Background: Paediatric rheumatic disorders are common in children and result in significant impairment in quality of life, morbidity and mortality. There is limited information on the burden of these disorders in lower income countries especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Few case reports have documented presence of paediatric rheumatic disorders in Tanzania. This study was conducted to determine the spectrum of rheumatic disorders among children at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH). Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted among children who were attended at MNH between January 2012 and August 2019. Paediatric patients seen in the outpatient clinics and those admitted in the wards were eligible. All patients with diagnosis of rheumatic disorders were identified from admission books and outpatient clinic logbooks, and later data were collected from their case notes and were recorded in clinical research forms. Collected information included age, sex, clinical features and laboratory tests results. Results: A total of 52 children with mean age of 9.5 ± 4.3 years, 12 (40.4%) participants were aged above 10 years and 32 (61.5%) were females. Frequently reported clinical presentations were joint pain 44 (84.6%), joint swelling 34 (65.4%), fever 24 (46.2%) and skin rashes 21(40.4%). Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) was the predominant diagnosis reported in 28 (53.8%) participants followed by juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus 8 (15.4%), mixed connective tissue diseases 4 (7.7%) and juvenile dermatomyositis 4 (7.7%). Antinuclear antibody test was performed in 16 participants it was positive in 9 (56.2%). Nine participants were tested for anti-double stranded DNA test and 5 (55.6%) were positive for this test. C-reactive protein was tested in 46 participants out of which 32 (69.6%) had elevated levels. HIV was tested in 24 (46.2%) participants and results were negative. Thirty-five out of 52 (67.3%) participants had anaemia. Predominant drugs used for treatment of JIA include prednisolone and methotrexate. Conclusions: Paediatric rheumatic disorders are not uncommon in Tanzania-and were noted to affect more female children in this study. Predominant conditions included juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) and juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM).

IntroductionOver half of the 5 million annual deaths among children aged 0–59 months occur in sub-Saharan Africa. The period immediately after hospitalisation is a vulnerable time in the life of a child in sub-Saharan Africa as postdischarge mortality rates are as high as 1%–18%. Identification of neonates and children who are at highest risk for postdischarge mortality may allow for the direction of interventions to target patients at highest risk.Methods and analysisThe Predicting Post-Discharge Mortality study is a prospective, observational study being conducted at Muhimbili National Hospital (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) and John F. Kennedy Medical Center (Monrovia, Liberia). The aim is to derive and validate two, age population specific, clinical prediction rules for the identification of neonates (n=2000) and children aged 1–59 months (n=2000) at risk for all-cause mortality within 60 days of discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit or paediatric ward. Caregivers of participants will receive phone calls 7, 14, 30, 45 and 60 days after discharge to assess vital status. Candidate predictor variables will include demographic, anthropometric and clinical factors. Elastic net regression will be used to derive the clinical prediction rules. Bootstrapped selection with repetitions will be used for internal validation. Planned secondary analyses include the external validation of existing clinical prediction models, determination of clinicians’ ability to identify neonates and children at risk of postdischarge mortality at discharge, analysis of factors associated with hospital readmission and unplanned clinic visits and description of health-seeking behaviours in the postdischarge period.Ethics and disseminationThis study received ethical clearance from the Tanzania National Institute of Medical Research, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, the John F. Kennedy Medical Center Institutional Review Board, and the Boston Children’s Hospital Institutional Review Board. Findings will be disseminated at scientific conferences and as peer-reviewed publications.

BackgroundThe term “collodion baby” is used to describe a newborn covered with a translucent, parchment-like skin sheet. It is an extremely rare condition with an estimated incidence of 1 in 300,000 live births. Clinically, the baby will present with a collodion membrane with fissures, ectropium, eclabium, and hypoplastic digits. Shedding of the membrane increases risk of dehydration and infection.Case presentationWe present the case of an African baby girl, who died when she was 7-months old, who presented with features of collodion membrane at birth. She later developed hypernatremic dehydration and a constricted band on her lower limb that required urgent surgical release. She stayed in our hospital for 35 days; she was then discharged home after improvement for 6 months of follow-up clinics at Muhimbili National Hospital: neonatal; dermatology; ear, nose, and throat; and physiotherapy units. She died at 7 months of age.ConclusionDespite limited resources, the early survival of these babies can be improved by providing basic care.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13256-018-1912-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.