Subject(s)
Nutritional Status/physiology , Seizures, Febrile/physiopathology , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , NigeriaABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To compare head circumference measurements of the well nourished with those of the malnourished children for each sex. DESIGN: Cross sectional. SETTING: Imesi, Ile-Ife village, Nigeria. SUBJECTS: 644 children in the first six years of life. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Head circumference. RESULTS: The mean head circumference values of malnourished children of both sexes fell mostly below the values for their well nourished age mates. The curve for well nourished girls fell by a little below, and for malnourished girls by over two standard deviations below Tanner's 50th percentile curve. For the boys, the curve for the malnourished children fell by over one standard deviation below the curve for their well nourished age mates. CONCLUSION: The significant reductions in head circumferences found in malnourished children may have serious implications for their future performance and achievement. Therefore, sufficient community concern and appropriate world action aimed at eradicating protein energy malnutrition is solicited.
Subject(s)
Brain/growth & development , Child Nutrition Disorders/diagnosis , Growth Disorders/etiology , Head/anatomy & histology , Rural Health , Cephalometry , Child , Child Nutrition Disorders/complications , Child, Preschool , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Head/growth & development , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Nigeria , Nutrition Surveys , Reference ValuesABSTRACT
Cross-sectional anthropometric measurements were taken between 1987 and 1990 in 673 children aged 0-6 years in Imesi Ile village, Nigeria. The height and weight curves obtained fall behind corresponding growth curves in the same community three decades previously. Mid-upper arm circumference values indicated moderate to severe malnutrition in 25.8% of children aged 1-5 years. The heights of 67.1% and weights of 59.7% of the children fell below the third percentile of a Nigerian equivalent of an international reference population standard. Possible reasons for deterioration of the nutritional status of children in the community include the prevailing adverse socio-economic conditions, changes in child rearing practices over the years, persistence of unsatisfactory living conditions and failure to sustain the implementation of innovative programmes previously introduced into the community. It is suggested that present programmes aimed at promoting the health of rural communities should be reviewed to improve sustainability and should be backed up by measures to improve socio-economic and living conditions.
Subject(s)
Body Constitution/physiology , Child Development/physiology , Growth/physiology , Anthropometry , Child , Child, Preschool , Cross-Sectional Studies , Family Characteristics , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Nigeria , Retrospective Studies , Rural Population , Social ConditionsABSTRACT
Seven hundred and three Nigerian village children in their first six years of life were subjected to anthropometric measurements and physical examination in early 1988. The heights of 66.9% and weights of 60.5% of them fell below the third percentile of a Nigerian equivalent for international reference population standard. Mid upper arm circumference values indicated moderate to severe malnutrition in over 25% of all 1-5 year old children surveyed. Fever, cough, headache and diarrhoea were the commonest symptoms encountered in the children. Mild pallor of the conjunctival mucosa and physical signs of protein energy malnutrition were commonly seen. Fungal and septic skin lesions were present in 11.45 and 11.1% of the children respectively, whilst rhinorrhoea was seen in 4.7%, otitis media in 6% and pharyngotonsillitis in 3.3%. Thirty four (4.8%) of the children had haemic whereas five had pathological murmurs. Dental calculi were present in 15.8%, umbilical herniae in 18.2%, hepatomegaly in 48.2% and splenomegaly in 23% of the children. Seven (1%) had cerebral palsy. The implication is that malnutrition, sickle cell disease, malaria and other infections are the prevailing causes of morbidity in the preschool aged children surveyed. Desirable improvements include upgrading socio-economic and living conditions and instituting appropriate control measures.
Subject(s)
Anthropometry , Body Height , Body Weight , Child , Child, Preschool , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Health Status , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Morbidity , Nigeria , Rural PopulationABSTRACT
One-hundred-and-fifty-two severely anaemic patients, aged 6 months to 14 years were studied with a view to ascertaining the incidence of bacteraemia in them. Haemoglobin genotype AA was seen in 68 (45 per cent) of the patients, 38 (25 per cent) patients were of haemoglobin genotype SS; 35 (23 per cent) patients were of haemoglobin genotype AS; three (2 per cent) patients were of haemoglobin genotype AC and eight (5 per cent) patients were of haemoglobin genotype SC. Positive blood cultures were obtained in a total of 15 (10 per cent) patients. Of these 15 patients, 10 (22 per cent) patients were sicklers (9 HbSS; 1 HbSC) of a total of 46 sicklers studied. The remaining five (5 per cent) patients that had positive blood cultures were non-sicklers out of a total of 106 non-sicklers studied. There was a statistically significant difference between the sicklers and non-sicklers who had positive blood cultures (P < 0.05). The presence or absence of positive blood culture did not correlate with the severity of anaemia in either the sicklers or the non-sicklers. It is suggested that any severe anaemic patient with clinical features suggestive of sickle cell anaemia must have a blood culture done in the course of management. An 'identify at all costs' approach should not apply to severe anaemic children who are non-sicklers. The yield is low and cost high, clinicians should be selective in deciding in which patients blood cultures are warranted.
Subject(s)
Anemia/complications , Bacteremia/epidemiology , Adolescent , Anemia/blood , Anemia/epidemiology , Bacteremia/blood , Bacteremia/complications , Bacteremia/microbiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Hemoglobins/analysis , Hospitals, Teaching , Humans , Incidence , Infant , Male , Nigeria , Severity of Illness IndexABSTRACT
In a study of 80 babies delivered after prolonged rupture of membranes in Wesley Guild Hospital (WGH), Ilesha, over a 16-month period, 18 (22.5%) were found to have a positive blood culture. Babies with a positive blood culture were more ill (p less than 0.02) and males were significantly more affected by culture proven infection (p less than 0.02). The mortality rate was significantly higher in babies with a positive blood culture (p less than 0.01). The high incidence of septicaemia in this group of babies in our environment may be due to the unhygienic environment from which mothers and babies were referred and delay in presentation. Improved obstetric and neonatal care will therefore reduce the morbidity and mortality due to septicaemia in such babies in Nigeria. Such babies should continue to be treated routinely for presumed infection till facilities for prompt diagnosis of neonatal septicaemia are more readily available.
