[Pseudohypoaldosteronisme type I: a rare cause of failure to thrive]. / Une cause rare de stagnation pondérale à la naissance : le pseudohypoaldostéronisme de type I.

We report on a boy, born on term, presenting with a weight loss and a persistent failure to thrive after 10 days despite a normal behavior under bottle-feeding. The clinical examination was normal and biological assessment revealed hyponatremia with hyponatriuria, normal kaliemia and elevated aldosterone values, leading to type I pseudohypoaldosteronism diagnosis. Treatment with salt supplementation allowed growth improvement. The diagnosis was confirmed by the identification of a mutation in the mineralocorticoid receptor. This change was also found in several family members.

[Vitamin D status in Gabonese children]. / Statut et besoins en vitamine D chez le nourrisson au Gabon.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the status of vitamin D and the influence of a supplement of vitamin D in neonates and infants during the first 6 months of life in the african equatorial environnement of Gabon. DESIGN: Clinical (weight, height, head circumference, and diseases) and biological (calcemia, phosphatemia, serum alkaline phosphatase activity and plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels) parameters were compared between 2 groups of children: group 1: 41 infants receving a daily supplement of 1000 IU of vitamin D, and group 2: 38 infants without vitamin D supplement. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed between the 2 groups concerning clinical and biological parameters. In particular plasma levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were normal and similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: A vitamin D supplement appears to be useless in 0 to 6 months infants living in Gabon.

[Effects of age on causes of hospitalization in children suffering from sickle cell disease]. / Causes d'hospitalisation des enfants drépanocytaires: influence de l'age (C.H.U. de Brazzaville, Congo).

The objective of this work was to assess the frequency the nature of complications and prognosis of the disease in children suffering from sickle cell disease. This retrospective study was conducted from January 2002 to December 2003 among 251 children suffering from sickle cell disease, hospitalized at the Brazzaville Teaching Hospital, Congo. The main hospitalization causes were dominated by the vaso-occlusive crisis (26.7%), anaemic crisis (20.3%) and infections (36.6%). The vaso-occlusive crisis were observed particularly in the 5 year-old children (p < 0.05); the hand-foot syndrome concerned in particular children under 5 years old. Anaemic crisis were found almost exclusively in patients under 5 (p < 0.05). The infections in children under 5 (35.8%) were almost as frequent as in older children (37.4%). Some non infectious complications were only observed in children above 5: cholithiasis, 4 cases; heart failure, 4 cases; hip osteonecrosis, 1 case. Global mortality was 4.8% and higher in children under five (p > 0.05). In addition, the death causes were dominated by anaemic crisis. In conclusion, this study stresses on the need to implement a primary prevention as well as a secondary prevention adapted to age.

[Risk factors of intrauterine growth retardation in Congo]. / Facteurs de risque de retard de croissance intra-utérin au Congo.

A case-control study was performed between April 1st and September 30th to investigate determinants of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) in 3 centers in Brazzaville, Congo. Each patient group included 539 neonates. Cases were newborns with birth weight below the 10th percentile of the Leroy and Lefort curve. Risk factors of IUGR identified with univariate analysis were: maternal age<20 years, low educational level, unmarried woman, low social and economic status, primiparity, low birthweight of previous child, low interpregnancy interval, number of prenatal examinations<4, maternal weight gain during pregnancy<5kg and malaria. Multivariate analysis retained 3 risk factors: low educational level, low social and economic status, and maternal weight gain during pregnancy<5kg. This study enabled us to identify certain risk factors of IUGR useful for establishing a prevention strategy.

[Severe malaria associated with acute renal insufficiency: apropos of a case]. / Paludisme grave associé à une insuffisance rénale aiguë: à propos d'une observation.

Renal insufficiency as a complication of severe malaria is a rare pathology. A case was observed in young girl aged 10.5 years following Plasmodium malaria fever. Clinical features included severe anemia, oligo-anuria, and creatinemia of 80 mg/l. The haemoglobin electrophoresis was standard. Under furosemide, the resumption of diuresis was effective nine days later. Renal functions of the child affected by severe Plasmodium malarial fever must always be checked.

Late-onset complications of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in children.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to report the late morbidity of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) in a pediatric population and to identify possible risk factors for complications developing after PEG insertion. METHODS: A PEG was placed in 110 children between 1 May 1990 and 1 January 1997 using the pull technique. A retrospective study of late-onset complications was performed, with a follow-up period ranging from 1 to 8 years. All the complications occurring more than 6 days after PEG insertion were recorded, except for gastrostomy tube obstruction and accidental tube dislodgement. RESULTS: The prevalence of late-onset complications related to PEG in our patients varied from 3.8 to 4.4 per 10 5 days. The overall rate of late-onset complications was 44% (48 complications observed in 29 patients [26%]). Seventy-five percent of the complications appeared during the first 2 years after PEG insertion. Nine different types of complication have been identified: intragastric buried or extruded gastrostomy (n = 24), gastric metaplasia granulation tissue around the site of gastrostomy (n = 8), intragastric pseudotumoral proliferative gastric mucosa (n = 4), intragastric mucosal ulceration (n = 3), cutaneous necrosis (n = 3), cologastric fistula (n = 2), gastrostomy closure delay after tube removal (n = 2), subcostal neuralgia (n = 1), and peritonitis (n = 1). Wilcoxon and chi-square tests were used to compare the clinical characteristics of the patients and the type of material used in the two populations, with and without complications. No clinical risk factor for the development of complications could be identified. Intragastric buried or extruded gastrostomy appeared more frequently with the use of one type of button than with the use of tubes. CONCLUSIONS: The authors' experience suggests that PEG is associated with significant late morbidity, which is mainly observed within the first 2 years after PEG insertion. However, no risk factor for the development of such complications could be identified.