Lassina Dao

Morbidité et mortalité néonatales de 2002 à 2006 au Centre hospitalier universitaire pédiatrique Charles de Gaulle de Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

INTRODUCTION Neonatal diseases remain a major public health problem in developing countries. The Millennium Goal of reducing child mortality by 2/3 by the year 2015 requires a major reduction in neonatal mortality. Accordingly, in March 2006, Burkina Faso began a policy of subsidizing obstetric care and neonatal emergency care. To be able to assess the effectiveness of the steps undertaken, we examined the characteristics of morbidity and neonatal mortality in the principal pediatric teaching hospital (CHUP-CDG) before implementation of the program. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective study looked at hospital records and the database of newborns hospitalized from 01 January 2002 through 31 December 2006. RESULTS During the study period, of 23 223 children hospitalized, 1226 (5%) were neonates. The number of neonates hospitalized annually has increased from 118 in 2002 to 414 in 2006. Most (70%) were referred by another healthcare facility. Mean age at admission was 9+/-8 days. The socioeconomic level of 60% of the parents was low. The neonatal mortality rate was 15.3%. More than half (58.8%) the deaths occurred on the first day of hospitalization. The leading causes of morbidity were also the biggest killers: the fatality rate for neonatal infections was 16.8%, and that for congenital malformations and acute accidental poisoning 12.9%. CONCLUSION Neonatal morbidity and mortality remain at worrisome levels. Improved monitoring of pregnancies and conditions of delivery, reduction in the cost to families of care and the opening of a neonatal unit equipped with appropriate material at the pediatric hospital center (CHUP-CDG) should help to reduce neonatal mortality.

Facteurs de risque de décès au cours du paludisme grave chez l’enfant au Centre hospitalier universitaire pédiatrique Charles de Gaulle de Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

To determine the risk factors for death from severe malaria in children in Burkina Faso, we conducted a retrospective case-control study covering a period of 24 months from January 2004 through December 2005, at the Charles de Gaulle Pediatric Hospital in Ouagadougou. Cases (n=72) were defined as all children hospitalized for and dying of confirmed severe malaria. The control subjects (n=72), matched for age, sex and date of hospitalization; were children hospitalized for confirmed severe malaria who were discharged after recovery. Risk factors assessed included: place of residence, socioeconomic level, self-medication, promptness of hospitalization, nutritional status, temperature and parasitemia. Case and control children were compared with pairwise tests. Low socioeconomic level (OR=5.4), late care (OR=15.5), poor nutritional status (OR=7.9) and a parasitemia greater than or equal to 5% (OR=2.8) were associated with a significant increase in the risk of death. In contrast, the malaria deaths were not associated with place of residence (OR=0.5), self-medication (OR=1) or fever of 41 degrees C or higher (OR=1.1). These results show the need for more health education to encourage early care-seeking in the event of fever, community-based interventions, and strengthening of the technical support centers for health facilities, as part of a national poverty reduction program.

Acute accidental poisoning in children: Aspects of their epidemiology, aetiology, and outcome at the Charles de Gaulle Paediatric Hospital in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

Accidents are a daily concern in the paediatric ward because of their frequency, diversity and severity. Acute accidental poisoning (AAP) accounts for an important portion of these. To help improvement management of AAP, we conducted a retrospective study covering a period of 2 years from January 2005 to December 2006 at Charles de Gaulle Paediatric University Hospital in Ouagadougou. Of 9390 admissions during the study period, 123 children, or 1.3%, were admitted for poisoning. A cumulative average of 11 were admitted monthly, with a peak of 16 patients in April 2005 and 2006, together. AAP was most common among children aged 1 to 4 years. Their mean age was 3 years and ranged from 6 days to 12 years. Boys outnumbered girls, with a sex ratio of 1.2. Mothers of more than half (61%) of the children poisoned worked in the home. Household products accounted for 44.7% of AAPs, followed by drug (22.7%) and food (22%) poisoning. Kerosene and other petroleum products topped the list of household products, with 54.5%. Tranquilizers (46.4%) and dairy products (37%) dominated the drug and food poisoning categories. Immediate outcome was fatal in 3% of cases, and three quarters of these deaths occurred during drug poisoning of children aged 1 to 4 years. The mean hospital stay was 2 days, and ranged from 0 to 9 days. Health officials, the media, and community outreach must all help to increase awareness about the dangers of poisoning and of preventive measures.

Facteurs associés au surpoids et à l'obésité des élèves de Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso).

INTRODUCTION The international community is increasing concerned about obesity, which it has become one of the most common noninfectious pandemics worldwide and affects a growing number of children. MATERIAL AND METHODS We conducted an analytic cross-sectional study from May 25 to June 16, 2010, among a sample of 435 randomly selected students in secondary schools in the city of Ouagadougou to identify the factors contributing to obesity and overweight. RESULTS The main factors significantly associated with obesity and overweight were family history of obesity (OR = 7.4), higher socioeconomic level (OR =  3.8), snacking on candy (OR = 5, 3), pastry (OR = 3.5), and chocolate (OR = 12.6), frequent consumption of sweets (OR = 2.2), lack of physical activity (OR = 4.4), and conflictual family relationships (OR = 3.9). CONCLUSION Dealing with these factors in prevention activities should help to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity and their morbid consequences later on.

Lung disease and HIV infection in children at the Charles de Gaulle university pediatric hospital center in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

To compare the clinical and radiological aspects of lung diseases in HIV-positive and HIV-negative children, we conducted a retrospective case control study covering a 3-year period from January 2003 through December 2005 at Charles de Gaulle University Pediatric Hospital Center in Ouagadougou. HIV-positive patients hospitalised for lung disease were matched to HIV-negative patients controls, hospitalised for the same symptoms, by age and date of hospitalisation. The study included 186 patients (93 HIV-positive and 93 HIV-negative) and collected data on age, sex, clinical signs, radiological signs and short-term course. Of the 93 HIV-positive children suspected to have been contaminated by mother-to-child transmission, 92 had HIV1 and 1 had a double infection of HIV1 and 2. The mean age in both groups was 48 months. Clinically severe lung disease (44%) was more common in HIV-positive children. Radiology showed that interstitial syndrome was significantly more common in HIV-positive children (p=0001) with a sensitivity of 71% and a specificity of 60%. The case-fatality rate was 4.2% among HIV-positive children. This study allows us to remind paediatricians of the importance of lung disease in HIV-infected children. Moreover, the vertical transmission responsible for disease in all our patients shows the need to accelerate the scaling up of the program for prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission in our country.