected Hospitals in Abuja; Nigeria

Anecdotal records have shown that there is increasing prevalence of gender based violence in Nigeria. Little is known about the extent and magnitude of this phenomenon as it affects pregnant women. This study described the experiences of violence among pregnant women attending ante-natal clinics in Abuja; Nigeria using a cross-sectional design. A three-stage sampling technique was used to select 300 participants from six hospitals in the three out of the six Local Government Areas in the region. Data was collected using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Forty three percent of the respondents had experienced at least one form of violence and 15.0 were experiencing violence in their current relationships. Main forms of violence ever experienced were psychological (38.0) and physical (36.4). Partners/husbands (70.2) and partner/husband relatives (29.8) were the perpetrators. Of the partner/husband's relatives; sisters-in-law (57.1) and partners' cousins (21.5) were the main perpetrators of the forms of violence experienced. Strategies employed to resolve violence conflict included dialogue with spouse (46.7); ignoring the experience (30.3); making up with sex (16.7); providing gifts and special dishes (5.0) and mediation by family members (1.3). Health promotion and education intervention strategies such as counselling; male involvement in sexual and reproductive health programs; advocacy for the promotion of women's health and right as well as use of appropriate culturally sensitive conflict resolution strategies are needed to ameliorate the situation

Psychosocial Impacts of Mentally Retarded Children on Parents in Sudan

This study was conducted on a community sample from Khartoum state; Sudan to explore the psychological and social impacts of the mentally retarded child on his/her parents. The study hypothesized that these effects are directly related to the age; number of handicapped children in the family as well as the degree of mental retardation Methods and population: Seven centers for teaching and training of handicapped children were recruited in Khartoum State. Ninety-one children aged 5-16 years were randomly selected and their intelligence quotient (I.Q) was etermined. Interviews for 82 mothers and 64 fathers of these children were held using a standardized anonymous questionnaire including socio-demographic data and information about the psychological and social impacts of the disability of children on their parents. The parents also completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to assess the presence of anxiety and depression. Results and discussion: The parents reported different psychological effects when they realized the children's disability. However; they tend to overcome their problem and become adapted to the situation. Sometimes; problems arise in the marital life and in social participation. The research showed that most parents suffered from degrees of anxiety and depression ranging mainly from severe to moderate. The number; age or degree of retardation of the children did not affect the social and psychological impacts on the parents significantly. The study recommends preventative measures to reduce the factors that lead to mental retardation. It also recommends the provision of rehabilitation services and training of children in schools and special institutes; besides supporting their families psychologically and socially to reduce their burden

Parents' Perception on Use of Insecticide-Treated Bed Net in Port Harcourt

Background: Insecticide treated bed nets (ITN) are protective against malaria; but they are poorly utilized. The utilization of the nets; especially by the under fives; will depend on their caregivers' awareness of the net and their perception of its usefulness. The study therefore aims to evaluate awareness and utilization of ITN . Methods: This was a descriptive hospital-based study. It involved the distribution of 15-itemed questionnaires to 212 parents (with at least one under five aged child); who brought their children to the Paediatrics outpatient clinic of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. Questions asked covered: the awareness of ITN; the number of ITN owned by each participant and the number of under fives who slept under ITN the night preceding the interview. Results: A total of 212 parents participated in this study. Male to female ratio was 1:4. One hundred and eighty nine (89.2) participants had heard of ITN. The two most common advantages opined by the participants were that it prevents malaria (42.0) and mosquito bite (38.2). The commonest identified side effects was that it causes heat (45.8) and 113(53.3) participants owned at least one ITN. Only 45 (21.2) participants said their under fives slept under ITN on the night preceding the interview. Conclusion: There is a fair awareness of the use of ITNs for malaria control; however there is poor utilization of the nets by the under five aged children in Port Harcourt

Relationship between parental socio-economic status and casual blood pressure in coastal nigerian adolescents

BACKGROUND: Emerging data suggest that essential or primary hypertension occurs in the young. Parental socioeconomic status may play a role but the exact mechanisms still remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at determining the relationship between parental socioeconomic status and casual blood pressure in adolescents. METHODS: One thousand and eight adolescents attending two secondary schools in Calabar; Nigeria were selected by stratified random sampling. Their blood pressure; weights and heights were taken using standard methods and sociodemographic data were obtained using a pretested semistructured questionnaire. RESULTS: Blood pressure was increased with age with males having higher values. The other major determinants of blood pressure were weight; height; body mass index; level of physical activity and parental socioeconomic status (p 0.05). Female adolescents with parents in the lower socioeconomic classes had significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure (p 0.05). In contrast; parental socioeconomic status showed no significant relationship with systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure in males (p 0.05).The prevalence of elevated blood pressure was higher in females than in males. CONCLUSION: Low parental socioeconomic status appear to be associated with higher casual blood pressure especially in female coastal Nigerian adolescents. Traditional determinants did not appear to play a significant role. Psychological stress arising from environmental and economic stressors may be responsible

Pediatric day case surgery: Experience from a tertiary health institution in Nigeria

Background : The general observation that children achieve better convalescence in the home environment supports the need for adoption of day case surgery, which is gaining considerable acceptance in developing countries. Pediatric surgical service is in great demand in developing countries, and in-patient beds and surgical supplies are insufficient. Method : A prospective collection of data on all pediatric day surgeries (PDSs) by the pediatric surgical unit University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH, Ilorin, was done. Parents had pre-operative outpatient briefing and postoperative interviews on the second and ninth days for consultation regarding post-operative complications and events at home. Study period was between April 2005 and September 2007 (2½ years). Results : Of the 660 elective cases, 449 (68.02%) children were recruited as day cases. The male-to-female ratio was 14.3:1. Age ranged between 20 days and 15 years with a mean of 37.6 months and standard deviation (SD) of 34.4 months. Congenital hernias/ hydroceles were the highest indications (71.2%), followed by lump/ masses (12.9%), undescended testes (8.7%), umbilical hernias (4.8%) and thyroglossal duct cyst (2.5%). In 98.9% of cases, the parents resided within 20 km radius of the hospital, and 91.5% of them could reach the hospital within 1 hour. Fathers and mothers of 80.1% and 77.1% of children, respectively, had above-primary education. More than half of the fathers (55%) were civil servants, while 30% were self-employed. The mothers were civil servants in 37.3% of cases, and 34% were self-employed. The average number of outpatient clinic visits before surgery was 2-3 visits (41.2%) with mean interval to surgery of 4-5 weeks (60.3%). Logistics (investigations and availability of operation list) and patient's fitness for surgery were statistically significant delay factors (P= 0.001). Conclusion : Parents reported 14 children to be irritable at home due to pain, while the others reported satisfactory day case experience. No unplanned admission or mortality was recorded, and only 3 (0.8%) parents would not recommend day case surgery to other people. Conclusion: Pediatric day case surgery is feasible for well-selected and monitored cases in our environment. Term neonates with informed parents are suitable for pediatric day case surgery. There is a need for a day case center to reduce waiting list at UITH