Prevalence of overweight and obesity among children in Ile-ife, south-western Nigeria

BACKGROUND

Childhood obesity is a potential health problem in Nigeria because of our changing patterns of lifestyle. It is associated with significant health, medical and psychological consequences for children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the nutritional status of Nigerian children aged six to eighteen years using anthropometry.

METHODS

The study which was a school-based cross-sectional survey employed a multi-staged random sampling method. Four secondary and four primary schools (two private and two public) were selected to ensure adequate representation of the focus age group of six to 18 years and social classes. Ninety students were selected from each school. Overall, 360 subjects were selected from primary and secondary schools respectively giving a total of 720 school children. Each subject had a questionnaire complete followed by the measurement of height and weight. Nutritional status was determined using the International Obesity Task Force criteria.

RESULTS

Two (0.3%) of the 720 students studied were obese both being females. Twenty (2.8%) subjects were overweight of which 17 (85.0%) were females and three (15.0%) males. Females had a higher prevalence of overweight when compared with males. There was a higher proportion of overweight students in the higher social classes when compared with the lower social classes (p=0.03). Five hundred and sixty (77.8%) were underweight with a BMI less than 18.50.

CONCLUSION

Obesity and overweight are rather uncommom problems among children in Ile-Ife a semi urban south-western Nigeria town. However, overweight is more common in children from high social classes and among adolescents, the girls tend to have higher BMI than the boys. Underweight is prevalent among these children.

Ocular manifestations of Burkitt's lymphoma: experience in Ile-Ife south western Nigeria

BACKGROUND

Burkitt's lymphoma is the most common childhood tumour in subSaharan Africa that typically affects the jaws and abdomen. Ocular involvement with blindness has been documented in some studies.

OBJECTIVE

This was to evaluate the role of Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) as a cause of blindness in Nigerian children.

METHODS

Cases of BL seen in the hospital between 1986 and 2003 were studied retrospectively. Some of the patients with orbital disease at presentation underwent ultrasonographic examination of the eyes.

RESULTS

Forty-three (16.5%) of the 260 patients seen presented with orbital tumours; 29 (67.4 %) of the 43 patients had full ophthalmic examination. The patients studied comprised 22 males and 7 females with a M: F ratio of 3:1, and median(age range) of 7(3-15) years. Orbital tumours occurred concurrently with jaw masses on the same side in 19(65.5 %) of 29 patients; the eye diseases were unilateral in 23 (79.3%) and bilateral in six (20.7%) of the cases. Proptosis was the ocular presentation in 27(93%) of patients and it was associated with conjunctival injection in nine, chemosis in 11 and exposure keratopathy in five. Fourteen (48.3%) patients had associated blindness; 12 (85.7%) remained blind in the affected eye(s) and one regained vision to 6/36 after chemotherapy. The patients underwent Cyclophosphamide-Oncovin-Methotrexate (COM) regimen with intrathecal therapy. Eight (27.6%) patients had concomitant CNS disease; these included cases of 6th and 7th nerve palsies, one case of intra-cerebral extension of tumour and another case of total ophthalmoplegia.

CONCLUSION

Burkitt's lymphoma is an important cause of childhood blindness in Nigeria and the orbital disease ismainly extra ocular.

Nosocomial significant bacteriuria: prevalence and pattern of bacterial pathogens among children hospitalised for non-infective urinary tract disorders

This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of nosocomial significant bacteriuria (NSB) and pattern of bacterial pathogens among children hospitalised for non-infective urinary rtract disorders (NUTDs) namely, acute glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome, renal failure and congenital urinary tract anormalies in our nephrology unit. Serial midstream or suprapubic puncture urine specimens were collected into sterile plastic universal bottles from the patients for microscopy, culture and sensitivity, using the standard laboratory methods. Seventeen of the 96 patients admitted for NUTDs were excluded from the study based on the set exclusion criteria; only 19 out of the 79 patients studied were found to have NSB giving a prevalence rate of 24.05%. The isolated pathogens included Klebsiella spp. (47.37%). Staphylococcus aureus (31.58%). Escherichia coli (10.53%), Pseudomonas spp. (5.26%) and Citobacter spp. (5.26%). While 78.95% and 69.23% of the isolates were sensitive to gentamicin and cefuroxime respectively, 57.9% were sensitive to ceftazidime and nitrofurantoin. Less than 50% of the isolates were sensitive to each of the other antibiotics tested. Five of the patients died giving a case fatality rate of 26.3%. In this study, NSB is evidently a very common health problem and a significant risk factor for mortality in patients with NUTDs. Weekly urine culture is recommended in any hospitalised child with NUTD in order to diagnose and manage NSB early before clinical deterioration sets in.

Failed peritoneal dialysis in a dehydrated nephrotic child, in acute renal failure: a case report

A case of failed peritoneal dialysis in a 5-year-old male nephrotic who developed acute renal failure following severe P. falciparum malaria infection is presented. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) failure was sequel to undetected severe dehydration which occurred during the diuretic phase of the acute renal failure. Pre-dialysis plasma potassium, bicabonate, urea and creatinine concentrations were 6.0mmol/L, 13mmol/L, 28mmol/L and 900mmol/L respectively, after about 22 hours of PD, the plasma K+, HCO-3 Ur and Cr were 5.7mmol/L, 15mmol/L, 32mmol/L and 1,090mml/L respectively. The peritoneal dialysate Ur concentration (3.5mmol and peritoneal Ur clearance (1.85ml/min/1.73m2) were grossly inadequate. There was also, intradialysis hyperglycaemia (12mmol/L owing to massive absorption of peritoneal dialysate solution which contains high concentration of glucose. Hyperglycaemia was corrected with 0.25 units/kg/dose of soluble insulin intravenously, he had two doses. Owing to similarity of clinical and biochemical features of dehydration and ARF, all efforts must be made to exclude dehydration before embarking on PD in patients with renal failure. Failure to exclude dehydration, led to PD failure in this patient.

Klebsiella-induced purpura fulminans in a Nigerian child: case report and a review of literature

Purpura fulminans (PPF) is a very severe but rare acute thrombohaemorrhagic illness of infants and young children. It occurs mainly, in patients with either congenital or acquired deficiencies of proteins C and S and antithrombin III. Features of PPF include disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, symmetrical necrotic purpura and/or ecchymoses and symmetrical peripheral gangrene; digital and/ or limb(s) amputations and end-organ failure(s) may also occur. The case of a 3.5 year-old Nigerian girl, who developed PPF following Klebsiella-rhinoscleromatis septicaemia is reported to illustrate the seriousness of the disease and the need for early diagnosis and management.

Systemic complications of acute glomerulonephritis in Nigerian children

This study was undertaken to: (i) determine the prevalence, pattern and outcome of systemic complications of acute glomerulonephritis (AGN), and (ii) evaluate some clinicolaboratory features of the disease in Nigerian children. Clinical and laboratory records of consecutive cases of AGN seen over a period of 3 years in our unit, were prospectively entered into nephrology record forms and later analysed. Some of the analysed data included age, sex, blood pressure, types of systemic complication, haematocrit, plasma electrolytes, urea, creatinine, protein and albumin. Fractional excretion of filtered sodium (FeNa, %) and 24-hours urinary protein concentration data were also analysed. Majority of the patients (18/29) were under 6 years of age, with peak age incidence of 3 years. The hospital incidence of AGN and prevalence of systemic complications were 10 new cases per year and 41.38%, respectively. Heart failure (HF) and acute renal failure (ARF) were sole systemic complications in 7 and 2 AGN patients, respectively. Three patients had double systemic complications: one each of hypertensive encephalopathy (HTE)+HF, HTE+ARF and ARF+HF. Ten of 29 patients (34.48%) had nephrotic range proteinuria. None of the AGN patients except those with ARF had FeNa >1%, plasma bicarbonate <15 mmol/l, urea 225 mmol/l and creatinine 2400 mmol/l. Two of the patients died: one each of ARF and ARF+HF, giving a case fatality and mortality rate of 6.90% and 0.08%, respectively. ARF is clearly the principal risk factor for mortality in our AGN patients. Its early detection and aggressive but purposive management which must include dialysis, will certainly improve outcome in AGN cases complicated by ARF.

Congenital malaria in 8 hours old newborn: case report

This report, presents a case of congenital malaria in an 8-hour-old female neonate. She responded well to oral chloroquine at a dose of 25 mg/kg in divided doses over a period of three days and was discharged home for follow-up, 24 hours after completion of the course of chloroquine. This case emphasized the need for routine screening for malaria in sick newborn infants in malaria endemic regions. This is particularly important in situations where clear evidence of sepsis cannot be established, either from history or physical examination of the sick newborn. Malaria and sepsis have similar clinical features in newborn infants.

Glomerular filtration rate in Nigerian children with homozygous sickle cell disease

The study proposed to assess glomerular filtration rate as determined by endogenous creatinine clearance in steady state Nigeria children with homozygous sickle cell disease and normal controls. Twenty-four hours urinary creatinine clearance was estimated over a 6-month period in 54 steady-state homozygous sickle cell disease and 57 normal control children aged 5 to 13 years. Each child was admitted and a 24-hour urine sample (8.00 am to 8.00 am) was collected both for volume measurement and creatinine concentration determination. Blood was also collected from each child 30 minutes to end of urine collection for plasma creatinine concentration determination, haematocrit and reticulocyte counts. The results were compared between the two groups of children using student's t-test and the chi (X2) square test where necessary. The mean glomerular filtration rates +/- SD (ml/min/1.73 M2) for homozygous sickle cell disease children and normal controls were not significantly different (p > 0.05). Glomerular filtration rate did not differ significantly between the age groups in both patients and normal controls; haematocrits correlated weakly with glomerular filtration rates in the patients (r = +0.213; p < 0.001). Nigerian children with homozygous sickle cell disease who are in steady states have normal glomerular filtration rate that is hardly influenced by increasing age and low haematocrit level.