Cerebral palsy is a common neurological problem that causes significant disabilities in children. Aim: To describe the clinical profile of children with cerebral palsy in Port Harcourt as well as to identify risk factors and its' impact. Methods: This was a 2 years prospective cross-sectional study in the Paediatric neurology clinic of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital Nigeria. Children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and those whose parents gave consent were consecutively recruited into the study while their clinical information including laboratory findings was entered into a standard proforma. Results: Among the 296 children seen in the neurology clinic, 141(47.6%) had cerebral palsy. They were aged 6 months to 14 years, with a mean age of 3.07±3.5years and a M: F ratio of 1.6:1. They were mostly term babies 86(61.0%), delivered vaginally107(75.9%) by unqualified attendants 74(52.5%) with normal birth weight 61(43.3%) and 62(52.9%) had microcephaly. The common identifiable risk factors for cerebral palsy were perinatal asphyxia 65(46.1%), past history of meningitis 48(34.0%) and neonatal jaundice 31(22.0%) while the common co-existing neurologic disorders were seizure disorders 47(46.1%) and speech impairment 21(20.6%). Spastic quadriplegia 50(35.5%) was the most frequent type of cerebral palsy seen and it was significantly associated with a past history of perinatal asphyxia P=0.03 and prematurity 0.008. Only 11(44.0%) of the 25 children who were eligible to attend school did so, out of which 9(81.8%) performed poorly. Conclusion: Cerebral palsy is a major cause of neurodisability in Port Harcourt and its common risk factors are preventable.
Background: Misconceptions about teething are prevalent even in the 21st century, especially in developing countries like Nigeria. These myths, which are handed down from one generation to another may lead to trivialization of severe childhood illnesses as well as practices that negatively impact child morbidity and mortality. Aim: The present study was carried out to determine teething myths and practices among nursing mothers attending the Paediatric outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital in Southern Nigeria. Methods and Materials: A cross-sectional study of one hundred and forty eight nursing mothers of children aged 6-24 months who had erupted at least one tooth, who visited the children’s outpatient clinic of a tertiary health facility in Southern Nigeria. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0. Descriptive statistics was used. Chi square tests of significance (Fisher’s exact test) were used with a 95% confidence interval (P< 0.05). Results: A high percentage of mothers (95.9%) associated teething with various symptoms such as fever, gum itching and diarrhoea; majority of them got information on teething from health workers, personal experience or parents. About 41.9% of the children recruited had perceived teething symptoms. Furthermore, 51.4% of respondents said teething should be treated and health workers formed the bulk of prescribers of teething medicines, the commonest of which were teething syrups, paracetamol and teething powder while the least used was herbs. About half of the respondents believed teething medicines were effective. Most respondents would take their babies to the hospital for perceived teething symptoms like fever, diarrhoea or vomiting but were less likely to visit the hospital if catarrh, drooling of saliva or sucking of the fingers was observed. The level of education, occupation, tribe, age of mother or baby, sex or position of child did not significantly affect the use of teething medication but the presence of perceived teething symptoms especially fever and vomiting did. Conclusion: Teething myths are common among nursing mothers attending a tertiary paediatric outpatient hospital in Southern Nigeria. The most common myths associated with teething were fever, gum itching and diarrhoea for which medications such as teething syrup, paracetamol and teething powder were prescribed. The association of these symptoms with teething could lead to trivialization of potentially severe childhood illnesses thus interfering with their prompt diagnosis and management. Continuous health education of nursing mothers and the community at large may be one of the ways of enlightenment on the innocuous and normal expectation of teething so as to avoid ascribing childhood ailments to teething.
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