[Low level educated community health workers training: a strategy to improve children access to acute respiratory treatment in Senegal]. / La formation des agents de santé communautaire instruits: une stratégie pour améliorer l'accès des enfants au traitement des infections respiratoires aiguës au Sénégal.

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are the leading cause of death in childhood. Most of children's deaths happen at home without health level first cares. However in Senegal only health workers are allowed to prescribe antibiotics. A competency-based training was developed to improve and assess the management of acute respiratory infections in young children aged 2 to 59 months by low level educated community health workers (CHWs) in 4 districts of Senegal. The first findings showed the CHWs capable of acquiring the skills needed to effectively manage ARI cases in accordance with the World Health Organization's ARI case management strategy. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of their management after a 1 year follow-up. METHODS: We provided to CHWs 3 days course in ARI management. After the 3-day course, a 4-month follow-up was performed. We organized a 1-day refresher course every month and in every district. In order to assess the quality of management of CHWs we analyzed the management process and compared the CHWs classification to the classification of the first level health facilities. RESULTS: Twenty-three percent (3727/15,965) of IRA cases of district were managed by CHWs. Ninety percent (2738/3042) among them were well classified, well managed and well followed-up. But 28% of severe pneumonia cases were misclassified as pneumonia. About treatment, 22.5% of 'cough or cold' got wrong treatment with cotrimoxazole and 10.3% of severe pneumonia got cotrimoxazole without referral. Less than half of severe pneumonia benefited of the first follow-up and only 18% of the second. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight that a CHWs low-level educated in French, trained and followed-up could apply the WHO algorithm of IRA management. They could help to give proximal care related to children ARI, to the community. But it seems useful of emphasizing the recognition of danger signs and the follow-up of severe cases.

[Efficiency of kangaroo care on thermoregulation and weight gain of a preterm newborn cohort in Dakar]. / Efficacite de l'elevage par la methode kangourou sur la thermo- regulation et le gain ponderal d'une cohorte de prematures.

AIM OF THIS STUDY: to evaluate the efficacy of kangaroo method on thermoregulation and weight gain of a cohort of preterm. METHODS: it is a retrospective study based on files of preterm baby weighting below 2000 g, included after discharge to neonatal unit of Aristide Le Dantec maternity for kangaroo method care. Efficiency was appreciated on thermic curve evolution and daily weight gain. RESULTS: 56 preterm babies were including. Mean gestational age was 33 +/- 7,6 weeks and mean birth weight, 1488 +/- 277,6 g (median = 1500 g). Mean temperature was satisfying during follow up and was stable around 37 +/- 0,5 degrees C at discharge of program with mean daily weight gain of 33 +/- 7,6 g. We had only one case of death. CONCLUSION: The results of this study point out efficacy of kangaroo method on thermoregulation, weight gain and survival of preterm babies. We advocate for promotion in developing countries because of its low cost.

[Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrom: a case report in Dakar]. / Le syndrome de Beckwith-Wiedemann. A propos d'un cas a Dakar.

BACKGROUND: Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome is a congenital syndrome with variable phenotypic expression. It is less commonly described in Africa. We report a case in Dakar universitary hospital center. OBSERVATION: This report is about a two month old child from Mauritania presenting an hemihypertrophy, macroglassia and an umbilical hernia. Glycemia was under normal level showing a mild hypoglycemia (0,6 g/dl). T3, T4 and TSH values were in normal range. Abdominal echography was normal. Our patient was stable at the first clinical examination. CONCLUSION: we advocate for dietetic measures and rigorous clinical follow up, every 3 to 6 month, to screen for recurrent hypoglycaemia and the occurence of an eventual neoplasmic desorders.

[Dehydration and malnutrition as two independent risk factors of death in a Senegalese pediatric hospital]. / Déshydratation et malnutrition : deux facteurs de risque de décès indépendants chez l'enfant sénégalais hospitalisé

UNLABELLED: Inpatient mortality is an indicator of the quality of care. We analyzed the mortality of under 5-year-old hospitalized children in the pediatric ward of Aristide Le Dantec Hospital for updating our data 10 years after our first study. METHODS: We analyzed the data of the children hospitalized between 1 January and 31 December 2012. For each child, we collected anthropometric measurements converted to a z-score related to World Health Organization growth data. Logistic regression-generating models built separately with different anthropometric parameters were used to assess the risk of mortality according to children's characteristics. RESULTS: Data from 393 children were included. The overall mortality rate was 10% (39/393). Using logistic regression, the risk factors associated with death were severe wasting (odds ratio [OR]=8.27; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]) [3.79-18], male gender (OR=2.98; 95% CI [1.25-7.1]), dehydration (OR=5.4; 95% CI [2.54-13.43]) in the model using the weight-for-height z-score; male gender (OR=2.5; 95% CI [1.11-5.63]), dehydration (OR=8.43; 95% CI [3.83-18.5]) in the model using the height-for-age z-score; male gender (OR=2.7; 95% CI [1.19-6.24]), dehydration (OR=7.5; 95% CI [3.39-16.76]), severe deficit in the weight-for-age z-score (OR=2.4; 95% CI [1.11-5.63]) in the model using the weight-for-age z-score; and male gender (OR=2.5; 95% CI [1.11-5.63]) and dehydration (OR=8.43; 94% CI [3.83-18.5]) in the last model with mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC). Dehydration and malnutrition were two independent risk factors of death. The protocols addressing dehydration and malnutrition management should be audited and performed systematically for each child's anthropometric measurements at admission.

Apolipoprotein A1 as an early index of protein-energy malnutrition.

Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) is, together with infectious and parasitic diseases, a major cause of childhood illness in Africa. Diagnosis and treatment of PEM requires an accurate, simple and reliable method of assessing nutritional status from a blood sample. Plasma apolipoprotein (apo A1), prealbumin and albumin were measured in a group of Senegalese children suffering from PEM who had been hospitalized for refeeding, and in a group of control children. Statistical analysis of the results indicated that: (1) Plasma apo A1 was significantly correlated with prealbumin in assessing nutritional status (P less than 0.005 on day 8 of refeeding); (2) plasma apo A1 alone was sufficient for diagnosing and monitoring the dietary treatment of PEM; it was capable of detecting subclinical forms; (3) apo A1 could be used for differential diagnosis of forms of PEM; (4) plasma apo A1 concentration began to increase earlier (94% of control values at day 8) than did prealbumin (73% on day 8). We therefore propose apo A1 as an index of nutritional status in children living in areas where infectious and parasitic diseases are endemic.

[Assessment of management training for low-level community health workers providing care for children with acute respiratory infections in four districts of Senegal]. / Formation d'agents de santé communautaire à la prise en charge des infections respiratoires aiguës de l'enfant.

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory infections are the leading cause of death in childhood and most child deaths in Senegal occur at home without qualified health care. Despite this situation, only qualified healthcare workers are authorized to prescribe antibiotics. A competency-based training program was developed to improve and assess management of acute respiratory infections in young children aged between 2 and 59 months by low-level educated community health workers (CHWs) in four districts of Senegal. METHODS: In accordance with the strategy developed by the World Health Organisation, educated low-level community health workers in four district of Senegal were given a three-day course on the management of acute respiratory failure. We assessed the effects of the course by comparing pre-training and post-training skills with the Students t test. RESULTS: The results showed that the educated low-level community health workers were capable of acquiring the skills needed to effectively manage children with acute respiratory failure. CONCLUSION: Further evaluation is needed to determine the mid- and long-term effects of the course and supervised post-training activities.

[Effects of refeeding on serum immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG, IgM) concentrations in children with severe protein-energy malnutrition]. / Effects de la renutrition sur les concentrations sériques des immunoglobulines (IgA, IgG, IgM) d'enfants atteints de malnutrition protéinoénergétique sévère.

BACKGROUND: Published studies on the serum immunoglobulin concentrations of patients with protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) have been contradictory. This report describes such a study in 21 Senegalese children. POPULATION AND METHODS: Twenty one Senegalese infants (mean age: 19 +/- 2 months) with severe PEM were included in the study. Their weight was less than 32% of the normal range-for-height and all had sparse, thin hair and dyspigmentation of the skin. They were all suffering from hypoproteinemia (less than 70% of normal) and hypoalbuminemia (less that 61% of normal). The presence or absence of edema, loss of subcutaneous fat and mental changes were used to classify them into three groups. 1) kwashiorkor: eight infants; 2) marasmus: eight infants; 3) kwashiorkor plus marasmus: five infants. The control group comprised 27 infants living in the same area and having the same dietary habits as the 21 sick infants. The 21 infants with malnutrition were refed for 3 weeks with a diet supplying 100-150 Kcal/kg/d and 5-8 g/kg/d protein. The plasma concentration of proteins, prealbumin and immunoglobulins was measured on days 0, 8, 15 and 21. RESULTS: The only significant change was in the IgG concentrations of group 1, which increased to normal levels by day 15 as did the total protein and prealbumin. CONCLUSION: Severe PEM can lead to a loss of one class of immunoglobulins, but this can be restored by refeeding.

[Neurological complications of the anemia-geophagia syndrome]. / Complications neurologiques du syndrome anémie-géophagie.

The authors report five, mortal, vasculo-cerebral hemorrhage complications in anaemic and geographic patients. The five observations are stereotyped, the accidents occurring two weeks after the start of treatment, which included a complete blood transfusion and the admission of injectable iron and oral folic acid. Physiopathogenesis is obscure, and no identical case seems to be described in literature. The authors link these accidents to less serious neurological manifestations normally observed during iron-deficient anaemia. They blame cerebral anoxia and the deficient terrain.

[Hydranencephaly: report of a case]. / Hydranencéphalie: à propos d'un cas.

The authors report the first Senegalese observation of hydranencephaly in a three-week-old baby to underline the unusualness of this deformity and the efficiency of transfrontal echography in its diagnosis.

[Seckel's nanism: apropos of 1 case]. / Le nanisme de Seckel: à propos d'un cas.

This report covers the first case of Seckel's syndrome diagnosed at Dakar UHC. It concerns the main type of bird head nanism. The interesting thing about this observation is that it is associated with hepatoma. Would this be just a coincidence, or could the two afflictions be connected?

[Assessment of the level of urinary iodine deficiency in children of Senegalese central regions]. / Evaluation de la teneur en iode urinaire chez les enfants des régions centrales du Sénégal.

Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) are a major public health problem in Senegal, where strategies of salt iodization were adopted in the southern and eastern regions. The aim of this study led in four districts (Koungheul, Bambey, Mekhe and Kebemer), was to estimate by a questionnaire, the women knowleges, attitudes and practices (KAP) concerning IDD, and to measure children urinary iodine excretion by the Sandell-Kolthoff method to assess a potential deficiency. Six hundred ninety eight households were selected covering 1336 women (age 15 to 49 years) and 400 children (age 6 to 12 years). Sixty three per cent of the women knew the goiter, 89% of them considered that it was a disease and only 0.6% knew the role of iodized salt in the treatment. On the other hand, 20% of the children presented a normal range of urinary iodine excretion superior to 100 microg/l, the deficiency was light (50 to 100 microg/l) in 38% of the children, moderate (25 to 50 microg/l) in 27% and severe (< 25 microg/l) in 15% of them. These results show that other Senegalese regions are concerned by iodine deficiency disorders and need information, education and iodine supplementation programmes, notably for children and young women.

[Protein-energy malnutrition in children less than five years old in a rural zone in Senegal (Khombole)]. / La malnutrition protéino-calorique chez les enfants de moins de 5 ans en zone rurale sénégalaise (Khombole).

A survey on 400 children less than five years old living in three villages of the sanitary district of Khombole has been realized from 17th to 25th April 1997 in order to evaluate the existence of malnutrition and the hazard factor linked to it. All children have been weighed and measured. The paraclinic assessment made up by a rate of haemoglobin and a parasitical test of the, motions have been realized on 275 children. The emaciation concerns 8% of the children and the statural backwardness 34.7% of them. The malnutrition is variable from one village to another. The percentage of children suffering from a severe malnutrition according to the classification of Gomez concerns 4.5%. Geophagy, intestinal parasitosis, and anaemia are closely related to chronic malnutrition. The results show the existence of a precarious nutritional situation in rural area requiring new policies of struggle against malnutrition.

[Rational prescription if protein evaluation in the diagnosis and follow up of protein-energy malnutrition]. / Pour une prescription raisonnée du bilan protidique dans le diagnostic et la surveilance de la malnutrition protéino-énergétique.

In our countries, a good prescription of analysis would help to reduce hospital costs without modifying the efficiency of the diagnosis approach. In this work, the authors establish a bond between medicos and biologists by a good indication of protein check-up in the diagnosis and follow up of protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). After a discriminant analysis of all the results of protein check-up, two groups of markers are individualized depending on whether the PEM is accompanied or not by inflammatory complications. Finally, they recommend a systematic prescription of the useful group in case of inflammation associated with PEM, because infectious and parasitic diseases are almost constant among our malnourished infants.

[Major thrombocytosis associated with severe anemia in children. Diagnosis of 9 cases]. / Thrombocytose majeure associée à une anémie sévére chez l'enfant. Disussion diagnostique à propos de 9 cas.

Major thrombocytosis associated with severe anemia is uncommon in pediatrics. We report 9 consecutive cases observed in Albert Royer Children Hospital of Dakar. They were 7 boys and 2 girls 4 to 15 years old (mean age = 10 years). Six patients had a history of geophagia and 3 presented recent emission of worms by the stools. Anemia was clinically well tolerated in all cases. In initial blood count platelet levels varied from 800 10(3) to 1180 10(3)/mm3 (mean = 1032 10(3)/mm3), while hemoglobin level varied from 3.4 to 7.4 g/dl (mean = 4.9 g/dl). Anemia was microcytic, hypochromic and associated with low serum iron level in all patients. We considered the diagnosis of reactive thrombocytosis induced by iron deficient anemia in all cases. Platelet count and red cell indices were progressively normalised with iron treatment and no complication of thrombocytosis was observed. Considering published data, iron deficiency is one of the most frequent causes of reactive thrombocytosis in children. The physiopathologic mechanism, still unknown, could involve cytokines of thrombopoiesis. Reactive thrombocytosis induced by iron deficiency or other factors have usually a benign course and need no specific treatment other than that of the etiology.

[Low birth weight: rate and risk factors in the Guédianwaye district (suburb of Dakar, Senegal)]. / Les faibles poids de naissance: fréquence et facteurs de risque dans le district de Guédiawaye (Banlieue de Dakar-Sénégal).

The authors report the results of a six months survey about the low weight of birth (L.W.B.) in the district of Guédiawaye, suburb of Dakar. The purpose is to determine the rate of L.W.B. in two main maternity hospitals of that locality and the associated risk factors. It is a survey with a control group. This survey results in a 10.7% rate, according to the data of another retrospective survey in the same maternity hospitals in 1992 (10.03%). The risk factors are mainly: celibacy, primiparity, an associated pathology with the pregnancy, the physical strain of mothers correlated to the income and to the previous L.W.B.

[Hemolytic uremic syndrome: a complication of acute gastroenteritis in children]. / Le syndrome hémolytique et urémique: une complication des gastro-entérites aiguës de l'enfant.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is an nonexceptional complication of infectious gastroenteritis. No one has already been reported in Senegalese publications. We made a retrospective study of the record of 7 patients with HUS among 256 cases of children with bloody diarrhea presenting to the pediatric unit of Aristide Le Dantec between august 1998 and july 1999. The mean age of the children was 33,14+/-25 months and the weight was -2,29 DS. The diagnosis is supported by the findings of an acute renal failure with urea at 1,28+/-0,51g/ l and creatinine at 41,46+/-25,48mg/l. An hemolytic anemia was constant, the blood film revealed schizocytes. We found a thrombocytemia only in two cases. A hight white blood cell count (more than 50000/mm3) was noted in for cases. Only one child made a good recovery. We insist on preventing gastroenteritis and aggressive and adapted management of the HUS.

[Congenital rubella: a case report]. / Rubéole congénitale : à propos d'un cas.

Rubella is an innocuous illness in adult unless it is contracted by a pregnant woman. We recently observed a case of congenital rubella in the department of neonatology of Abass Ndao hospital in Dakar. It's a female new-born, born after 40 week gestation, with a well followed pregnancy. The first clinical examination shows a severe intrauterine growth retardation and bilateral comeal opacity. Maternal and new-born serologic confirmation is obtained with positive rubella specific IgM and IgG. We also find severe ocular pathology, hearing deficit and associated cardiac disease. This case shows the needs for preventive strategies, such as vaccination against rubella for women of child bearing age.

[Neonatal mortality associated with transfer of low birth weight newborns. Assessment of a neonatal care unit of Dakar]. / Mortalité néonatale associée au transfert des nouveau-nés de petit poids. Bilan d'une unité de néonatologie de Dakar.

The aim of this study is to assess mortality rate of low birth weight newborns admitted to a neonatal care unit of Dakar after transfer. This retrospective study include all newborns weighing less than 2500 g transferred to Abass Ndao neonatal care unit between January 1st,1998 and December 31, 1999. Maternal, newborns and transfer related parameters were studied. Data of 180 new-borns were recorded from a sample of 247 babies transferred. The mean weight of these babies were 1452.5 +/- 432 g. An ambulance was used for transport in only 10% of cases. The median time of admission after birth was 3 hours. Median delay of admission and methods of transfer, maternal age and parity, apgar score at 1st and 5th minute were comparable between the newborns deceased and survivors (p > 0.05). To reduce mortality associated with newborns transfer, we insist on a better organisation of neonatal transport in under developed countries by promoting obstetricians and paediatricians collaboration and prevention of low birth weight.

[Diagnostic and evolutionary aspects of hemorrhagic syndromes of the newborn in Dakar]. / Aspects diagnostique et évolutif des syndromes hémorragiques du nouveau-né à Dakar.

BACKGROUND: Hemorrhage is a common and serious symptom in the neonatal period. In developing countries, means of exploration are insufficient. Our purpose was to describe the epidemiological, diagnostic, therapeutic, and evolutionary aspects of hemorrhagic syndromes of the newborn in Dakar, Senegal, to identify the risk factors and diseases associated with them in order to propose recommendations for their management. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study of 82 newborns with 41 cases of hemorrhagic syndromes and 41 controls. We first described the epidemiological, diagnostic, therapeutic, and evolutionary parameters of the group that submitted a hemorrhagic syndrome and compared their diagnostic data with those of the control group to highlight the risk factors associated with the occurrence of hemorrhagic syndrome. RESULTS: The prevalence of hemorrhagic syndrome among hospitalized newborns was 9.2%, the sex-ratio (M/F) was 1.9. Preterm infants accounted for 26.8%. We often found early onset of bleeding (46.4% before 72h of life). Visceral bleeding was predominant, especially respiratory (34.1%), digestive (31.7%), and cerebral (17%), followed by cutaneous hemorrhages (26.8%). The risk factors identified were respiratory distress, shock, and a stained amniotic fluid. The concomitant diagnoses were dominated by neonatal infection (58.5%), hemorrhagic disease of the newborn (21.9%), and disseminated intravascular coagulation (19.5%). The mortality rate was high (34.1%), most often associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation. CONCLUSION: This study reveals the high mortality due to hemorrhagic syndromes caused by these three diseases for which prevention must be stressed.