ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In Nigeria and many parts of the world, the pentavalent vaccine is replacing the diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT) vaccine in tetanus prevention. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the anti-tetanus immunoglobulin G (IgG) response of children who received DPT with those who received the pentavalent vaccine. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of anti-tetanus IgG levels in children aged 6 months to 5 years who received DPT and in children who received the pentavalent vaccine. IgG antibody levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The protective level was set at ≥0.1 IU/ml. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-two out of 130 children (93.9%) who had received DPT had protective levels of anti-tetanus IgG compared to 278 out of 288 children (96.5%) who had received the pentavalent vaccine. The difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.21). The median IgG antibody level in those who received DPT was 1.1 IU/ml (interquartile range (IQR) 0.4-1.8) compared with 0.6 IU/ml (IQR 0.4-1.4) in those who received pentavalent vaccine (P = 0.006), with age being the only predictor of variability in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATION: DPT and pentavalent vaccines are equally effective in inducing protective levels of anti-tetanus IgG in children. Vaccination with the pentavalent vaccine, which is the current policy in Nigeria and many other parts of the world, should continue.
Subject(s)
Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine/administration & dosage , Diphtheria/immunology , Tetanus Toxoid/administration & dosage , Tetanus/immunology , Whooping Cough/immunology , Antibodies, Bacterial/blood , Antibody Formation , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Diphtheria/epidemiology , Diphtheria/prevention & control , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Humans , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Infant , Nigeria/epidemiology , Population Surveillance , Tetanus/epidemiology , Tetanus/prevention & control , Whooping Cough/epidemiology , Whooping Cough/prevention & controlABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Puberty is an essential physiologic process that is characterized by the appearance of secondary sexual features. Secular changes in puberty occur from one generation to another and need to be documented. The assessment of pubertal stages in a child is only useful if recent and reliable reference data from the same population is available for comparison. The study aimed to profile clinical normative sexual maturity characteristics for children in Calabar, South-South Nigeria. METHODS: A cross-section of primary and secondary school pupils aged 6-18 years in the city of Calabar, Nigeria were randomly selected for the study. Sexual maturating rating was assessed using the pubertal staging for breast development and pubic hair as described by Marshall and Tanner (Tanner staging). Testicular volume in boys was measured using the Prader orchidometer. Menarche and "voice break" were established by recall of the event by the girls and boys respectively. RESULTS: A total of 2,830 children were seen, 1542 (54.5%) boys and 1288 (45.5%) girls. The mean age of onset of pubic hair was 11 years in both boys and girls. Pubertal testicular volume of 4 mls was seen in boys at a mean age of 11 years. Breast development in girls occurred at mean age of 11 years and menarche at 13 years. CONCLUSION: in this study, the onset of puberty is occurring at an earlier age than previously reported in Nigeria with a secular trend of a decreasing age at onset of puberty. These sexual characteristics are rather occurring at similar ages reported from western countries.
