Prospective cohort study of mortality in very low birthweight infants in a single centre in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa.

Background: Neonatal mortality is a major contributor worldwide to the number of deaths in children under 5 years of age. The primary objective of this study was to assess the overall mortality rate of babies with a birth weight equal or below 1500 g in a neonatal unit at a tertiary hospital in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Furthermore, different maternal-related and infant-related factors for higher mortality were analysed. Methods: This is a prospective cohort study which included infants admitted to the neonatal wards of the hospital within their first 24 hours of life and with a birth weight equal to or below 1500 g. Mothers who consented answered a questionnaire to identify factors for mortality. Results: 173 very low birth weight (VLBW) infants were recruited in the neonatal department between November 2017 and December 2018, of whom 55 died (overall mortality rate 32.0%). Twenty-three of the 44 infants (53,5%) with a birth weight below 1000 g died during the admission. One hundred and sixty-one mothers completed the questionnaire and 45 of their babies died.Main factors associated with mortality were lower gestational age and lower birth weight. Need for ventilator support and sepsis were associated with higher mortality, as were maternal factors such as HIV infection and age below 20 years. Conclusion: This prospective study looked at survival of VLBW babies in an underprivileged part of the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Compared with other public urban hospitals in the country, the survival rate remains unacceptably low. Further research is required to find the associated causes and appropriate ways to address these.

Late diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus infection is linked to higher rates of epilepsy in children in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive children may present with a wide range of neurological disorders. Among these, epilepsy is of key concern because of its lifelong impact and potential for damage to the central nervous system (CNS). Few studies in developing regions have investigated the prevalence and aetiology of epilepsy in HIV-infected children as a key population. OBJECTIVES: We describe the prevalence of epilepsy, associated neurological disabilities, immunological status, clinical stage and history of CNS infection at epilepsy diagnosis in a cohort of HIV-infected children receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study (2004-2014) at two major referral sites for HIV-infected children diagnosed with epilepsy aged 0-16 years. Eligible subjects were extracted from the electronic medicine bridging access to care in excellence (EMBRACE) Paediatric Cohort using the Paediatric ART Data Management Tool (PADMT). Fixed data fields were interrogated for exposures to antiepileptic drugs. Unstructured 'comments' fields were searched for the terms: epilepsy, seizures, fits and szs, as well as abbreviated versions of common antiepileptic drug names. Eligible subject folders were then retrieved to validate the digital data. RESULTS: From 2139 children enrolled in the two sites, 53 children were diagnosed with epilepsy (2.48%). In these, the median CD4 count was 591 cells/mm3, and the mean viral load was 4.9 log copies/mL, with undetectable viral loads in only seven children (14.0%). World Health Organization (WHO) clinical HIV stage was available for 46 patients of the sample, with 3, 6, 26 and 11 children graded at stages 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Forty percent children had a history of CNS infection prior to the epilepsy diagnosis, and 55% children were reported to have school problems. CONCLUSIONS: In this descriptive study, the prevalence of epilepsy among children with HIV was 2.48%, mostly diagnosed in advanced HIV-disease stages. Our findings support the usefulness of early detection and initiation of ART in HIV-infected children in order to reduce the risk of epilepsy. In addition, our study demonstrates that novel techniques are effective in accessing cohort-level data that allow interrogation of both structured and unstructured clinical data.