Abstract Introduction: Low birth weight (LBW) is defined as a birth weight < 2500 g at birth, regardless of the term of pregnancy. The objective of this study is to evaluate their stature and weight growth from 0 to 9 months of corrected age (CA) in Senegal. Methodology: This is a prospective, descriptive, and analytical cohort follow-up up to 9 months of CA including all live newborns of LBW hospitalized and followed up from 01 August 2019 to 31 May 2020. World Health Organization growth charts were used to assess stature and weight growth. Results: During the study 136 LBW newborns were included. The mean gestational age was 32 weeks of amenorrhea. At discharge, 46 children (33.82%) were exclusively breastfed. At birth, the mean weight was 1487 g (3rd-10th percentile) and the mean height was 41.52 cm (10th-25th per centile). At 9 months of CA, the mean weight was 8119 g (median) and the mean height was 74 cm (median). The children had achieved satisfactory growth in weight (84%) and height (89%). At 9 months of CA, 27% of the children were behind in one of the four areas of psychomotor development. Conclusion: At the end of 9 months of CA, stature and weighted growth was normal.

Abstract Neonatal surgical pathologies in developing countries are characterized by high mortality. The aim of this work was to describe the characteristics of the newborn and its surgical pathologies treated in the neonatal department of the Gabriel Touré University Hospital in Bamako (Mali). Patients and method: This is a retrospective study of 626 files of newborns hospitalized over a period of 3 years (January 2016 to December 2018) for a surgical pathology, whether operated on or not. We have studied the etiological, therapeutic and evolutionary aspects. Results: During the study period, we collected 626 patients who had surgical pathology, i.e. a frequency of 5.35%. The average therapeutic consultation time was 2 days with extremes (1 and 30 days). Pathologies of the abdominal wall and digestive tract represented 57.9% (n = 84) followed by pathologies of the spine 26.9% (n = 39). The mean treatment time was 4.5 days. Twenty-three point sixteen (23.16%) newborns could be operated on. The neonatal mortality rate was 12.4% (n = 18). Mortality was post operative (100%) with a mean time to onset of 5 days. Abdominal wall pathologies were responsible for 8.7% (n = 13) of deaths. Conclusion: Surgical pathologies of the newborn are characterized by delayed treatment with high mortality. Improving their prognosis requires early diagnosis (prenatal diagnosis) and adequate management.

Abstract Objective: The aim of our work was to access the epidemiological and clinical aspects of congenital hydrocephalus in the pediatrics department of Gabriel Touré teaching Hospital Bamako. Methods: We conducted a retro and prospective study that ran from January, 1st 2018 to July, 30, 2019. All new borns of 72 hours of life or less with hydrocephalus confirmed by sonography or CT scan were enrolled in this study. Results: During the study period, 5416 patients were hospitalized in the neonatology department. Among them, 39 patients (0.72%) presented congenital hydrocephalus and congenital infectious causes accounted for 25.6%. The sex ratio (M/F) was 1.78. Mothers were housewives and not educated in 79.5% and 64.1% respectively. The parents resided outside Bamako in 61.5% of cases. Prenatal consultations were con ducted in 32 patients (82%). Consanguinity between the 2 parents was present in 38.5%. The antenatal diagnosis was made in 8 patients (20.5%). Vaginal delivery was the main mode of birth (67%). The average birth weight was 2930 g (1000 to 5400 g) and the average head circumference was 37.82 cm (26 - 55cm). In 87.2% of cases, newborns were eutrophic. The main clinical signs were bulging anterior fontanel (46.2%), sunset gaze (20.5%), prominent forehead (48.7%), reduced face (20.5%), enlarged cranial sutures (43.6%), macrocrania (25.6%). Transfontanellar ultrasound and CT scan were performed in 51.3%and 48.7% of cases respectively. Associated malformations were spina bifida in 30.8% of cases followed by Dandy Walker malformation (5.1%), and omphalocele (2.5%). The neurological signs were diminished neonatal reflexes (51.3%), hypotonia (30.8%), motor deficit (38.4%), intracranial hypertension (25.6%), seizures 10.25% and psychomotor delay (43.6%). Surgery was per formed in 8 neonates (20.5%). Ventriculo-peritoneal shunt (VPB) was the main treatment. Postoperative complications were infectious (37.5%) and mechanical complications (12.5%). The postoperative mortality rate was 12.5%.The overall mortality was 13 cases (33.3%). Conclusion: The hospital frequency of congenital hydrocephalus in our environment seems low but does not reflect reality.

Abstract Covid 19 epidemic has caused a lot of concern especially in the obstetric and neonatal populations. The fact that it is a new disease and the fact that there are sparse studies available have doubled our worries. Our study provides some answers. This a retrospective study carried out in Mediclinic Al-Noor hospital in Abu Dhabi. Our study revealed no adverse effects on the neonates and no vertical transmission. Given the physiologic and immune function changes in pregnancy, they might be considered at a higher risk of developing more complications, but it needs a longer duration of the study with larger sample size. Statistical analysis could not be possible in our study due to the smaller sample size, and we plan to continue the study further in the future to obtain a larger pool of data to validate the findings more accurately. The incidence of covid positive mothers might not reflect today’s covid situation because we carried out the study during the lockdown and there might be an increase in the incidence after lockdown.

Abstract Introduction: Sickle cell disease is the most common hemoglobinopathy in the world. Sickle cells are quickly fixed and destroyed by the elements of the reticuloendothelial system mainly in the spleen. It leads to a palpable increase in the volume of the spleen called splenomegaly. Splenomegaly is the cause of multiple complications that are relatively frequent and potentially serious in sickle cell disease, such as splenic sequestration seizures, spleen rupture, hypersplenism and splenic abscesses. We aimed at determining the prevalence of splenomegaly and to study the associated factors in patients with sickle cell disease. Materials and Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study, conducted from 1 January to 30 April 2019, at the Mother and Child Center of the Chantal BIYA Foundation. Patients were grouped into two groups: patients with splenomegaly (PS1) and patients without splenomegaly (PS0). As soon as we obtained the informed consent of the parents, we examined the children and recorded socio-demographic data, disease history and follow up, documented complications, and clinical findings; then we performed the Rapid Malaria Diagnostic Test. The statistical analyzes were carried out using SPSS20 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) and Microsoft Excel 2010 software. Results: We examined 403 children with sickle cell disease and 142 had splenomegaly (35%). Almost all of the study populations were homozygous SS. The Hackett 2 stage of splenomegaly was the most frequent (56.7%)The most common physical sign among PS1 was the presence of abdominal scarring (50.7% vs. 19.4%). PS1 had significantly lower levels of Hb (6.94 ± 1.67 vs 7.62 ± 1.43 p = 0.003) and platelets (297.45 ± 146.25 vs 398.70 ± 163.73 p < 0.001) than patients without splenomegaly (PS0). However, the percentages of HbF (21.78 ± 10.48 vs 15.66 ± 9.20 p < 0.001) and malaria infection (74.6% vs 17.2% p < 0.001) were statistically higher among PS0. Logistic regression analysis determined that the factors associated with plenomegaly were: malaria, high fetal hemoglobin, low hemoglobin S, hepatomegaly, thrombocytopenia and use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Conclusion: Splenomegaly is a frequent physical sign of sickle cell disease in children and factors associated are malaria, high hemoglobin F, low hemoglobin S, hepatomegaly, thrombocytopenia and NSAID use.

Abstract Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the results of the laparoscopic treatment of high and intra-abdominal undescended testes. Methods: A retrospective study was carried out from 2014 to 2021 at the Centre medico-chirugicale d’urologie in Douala. We consulted the clinical records of 27 patients aged 6 -15 years who underwent laparoscopic orchiopexy at our hospital. We included patients with unilateral or bilateral undescended testes as detected by palpation and excluded patients with incomplete clinical records. The data collected were entered into Microsoft Excel 2016 and exported to Epi info 7 for analysis. Continuous variables were presented as mean values and standard deviations while categorical variables were presented as frequencies and percentages. The threshold for statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The ages of the 27 participants ranged from 6 years to 15 years, with a mean age of 10.22 ± 2.68 years. Hypospadias was an associated abnormality in 7.41% of participants. The mean duration of the surgical procedure was 80.56 ± 30.30 minutes. The overall success rate of the laparoscopic procedure was 95.83%. The mean duration of postoperative hospital stay was 26.67 ± 7.69 hours. The only postoperative complication we encountered was testicular atrophy, which occurred in 7.41% of participants. All our patients underwent single-stage laparoscopic procedures. Conclusion: Laparoscopy, which is the technique of choice for the diagnosis and management of undescended testis, is more rapid, more effective, and characterized by a shorter hospital stay and fewer postoperative complications compared to open surgery. Single-stage procedures are as effective and safe as two-stage procedures.

Abstract Introduction: Tuberculosis and sickle cell disease are one of the main global health priorities particularly in Africa. We aimed to determine the epidemiological, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of tuberculosis in children and adolescents with sickle cell disease. Patients and methods: Patients aged 0 - 20 years with sickle cell anemia presented with tuberculosis at the Centre Hospitalier National d’Enfants Albert Royer (CHNEAR), Dakar, Senegal were included in the study. Medical history, risk factors, clinical, bacteriological, and outcome data was collected. Data was analyzed using the SPSS software, version 16. Results: A total of 25 cases of tuberculosis were documented from January 1st, 1991 to December 31st, 2019 (hospital prevalence: 0.97%). Mean age was 12.5 years. The sex ratio was 1.5 (15 girls and 10 boys). Pulmonary tuberculosis in 14 cases was the most frequent followed by lymph nodes in 7 cases involvement and Pott’s disease in 4 cases. In 5 patients Tb was multifocal. Mean duration of treatment was 8.27 months (6 to 12 months). Outcome was good on anti tuberculosis treatment. None patient died. Conclusion: Children and adolescents with sickle cell disease can be infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Pulmonary tuberculosis, lymph nodes and bone involvement are the most frequent localizations. Outcome is good on anti tuberculosis treatment.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine if the Drums Alive Kids Beats intervention could improve behavior in children with developmental delays (DD). The original pilot study that this study on behavior is linked to is titled, “The Effects of a Drums AliveKids Beats Intervention on the Physical Performance and Motor Skills of Children with Developmental Delays,” which was published in the December edition of the Open Journal of Pediatrics (OJPED, Vol.11 No.4 2021). During the facilitation of said intervention on physical and motor skills, the facilitators noticed unanticipated improvements in behavior, both individually and as a community through better awareness, self-control, self-efficacy, social interaction, and positive energy. Therefore, while maintaining the integrity of the MOT 4 - 6 testing protocols and Drums Alive intervention, a parallel study was conducted to objectively measure six behavioral domains, namely, motivation, impulse control, coordination, concentration, implementation of tasks, and creativity using a self-designed measurement tool with three elements for each domain that was approved by Dr. Heiner Lagenkamp, Department of Sports and Physical Activities, Teaching and Research, Ruhr University, Germany. The 20 participants were German students between 5.10 and 10.2 years of age with no inclusion or exclusion characteristics who were divided into two intervention groups, IG Kindergarten (IG Kinder) and IG Elementary (IG Elem), with varied DD, i.e., transgressive behavior, ADHD, ADD, autism, anger management, visual acuity, self-control, and self-esteem. During the MOT 4 - 6 study and Drums Alive Kids Beats intervention, the facilitators monitored and assessed each participant for pre- and post-performance vis a vis behavior concurrently with physical and motoric skills. As the original study provided statistically significant improvements of between 14% - 24% in physical and motor skill performance with regards to overall scoring and 7 subdivisions of tasks, the results of this parallel study on behavior, with its 6 domains and 18 elements of between 24% - 28%, were even more compelling. The evidence indicated that the Drums Alive Kids Beats intervention with its multidisciplinary approach of music, movement, and drumming, could be used as an effective tool and therapeutic approach to improve behavior in children with developmental delays.

Abstract Tuberculosis infections is a serious illness and can be life threatening for patients with hematologic malignancies. We are reporting the observations of two children aged 7 and 5 years undergoing anticancer treatment for hematological malignancies. The symptoms were, in the first case, cough, purulent sputum and signs of tuberculosis impregnation, for the second case, cervical adenopathies (PDA) with inflammatory signs. The evolution under antituberculosis treatment was favorable for both patients, with a 5-year follow-up for the first patient and one year for the second case. The tuberculosis did not affect chemotherapy. The goal of our work is to specify the etio-pathogenic mechanisms, the clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary particularities of this rare association.

Abstract Objective: Infectious pleurisy is a frequent hospitalization indication in pediatrics in developing countries. This study aims to describe infectious pleurisies’ features and to identify its death factors in three teaching hospitals in Benin. Design: This was a prospective, descriptive and analytical study including children aged 01 months to 17 years who were hospitalized in pediatrics in the three hospitals for pleurisy from September to December 2019. Results: Among the 3379 children admitted, 25 presented with an infectious pleurisy, making a hospital frequency of 0.74%. The sex ratio was 0.8. The majority (19/25) of the children were less than 5 years old. The mean age was 38 ± 5.88 months. Most of the parents had a low education (42/50) and socio-economic status (18/25). The main symptoms were fever (25 cases), dyspnea (23 cases) and cough (22 cases). The majority of the children (21/25) were up-to-date in regards with the Expanded Immunization Program (EIP) vaccines and none had received non-EIP vaccines. Almost all children (24 cases) had a respiratory distress (24/25). On chest X-ray, there were abundant pleural extravasations in 12 cases. The main pathogens found were Staphylococcus aureus (16 cases), Streptococcus pneumoniae (3 cases) and Streptococcus A (1 case). All children received oxygen and antibiotic therapy; pleural drainage was performed in 22 children. The average length of stay was 14 days ± 6.4. Twenty-one children were healed without sequelae, one child had a post-drainage keloid scar, and two children died. Factors associated with the death of these children were admission delay for more than 7 days (p = 0.035) and presence of respiratory distress (p = 0.049). Conclusion: Pleurisy remains a concern for children admitted in our hospitals and early management is imperative.

Abstract Objective: To study the pulmonary complications of major sickle cell syndromes in children aged 6 months to 15 years followed at the Department of Pediatrics of Gabriel Toure University Hospital. Materials and methods:This was a retrospective study from January 1st, 2017 to February 28, 2018 and a prospective study from March 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019, concerning sickle cell disease children followed at the Gabriel Touré University Hospital. All children with sickle cell disease confirmed by hemoglobin electrophoresis, aged 6 months to 15 years with a pulmonary complication and admitted to pediatrics were included. Were not included: 1) Infants and children with sickle cell disease not presenting a pulmonary complication coming only to their routine follow-up. 2) Sickle cell patients over 16 years of age and those whose parents do not consent. 3) Those who have not done electrophoresis. Results: During the study period, we were able to include 45 sickle cell children with a pulmonary complication. The frequency of pulmonary complications was 13.76%, involving homozygotes in 91.11% of cases. The age group 6 - 10 years predominated with 46.66% and the sex ratio was 0.45. Vaso-occlusive crisis was the most frequent reason for consultation with 35.56%. Respiratory distress (80%), fever (66.67%), crepitus rales (64.44%) and chest pain (60%) were the most frequent clinical signs. The main pulmonary complication was acute chest syndrome with 86.67%. Treatment was based on hydration (91.91%), analgesics (91.91%) and antibiotics (73.33%). Lethality was 4.44%. Conclusion: Pulmonary complications of sickle cell disease are serious and constitute the main cause of mortality in our context.

Abstract Introduction: Acute poisoning in children is cause of hospitalization and death worldwide. It is a Paediatrics emergency with significant economic cost. There are epidemiological differences in acute poisonings in children evaluated in Emergency departments across different countries and regions of the world. The aim of this study was to determine the causes of poisoning in children in our health facility during the period 2000-2019. Methodology: Case notes of children 6 months to 18 years managed for acute poisoning from January 2000 to December 2019 at Paediatrics unit, Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe (FTHG), were analysed. The International classification of Disease ICD 10 was used. Ethical Clearance was obtained. Results: 26,716 children were admitted with 76 cases of Acute poisoning giving a prevalence rate of 2.8/1000 children. 56.6% (43) were males. 63.2% (48) of children were <5 years of age. 69.7% (53) were urban dwellers and 59.2% (45) from low socioeconomic class. 52.6% (40) of poisoning occurred in rainy season. 97.3% (74) of children had unintentional poisoning. Organophosphates 22.3% (17) and kerosine 22.3% (17) were the most common substances ingested. Snakebite and corrosive ingestion occurred in 13.1% and 11.8% of children respectively. Ingestion was the route in 84.2% of cases. 75.0% (57) of poisoning occurred at home. ACP occurred in children aged 1 - 5 years (p-value = 0.025);More in Children from low socioeconomic status (p-value = 0.001) and urban settings (p-value = 0.001). There was no statistically significant relation between type of poisoning and gender p = 0.839, season p = 0.608, religion p =0.504 and ethnic background p = 0.342. 4.2% (3) children died each from organophosphate, snake bite and tramadol poisoning. Conclusion: Kerosine and organophosphate were the leading cause of accidental childhood poisoning.

Abstract Background: The relationship between sickle cell disease and malaria is the subject of much controversy. However, there is a lack of data in our services. Our objective was to study the epidemiological, diagnostic and evolutionary characteristics of malaria in children with sickle cell disease followed in a specialized setting. Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective, descriptive, and analytical study of children with sickle cell disease (SCD) who presented with malaria and were followed at the Ambulatory Care Unit for Sickle Cell Children and Adolescents (USAD) at the Albert Royer National Children’s Hospital in Dakar, from January 1st, 2017, to December 31th, 2019. We included all the followed pediatric patients, less than 16 years, with sickle cell disease who presented at least one episode of malaria, confirmed by a positive thick drop, during this 3 years. We did not include patients with incomplete records or those older than 16 years. The clinical and biological signs, the follow up was collected and analyzed with Excel package 2019. Results: Of 3773 patients followed for sickle cell disease, 21 had presented malaria. The frequency was 0.5% or 7 cases/year. However, we exploited the data of 14 of them. The sex ratio was 6 boys for a girl and the mean age at admission was 7.3 years. The highest number of malaria cases was observed in 2018 and the peak frequency was observed in November with 8 cases (57.1%). Fever was the most frequent symptom, observed in 10 patients (71.4%). All patients were SS homozygous, with a mean baseline hemoglobin level of 7.5g/dl. All patients had a positive thick blood smear and Plasmodium falciparum was the only species found in the blood smear, with a mean parasite density of 1693 parasites/ml of blood. All patients had anemia, with a mean hemoglobin level of 7.74 g/dl. Twelve patients (85.7%) were hospitalized and had all received injectable artesunate followed by oral Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT). Long-lasting insecticidal nets were used in 9 patients (69.2%). The evolution was favorable in all patients, any death was reported. NO REPRESENTATION OF YOUR DATA IN TABLES OR FIGURES: it was a little serial. Conclusion: The patients who presented the association of malaria and sickle cell disease were all SS homozygotes. However, malaria must be considered as serious in this chronic anemic setting. That’s why it is important to improve prophylaxis.