Continued advocacy and public enlightenment campaigns should be strengthened in order to harmonize adoption process in our setting.

BackgroundThe objective of this study was to determine the pattern of congenital cardiac disease among children attending UNTH, Enugu, Nigeria. The nature of these abnormalities and the outcome were also considered. The exact etiology is unknown but genetic and environmental factors tend to be implicated. The difference in the pattern obtained worldwide and few studies in Nigeria could be due to genetic, environmental, socioeconomic, or ethnic origin.MethodsA retrospective analysis of discharged cases in which a review of the cases of all children attending children outpatient clinics including cardiology clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu over a five year period (January 2007-June 2012) was undertaken. All the children presenting with cardiac anomalies were included in the study and the cases were investigated using ECG, X-ray and echocardiography studies.ResultsA total of 31,795 children attended the children outpatient clinics of the hospital over the study period. Of these, seventy one (71) had cardiac diseases. The overall prevalence of cardiac disease is 0.22%. The commonest symptoms were breathlessness, failure to thrive and cyanosis. Almost all types of congenital detects were represented, the commonest being isolated ventricular septal detect (VSD), followed by tetralogy of Fallot. One of these cardiac anomalies presented with Downs’s syndrome and another with VACTERAL association.ConclusionsThe results of this study show that 0.22% per cent of children who attended UNTH in Enugu State had congenital cardiac abnormalities and the commonest forms seen were those with VSD.

Antibiotics are being abused in children with diarrhea and caregivers need to be educated against this urgently.

BackgroundAlthough the risk of HIV transmission through breastfeeding is reduced considerably with the use of antiretroviral therapy, infant feeding by HIV positive mothers remains controversial. Weighing risks against benefits generates intense debate among policymakers, program managers and service providers in sub-Saharan Africa, considering that the major causes of infant death of malnutrition and infectious diseases, could be prevented if mothers breastfeed their babies. Whereas breastfeeding involves some risk of HIV transmission, not breastfeeding poses considerable risk to infant survival. This study investigated perceptions and practice of breastfeeding of HIV-exposed infants among HIV positive mothers.MethodsA cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Enugu metropolis among HIV positive mothers receiving care for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV from two public and two private hospitals. Interviewer-administered questionnaire survey was done with 550 participants as they exited the final point of service delivery. Descriptive statistics of perception and practice variables and cross tabulation of selected variables was performed.ResultsMost mothers knew that HIV could be transmitted through breast milk. The majority perceived any type of breastfeeding as beneficial to the infant: 230 (83.6%) in private facilities, and 188 (68.4%) public facilities. Over three-quarters of the mothers breastfed their infants and their reasons for breastfeeding included personal choice, cultural norms, fear of HIV status being disclosed and pressure from family members. A statistical significant association was found between; (i) practice of breastfeeding and marital status, (p < 0.01), and (ii) practice of breastfeeding and household income provider (p = 0.02). However, neither marital status (AOR 1.4; 95% CI 0.3, 6.8) nor being the household income provider (AOR 4.9; 95% CI 0.6, 12.9) is a significant predictor of breastfeeding of HIV-exposed infants.ConclusionsBreastfeeding remains a common trend among HIV positive women and it is associated with economic independence of women and social support. Fear of stigma negatively affects practice of breastfeeding. Hence, HIV positive mothers need economic independence and the support of family members to practice recommended infant feeding options.