Childhood hypertension and family history of hypertension in primary school children in Port Harcourt

Objective: To determine the relationship between childhood hypertension and family history of hypertension in primary school children in Port Harcourt.Methods: A stratified multi-staged sampling technique was used torecruit pupils between 6-12 years of age, from thirteen primary schoolslocated in three school districts. Data was collected using a pretestedquestionnaire completed by parents / guardians. The average of three blood pressure measurements, weight and height were taken for each pupil, using standardized techniques. Hypertension was defined as average systolic and / or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equalto the 95th percentile for age, gender and height using the standard bloodpressure charts. Family history of hypertension was defined as eitherparent indicating on the submitted questionnaire that they were hypertensive (diagnosed by a physician and/or on antihypertensive drugs)or had a family history of hypertension.Results: A total of 1302 pupils with 717 (55.1%) females and 585(44.9%) males were studied, giving a female to male ratio of 1.2:1. Themean age of pupils studied was 8.82±1.91 years. Sixty one (4.7%)of the pupils examined had hypertension. Of the 1302 pupils, 316(24.3%) had a family history of hypertension. The mean systolic(p<0.001) and diastolic (p=0.220) blood pressures were higher in childrenwith a family history of hypertension than in those without. Ofthe pupils that had a family history of hypertension, 7.9% had  hypertension, while 3.7% of those that did not have a family history, werefound to be hypertensive (p=0.001).Conclusion: A family history of hypertension was associated with a higher prevalence of childhood hypertension than was seen in children without a family history of hypertension.Key words: Childhood Hypertension, Family history

Sociocultural issues and causes of cerebral palsy in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a common neurological disorder of childhood with significant neurological complications and associated comorbidities. The aim of this study was to determine the socio- cultural characteristics and causes of CP in children who presented to the Paediatric neurology clinic in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Method: Hospital records of 834 children with CP who presented between 1 June 2008 and 1 June .2010 were reviewed Demographic data were extracted and a validated socio-economic classification of parents was used. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 15 software. Results: of the 2,288 patients with neurological disorders seen. 834 had cerebral palsy giving a prevalence of 36.45%. Theirages ranged from 5 months to 13 years. Socio-economic stratification of the patients showed concentration in the lower socioeconomic groups IV (35.73%) andV(56.35%). Majority of the children 668 (80.09%) had spastic CP. Eighty seven (10.43%) had hypotonic and 57 (6.83%) extrapyramidal types, the mixed type 22 (2.64%) was the least common. Asphyxia (27.94%), kernicterus (26.26%) and Central Nerves System infections (15.95%) were the leading identified causes. Co-morbidities such as seizures, microcephaly and speech and auditory deficits were present in majority of the subjects. Seizures and microcephaly were commoner among CP cases associated with asphyxia than those associated with kernicterus. Conclusion: Cerebral palsy was commoner amongst those in low socio-economic status with perinatal problems. Improved perinatal care will reduce the burden of CP. Continuing training of health workers and traditional birth attendants are essential.Keywords: Cerebral palsy, Social cultural issues, Port Harcourt

Prevalence of head lice infestation in Primary School children in Port Harcourt

Background: Head lice infestation affects mainly school-aged children and prevalence varies from region to region. Head lice infestation is of public health concern and screening is integrated into the School Health Programme.Objective: To determine the prevalence of head lice infestation in primary school – aged children in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study.Subjects: A stratified multi-staged sampling technique was used to recruit pupils between six and 12 years of age, from thirteen primary schools located in three School Districts in the area. The heads of the pupils were inspected for head lice and nits with the aid of a battery operated Robi lice comb, magnifying glass and a torch as light source.Results: A total of 1350 pupils were studied, 743 (55%) females and 607 (45%) males giving a female to male ratio of 1.2:1. Ten (0.7%) of the pupils had head lice infestation while five (0.4%) had evidence of past head lice infestation. The number of infested pupils among the younger age group (six to nine years) was seven (0.8%) and is higher, though not statistically significant, than that in the older age group (ten to twelve years) which was three (0.6%) (p = 0.453). No male was found to be infested while ten (1.3%) females were infested and the observed gender difference was statistically significant (p = 0.002).Conclusion: Head lice infestation still exists in Primary School children in Nigeria, therefore, screening for head lice infestation should still remain a part of the School Health Programme

Long term neurological complications of bacterial meningitis in Nigerian children

Background: Neurological disorders in children are common occurrence in clinical practice. The disorder account for more than 170,000 deaths  worldwide each year and contributes to the world's disease burden withmajority of people affected living in Africa. When affected by such illnesses, a person's memory, motor and cognitive abilities, concentration,speech, and physique can be drastically altered. Many of these disorders are chronic, frustrating to caregivers and parents and require adequate understanding to cope with management. Bacterial meningitis contributessignificantly to this morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, known as the “meningitis belt”.This study highlights the long term neurological complications of bacterial meningitis amongst children who were on follow up at the neurology unit at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), a tertiary hospitalin Southern Nigeria.Method: This is a three year follow up prospective study of children with meningitis at the Paediatric neurology unit of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Nigeria between January 1st 2010 and December, 31st 2012. Descriptive analysis was done using SPSS® version 17.Result and Conclusion: Out of 7,644 patients seen in the department,624 of them were diagnosed with meningitis given a prevalence of 8.16%.These patients were followed up at least one year in the neurological outpatient clinic to assess the outcome post admission.Those with neurological sequelae were 94 cases (given a prevalenceof 15.06%) comprising 58 males and 36 females which gave a ratio of 1:0.6. The most common complication was recurrent seizure disorder in 28(29.79%) of them and motor developmental delay in almost 20% of them. Others are focal neurologic deficits and neuropsychologic impairment. The impact and consequences of meningitis is grave, it is important to prevent the disease at all cost. Key words: Meningitis, children, Neurologic complications, longterm

Conduct Disorder amongst Children in an Urban School in Nigeria

Background: Conduct disorder is a childhood behavioral disorder characterized by aggressive and destructive activities that cause disruptions in the child's natural environments such as home, school, church, or the neighbourhood. It is a source of concern to the clinicians as it is comorbid with other mental disorders, particularly anxiety, depression and learning disabilities. The aim of this research was to evaluate the prevalence of conduct disorder amongst secondary school children in urban schools in Port Harcourt.Method: A structured questionnaire based on Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Teacher Rating Scale for oppositional defiant and conduct disorder symptoms was used. A list of signs taken from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual text revision (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) that indicates a child may have Conduct Disorder was also used. A child must show a pattern of at least three of these behaviour groups for at least a year before the diagnosis was considered. The questionnaires administered to the students were filled with the assistance of the researchers and the classroom teachers. Direct verbal interview was conducted for those noted to have signs of conduct disorder.Result: There were 885 students studied and 140 were diagnosed with conduct disorder, giving a prevalence of 15.82%. The age range of the entire students ranged from 9-18 years with a modal age of 13 years. Sex distribution of those with the conduct disorder was 112 males and 28 females (male: female ratio of 4:1). The various behaviours exhibited included bullying and or threatening classmates and other students, poor school attendance, stealing, and poor academic performance.Conclusions: The prevalence of conduct disorder amongst school children is high. Poor academic performance and other associated comorbidities impair the quality of life of these children. Early identification and appropriate treatment will improve the course of this behavioral disorder.Keywords: Conduct disorder, urban schools, children

Using Computer Simulations to Plan Construction Projects Accurately

The three main objectives in construction projects are completing the project on time, within budget, and with good quality. Each construction project is unique and unpredictable making it beneficial to model the project before executing it. There are many ways to model a construction project; however, computer models are ideal. It is very costly and time consuming to experiment with the actual system. Therefore, by using a computer simulation, accurate data can be collected from the project without the time and cost drawbacks. The specific construction project researched is based on a real project from Fort Mcmurray Alberta, Canada. The construction project involved the delivery and erection of three different types of steel in a construction site. Once the steel has been delivered, it needs to be stored and then carried by forklift to one of two cranes to be erected. A schedule was provided for which days each type of material was expected to be delivered and erected, however this schedule did not account for the 20% chance that any delivery could be delayed by one day or the 10% chance that deliveries could be delayed by two days. A model project was created on Simphony.NET with the assumptions that work could commence the entire day (24 hours), the site has unlimited storage, and a delay in one delivery does not delay all the deliveries after it. The schedule for the project was then modified to reflect the results of the simulation. The modified schedule showed that several deliveries of materials were delayed. However, due to the model’s assumptions and the time for erection being relatively short, the planned schedule for the erection of the materials was not delayed. By using the data collected from the computer simulation it was possible to more accurately plan the schedule for this  construction project

Factors associated with enuresis among primary school children in Port Harcourt

Background: Enuresis is a common childhood problem and can lead to important psychosocial disturbances.Objectives: To determine the risk factors to enuresis, its methods ofmanagement and relationship with academic performance among school children in Port Harcourt City (PHC)Methods: A cross sectional study of enuresis among school children in PHC was performed. Pretested questionnaires completed by parents/ guardians was used to collect data. Validation of their academic performances was made using their results in the past one year from the schools head teachers’ records. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test were used foranalysis.Results: A total of 922 children, consisting of 463 (50.2%) males and 459 (49.8%) females were studied. The response rate was 82.2%. The prevalence of enuresis was 23.2%. Arousal difficulty and positive family history of enuresis were significantly more frequent in the enuretic group (p<0.05). Enuresis was associated with family stressors in 45 (21.0%) of the children. The enuretic children had higher rates of poor school performance compared with nonenuretic children (p < 0.001) however;there was no statistical significant relationship between enuresis and social class. None of the enuretic children visited a physician for the management of enuresis. Prayers, punishment and herbal medication were the methodsof treatment in 89(41.6%), 42 (19.6%) and 6 (2.8%) children respectively.Conclusion: Arousal difficulty, positive family history of enuresis and family stress were common risk factors for enuresis. Also, enuretic children had higher rates of poor school performance compared with non-enuretic children. The inappropriate enuresis management methods requires healtheducation interventio

Relationship between head lice infestation and hair grooming practices in primary school children in Port Harcourt

Background: Hair grooming practices and hair characteristics are some of the host related risk factors for head lice infestation. Certain hair groomingpractices and characteristics have been reported to affect head lice infestation.Objective: To determine the relationship between head lice infestationand hair grooming practices in Primary school children in Port Harcourt.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, using a stratified multi-staged sampling technique. A total of 1350 pupils from thirteen primary schools located in three School Districts were recruited. Data was collected using  a proforma completed by parents /guardians. The heads of the pupils were inspected for head lice and nits with the aid of a battery  operated Robi lice comb, magnifying glass and a torch as light source. Results: Ten (0.7%) of the 1350 pupils had head lice infestation, all of whom were females. Seven (2.5%) of the 276 pupils with long hair (hair length greater than 5cm) had a significantly higher prevalence of head lice infestation, compared to 3 (0.3%) of the 1074 pupils with short hair (p < 0.001). Head lice infestation significantly increased with a reducing  frequency of hair wash from 3 (0.3%) in those that washed daily to 1(1.5%) in those that washed monthly (p = 0.034) but was not significantly associated with the use of chemicals to straighten hair. Head lice infestation significantly increased with reducing social class from 0 (0%) in social class I to 3 (9.1%) in social class V (p < 0.001).Conclusion: A higher prevalence of head lice infestation is significantly associated with longer hair and reduced frequency of hair wash.Key words: Head lice, Hair grooming, School childre