Sacrococcygeal teratoma: clinical characteristics and long-term outcome in Nigerian children.

Background/purpose: The excision of sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) may be associated with significant long-term morbidity for the child. We reviewed our experience with SCT in a tertiary health care facility in a developing country with particular interest on the long-term sequelae.

Methods: Between January 1990 and May 2008 inclusive, 38 consecutive children with the diagnosis of SCT were identified from the operation register and the Cancer Registry of the Jos University Teaching Hospital.

Meals and dephytinization affect calcium and zinc absorption in Nigerian children with rickets.

Nutritional rickets resulting from calcium insufficiency is common in Nigeria and high dietary phytate is thought to inhibit calcium and zinc absorption. We compared the effects of a high-phytate meal and enzymatic dephytinization on calcium and zinc absorption in Nigerian children with and without rickets. Nineteen children with rickets and 15 age-matched control children, aged 2-10 y, were given calcium (600 mg/d) and ergocalciferol (1250 microg/wk).

Cytokine-associated neutrophil extracellular traps and antinuclear antibodies in Plasmodium falciparum infected children under six years of age.

Background: In Plasmodium falciparum-infected children, the relationships between blood cell histopathology, blood plasma components, development of immunocompetence and disease severity remain poorly understood. Blood from Nigerian children with uncomplicated malaria was analysed to gain insight into these relationships. This investigation presents evidence for circulating neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and antinuclear IgG antibodies (ANA).

Adaptation of calcium absorption during treatment of nutritional rickets in Nigerian children.

Nutritional rickets in Nigerian children has been effectively treated with Ca supplementation. High values of Ca absorption efficiency have been observed in untreated children, but whether Ca absorption efficiency changes during treatment with Ca is unknown. Our objective in conducting this study was to identify the effect of Ca therapy on Ca absorptive efficiency in children with primary Ca-deficient nutritional rickets.

Calcium absorption in Nigerian children with rickets.

Background: Nutritional rickets is common in Nigerian children and responds to calcium supplementation. Low dietary calcium intakes are also common in Nigerian children with and without rickets.

Objective: The objective was to assess intestinal calcium absorption in Nigerian children with rickets.

Transcutaneous bilirubin measurements and serum total bilirubin levels in indigenous African infants.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) measurements correlate with serum total bilirubin (STB) levels in indigenous, darkly pigmented African newborns with varying degrees of skin pigmentation, some of which had developed kernicterus.

Methods: Jaundiced infants who were < or =2 weeks of age and admitted to Baptist Medical Center-Eku (Eku; n = 29) and Jos University Teaching Hospital (Jos; n = 98) in Nigeria were studied. TcB measurements using the BiliChek were made simultaneously with blood sampling for STB measurements by spectrophotometry before phototherapy.