Invasive bacterial disease in young infants in rural Gambia: Population-based surveillance.

Background: Invasive bacterial diseases (IBD) cause significant mortality in young infants. There are limited population-based data on IBD in young infants in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: We conducted population-based surveillance for IBD among infants aged 0-90 days in a demographic surveillance area in rural Gambia between 1 March 2011 and 31 December 2017.

Sexual and procreation preferences of adolescents and young adults infected perinatally with HIV in Southeast Nigeria: a hospital-based cross-sectional study.

Introduction: children with perinatal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection now survive to adolescence and adulthood and so are confronted with issues related to sexuality and sexual reproductive health. This study is aimed at determining the sexual knowledge and behaviours of these adolescents, determining their procreation intention and the impact of their age, gender and understanding of the mother to child transmission risk on their procreation intention.

Methods: a hospital-based cross-sectional study of adolescents and young adults aged 15-24 years infected with HIV in the perinatal period, accessing tertiary care in Enugu.

Validation of pediatric height estimation formulae in suburban communities in South-east Nigeria: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Height measurement is one of the common essential anthropometric measurements in clinical pediatrics. The most accurate method of determining a child's height is to measure the height. However, in emergency situations and some resource limited settings, obtaining the actual height of a child may not be feasible hence the need to estimate.

Malaria prevalence and its sociodemographic determinants in febrile children - a hospital-based study in a developing community in South-East Nigeria.

Background: Malaria remains one of the major contributors of child mortality in many developing countries in Africa. Identifying its determinants will help in prevention and prompt intervention in these settings.

Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted over an eight-month period.

Cancer Mortality in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria: A Case Study of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.

Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the pattern of cancer mortality (CM) seen in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) which is a cancer reference center in the Niger Delta Region.

Methodology: This is a 6-year retrospective study of cancer-related deaths in UPTH using patients' admission registers in all the wards and emergency units. Furthermore, the death certificates of cases were reviewed.

Hypertension in Children: Could the Prevalence be on the Increase?

Background: In children particularly in the developing world, there is a tendency to downplay the role of primary hypertension in their health. In adults, a number of factors have clearly been associated with the incidence of hypertension. Knowledge of the prevalence of hypertension and its associated factors among children in our environment is important and could inform the need for lifestyle changes and routine blood pressure (BP) checks in children so as to reduce BP-related health risks.

Weight estimation in Paediatrics: how accurate is the Broselow-tape weight estimation in the Nigerian child.

Background: Determination of weight in children is an important aspect of their assessment. It has a wide range of usefulness including assessing their nutritional status and drug dose calculation. Despite its usefulness, weight estimation in children in certain conditions can be challenging particularly in emergency situations or in children who are severely ill or cannot stand on standard scales.

Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia in Children of Rural Areas of The Gambia, 2008-2015.

Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia is a substantial cause of childhood disease and death, but few studies have described its epidemiology in developing countries. Using a population-based surveillance system for pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis, we estimated S. aureus bacteremia incidence and the case-fatality ratio in children <5 years of age in 2 regions in the eastern part of The Gambia during 2008-2015.

Perception of donor breast milk and determinants of its acceptability among mothers in a developing community: a cross-sectional multi-center study in south-east Nigeria.

Background: Due to the health and economic benefits of breast milk, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that for infants who cannot receive breast milk from their own mothers, the next preferred option is donated breast milk. This recommendation is however rarely practiced in most developing countries where donor milk is not widely accepted.

Methods: This cross-sectional multi-center study enrolled mothers attending antenatal or pediatric clinics in six tertiary institution in south-east Nigeria using purposive and convenient sampling method.

Clinical evaluation of severe neonatal Hyperbilirubinaemia in a resource-limited setting: a 4-year longitudinal study in south-East Nigeria.

Background: Neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia is one of the commonest causes of hospital visit in the neonatal period. When severe, it is a leading cause of irreversible neurological and musculoskeletal disability. Prompt recognition and timely interventions are imperative for a drastic reduction in complications associated with severe hyperbilirubinaemia in newborns.

Incidence and Predictors of Mortality Among Newborns With Perinatal Asphyxia: A 4-Year Prospective Study of Newborns Delivered in Health Care Facilities in Enugu, South-East Nigeria.

Fatalities from perinatal asphyxia remain high in developing countries, and continually assessing its risk factors will help improve outcomes in these settings. We explored how some identified risk factors predict mortality in asphyxiated newborns, to assist clinicians in prioritizing interventions. This was a 4-year prospective study conducted at the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria.

Impact of the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination on pneumonia in The Gambia: population-based surveillance and case-control studies.

Background: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) are used in many low-income countries but their impact on the incidence of pneumonia is unclear. The Gambia introduced PCV7 in August, 2009, and PCV13 in May, 2011. We aimed to measure the impact of the introduction of these vaccines on pneumonia incidence.

Negative Marking and the Student Physician--A Descriptive Study of Nigerian Medical Schools.

Background: There is considerable debate about the two most commonly used scoring methods, namely, the formula scoring (popularly referred to as negative marking method in our environment) and number right scoring methods. Although the negative marking scoring system attempts to discourage students from guessing in order to increase test reliability and validity, there is the view that it is an excessive and unfair penalty that also increases anxiety. Feedback from students is part of the education process; thus, this study assessed the perception of medical students about negative marking method for multiple choice question (MCQ) examination formats and also the effect of gender and risk-taking behavior on scores obtained with this assessment method.

Food taboos and myths in South Eastern Nigeria: The belief and practice of mothers in the region.

Background: Poor nutritional practices especially in pregnancy and early childhood can result in dire consequences in the growth and development of a child.

Methods: This study using purposive sampling enrolled 149 women who had carried at least one pregnancy to term in Enugu south east Nigeria. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess association between avoidance of certain food in pregnancy and selected socio-demographic factors.

Danger Signs of Childhood Pneumonia: Caregiver Awareness and Care Seeking Behavior in a Developing Country.

Background. Efforts to reduce child mortality especially in Africa must as a necessity aim to decrease mortality due to pneumonia. To achieve this, preventive strategies such as expanding vaccination coverage are key.

Delays in healthcare delivery to sick neonates in Enugu South-East Nigeria: an analysis of causes and effects.

Background: In most parts of the world, neonatal mortality rates have shown a slower decline when compared with under-5 mortality decline. A sick newborn can die within minutes if there is a delay in presentation, thus early diagnosis and treatment are essential for the survival of a critically ill newborn. This study investigated factors responsible for delays in healthcare services for the sick newborn and maternal socio-demographic variables that influence these delays in Enugu, South-East Nigeria.

Knowledge of danger signs in newborns and health seeking practices of mothers and care givers in Enugu state, South-East Nigeria.

Background: According to UNICEF, 40% of all under-5 deaths occur within the first month of life and half of these within the first few days of life. Many of these deaths are related to late recognition of neonatal illness, delays in decision to seek care at household level and subsequent late intervention at healthcare facilities. Knowledge of mothers about the danger signs in newborn is imperative to reduce these delays and preventable deaths.

Increased disease due to Haemophilus influenzae type b: population-based surveillance in eastern Gambia, 2008-2013.

Background: In 1997, The Gambia became the first African country to introduce conjugate Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine with good disease control through to 2010.

Methods: Culture-based surveillance for invasive bacterial disease in eastern Gambia, specifically the Basse Health and Demographic Surveillance System (BHDSS) area, was conducted from 12 May 2008 and in Fuladu West district from 12 September 2011 until 31 December 2013. In 2011, Hib serology was measured in 5-34-year-olds.

The use of unprescribed antibiotics in management of upper respiratory tract infection in children in Enugu, South East Nigeria.

Background: It is a documented fact that upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) is more of a viral illness.

Objectives: This study aims at documenting the prevalence of the use of unprescribed antibiotics in children aged <5 years with upper respiratory symptomatology.

Methods: Four hundred twenty-three mother-child pairs were enrolled for this study.

Determinants of academic performance in children with sickle cell anaemia.

Background: Some factors are known to influence the academic performance of children with Sickle Cell Anaemia (SCA). Information on their effects in these children is limited in Nigeria. The factors which influence academic performance of children with SCA in Enugu, Nigeria are determined in this study.