Spinal muscular atrophy in Ghanaian children confirmed by molecular genetic testing: a case series.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive inherited motor neuron disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness due to degeneration and loss of the anterior horn cells in the spinal cord and the brain stem nuclei from foetal life through infancy and childhood. SMA is prevalent in Ghanaian children, though not widely reported. Cases are likely missed or misdiagnosed due to lack of expertise and investigations.

Caregiving experiences and expectations of parents with in-school children with intellectual disability in Ghana.

Background: The literature suggests that there are challenges faced by parents of children with intellectual disabilities (ID), which have resulted in calls for support services to be made available to parents and their children with ID. Although regular schools in Ghana are unable to admit students with ID, it is believed that special schools have the necessary facilities to support parents and their children with ID. However, little has been documented on the experiences and expectations of parents whose children with ID are enrolled in a special school.

Experiences of primary caregivers of children with cerebral palsy across the trajectory of diagnoses in Ghana.

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a non-progressive disorder of posture or movement caused by a lesion to the developing brain that results in functional limitations. The diagnosis of CP can vary from one child to another, causing family stress because of vague and unknown outcomes of the disorder. Although there are negative attitudes in Ghanaian societies towards primary caregivers and children with disabilities, fewer attempts have been made to understand their experiences.

The use of assistive technologies among children with disabilities: the perception of parents of children with disabilities in Ghana.

Purpose: Assistive technologies (ATs) are fundamental to the successful educational and societal inclusion of all children with disabilities. In particular, the use of ATs has been found to increase levels of independence in daily living and promote greater access to learning opportunities for children with disabilities. However, the knowledge base and baseline information on the use of ATs is limited in developing countries such as Ghana.

'There is family tension, but they understand…': familial and sibling relationships following the diagnosis of cerebral palsy in children in Ghana.

Unlabelled: The challenges faced by parents raising children with cerebral palsy (CP) have been well explored in the literature. However, little attention has been paid to the experiences of parents raising children with CP in low-income countries, such as Ghana.

Objective: Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore parents' experiences of raising children with CP, specifically focusing on the relationships between spouses and between children with CP and their typically developing siblings.

Socio-demographic determinants of childhood immunization incompletion in Koforidua, Ghana.

Objective: Immunization saves more than 3 million lives worldwide each year, and it saves millions from suffering illness and lifelong disability. The study sought to assess the socio-demographic factors that influence childhood immunization incompletion. A cross-sectional descriptive design was employed for the study conducted at the Child Welfare Clinic in the Regional Hospital, Koforidua.

Microbial pathogens associated with acute childhood diarrhoea in Kumasi, Ghana.

Background: Diarrhoeal diseases are among the most frequent causes of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. This case-control study was conducted to investigate the bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens associated with acute diarrhoea among children attending three health facilities in Kumasi, Ghana.

Methods: Stool specimens were collected from 240 children under 5 years of age visiting hospitals in Kumasi, Ghana due to acute diarrhoea and from 107 healthy controls of similar age.

Assessment of prison life of persons with disability in Ghana.

Background: Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are a unique group that are often overlooked in many developing countries due to systemic weaknesses, lack of political commitment and inadequate support from government and non-governmental agencies. The population of these individuals is however steadily on the increase and currently corresponds to 15 % of the world population. Although much data exist on lifestyle and conditions of prisoners with disabilities in the western world, scanty information is available in Africa.

Perspectives in musculoskeletal injury management by traditional bone setters in Ashanti, Ghana.

Background: The popularity of the services of traditional bone setters (TBS) in Ghana as an alternative health care requires exploration and documentation of the perspectives of providers and users.

Objective: To explore and document the perspectives of providers and users of the services of TBS in the management of musculoskeletal injuries in the Ashanti region, Ghana.

Methods: From the social constructivist and qualitative approach, in-depth interviews were used to explore the perspectives of eight TBS and 16 users of their services, selected purposively through snowballing.

Safety of antimalarial drugs exposure during early pregnancy.

Introduction: Inadequately controlled malaria infection in pregnancy is associated with poor maternal and fetal outcomes. However, there are important questions about drug safety for mothers with malaria and their fetuses as, currently, there is limited safety data on many of the medications used. The objective of this review is to determine from published evidence the safety of antimalarial drugs exposure during early pregnancy, focusing on abortions, stillbirths, and congenital abnormalities.

Cancer incidence in Ghana, 2012: evidence from a population-based cancer registry.

Background: Data on cancers is a challenge in most developing countries. Population-based cancer registries are also not common in developing countries despite the usefulness of such registries in informing cancer prevention and control programmes. The availability of population-based data on cancers in Africa varies across different countries.