Relationship between age and location of the apex beat among apparently healthy Nigerian children

Background: Normal location of apex beat varies with age in children. Location of apex beat is an integral part of routine cardiovascular system examination in clinical practice. However, there is paucity of literature on apex beat location in Nigerian children. Objective: The aim of this study was to locate apex beat position in apparently healthy Nigerian children from birth to ten years, and to relate the location with age. Subjects and Methods: This was a cross sectional study carried out in Sagamu, Nigeria. A sample size of two hundred and thirty-seven was calculated from a previous study. Hence two hundred and thirty-seven apparently healthy Nigerian children who satisfied the inclusion criteria were enrolled for the study. Apex beat location in the intercostal space was determined and distance of apex beat from the midline, midclavicular line and nipple lines were measured. The measured distances were related to age using linear regression and Pearson correlation. Results: The mean distance of apex beat from the midline from birth to 10 years ranged from 2.3cm to 6.4cm. The distance of apex beat from the midline increased progressively with age. In children up to the age of three years, the apex beat was in the 4th left intercostals space. In 91.7%, 51.3% and 14.3% of children aged four, five and six years respectively, the apex beat was present in the 4th left intercostal space. Above six years, it was located in the 5th left intercostals space. Conclusion: The location of the apex beat from the midline was strongly related with age Thus, the distance of apex beat from the midline can be predicted from age in months.Keywords:  Apex beat, Children, Mid-clavicular line, Nigeria, Nipple lin

Relationship between anthropometric parameters and the location of apex beat in children

Background: Childhood growth is characterized by changes in anthropometric parameters. The location of the apex beat may besimilarly influenced by growth.Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine any relationshipbetween the location of the apex beat and anthropometric parameters.Subjects and Methods: This crosssectional survey was carried out inSagamu, Nigeria. Apparently healthy children were randomly selected for the study. Apex beat location in the intercostal space was determined and distance from the midline was recorded. Weight and length/height were also recorded while Body Mass Index (BMI) and Body Surface Area (BSA) were calculated.Results: A total of 237 children aged 12 hours to 10 years were surveyed.The mean distance of the apex beat from the midline from birth to 10 years ranged from 2.3cm to 6.4cm. The mean distance of apex beat from the midline increased progressively with weight, height, chest circumference and BSA but not with BMI. Strong correlations were observed betweendistance of apex beat from the midline and weight (r = 0.850, p .0.001); height (r = 0.867, p .0.001); chest circumference (r = 0.833, p . 0.001); BSA (r = 0.862, p . 0.001) but not with Body Mass Index (r = 0.019, p = 0.774).Conclusion: The location of the apex beat in children was stronglyinfluenced by growth as suggested by anthropometric parameters.Key words: Anthropometry, apex beat, children, mid-clavicular line,nipple lin

Newspapers' agricultural agenda setting and extension agents' views on agricultural issues in Ogun State, Nigeria

The study was carried out to examine how newspapers' agricultural agenda setting influences the importance agricultural extension agents place on agricultural issues. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from extension agents. All zonal extension agents (4) and 50% of block extension agents (10) were included in the population for the study. However, the village extension agents (60) were selected using random sampling technique. Newspapers content were analyzed from January to June 2002 for agricultural issues raised in them. Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, and Spearman rho correlation coefficient. The results revealed that extension agents ranked storage problems as most important (4.24) and investment in agriculture second (4.27). In the content analysis of newspapers, investment in agriculture ranked highest (740.2 in column inches and 121 times of occurrence in the newspapers). The results showed that there was a positive relationship between the ranking of agricultural extension agents and that of newspapers about what they considered important agricultural issues (r = 0.61 for column inches and 0.58 for number of times issues occur in the news papers, p = 0.05). The relationship though positive was moderate. The results also revealed that newspapers did not allocate much space to agricultural news and hence may not be efficient in creating awareness about current agricultural information. Most of the respondents preferred research institutes and agricultural agencies to newspapers as sources of agricultural information.Keywords: newspapers', agricultural, extension agents' agenda setting South African Journal of Agricultural Extension Vol. 34(2) 2005: 221-23

Tuberculosis treatment outcomes in state hospital, Osogbo, Southwestern Nigeria: A four year review

No Abstract. Nigerian Journal of Medicine Vol. 16 (2) 2007: pp.148-15

Screening for Schistosoma haematobium infection in a rural cohort of pregnant women in Nigeria

Studies were conducted to investigate the occurrence of Schistosoma haematobium infection among 37 pregnant Nigerian women in llie, Osun state, Nigeria and to determine the effects on haemoglobin concentration and clinical symptoms. Out of the 37 pregnant women seen over a period of nine months, 14 (37%) had urinary schistosomiasis, with a mean egg count of 82.5 eggs/10 mls of urine. The mean haemoglobin values in women with schistosomiasis mothers were lower than in women negative for the parasite but the differences were not stastically significant (P>0.05). Abdominal pain was the predominant complaint among the women seen in with 71% of the infected women while other complaints were dizziness, fever and headache. This study shows that schistosomiasis is prevalent among pregnant women in rural area and could contribute to anaemia and abdominal pain commonly seen in pregnant women in our environment. Keywords: schistosomiasis, pregnant women, abdominal pain, haemoglobin values, Nigeria African Journal of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology Vol. 6 (3) 2005: 199-20

Kawasaki Disease in A Nigerian Child- a case report

We report a three year old child who appeared to have a drug-induced muco-cutaneous hypersensitivity reaction during treatment for a febrile illness, but eventually manifested all the diagnostic criteria for Kawasaki Disease (KD) while on admission. Although an initial diagnosis of Steven-Johnson's Syndrome was made, the emerging clinical features, presence of thrombocytosis, low plasma proteins and high ESR, prompted a change of diagnosis to Kawasaki Disease. She received bed rest and steroid therapy due to the absence of Intravenous ImmunoglobulinGand our reluctance to use aspirin. Although she did not manifest any echocardiographic cardiac features while on admission, a verbal autopsy report of her sudden death two days after discharge against medical advice, suggested possible cardiac involvement. In view of the high mortality risk asscociated with non-institution or delay of definitive treatment, it is important to add KD to the list of differential diagnoses in febrile children with muco-cutaneous lesions. Key words; Atypical measles, Kawasaki Disease, Nigeria, Verbal Autops

Postpartum Sexual Abstinence and Breastfeeding Pattern in Sagamu, Nigeria

This was a prospective study involving 371 mothers. The mean age of the mothers was 27.5 (.3.6) years with a mean years at school (Educational years) of 11.3 (2.9) years. All the mothers had previously breastfed at one of their infants for at least 6 months, while the mothers also breastfed their last child for an average (mean) of 10.3 (4.0) months. The overall mean of previous live births was 1.9 (0.8). In the first month postpartum, 84.6% of the mothers abstained from sexual intercourse, but by the 4th-5th month the proportion had dropped to 18.1%, with just 2.1% of the study population abstaining from sexual intercourse at 11-15 months post-partum. Forty seven (13.5%), 30 (8.6% ) and 3 (0.9 % ) mothers in social classes 2,3 and 1 respectively have resumed sexual intercourse at 4-5 months, while only 12(3.4%) and 4(1.1%) in social classes 2 and 3 respectively continued with sexual intercourse at 11-15 months. More mothers resumed sexual intercourse from 1 to 15 months post-partum when they breast fed for 6-10 minutes and 11-15 minutes than those who breast fed for 1-5 minutes, 16-20 minutes and 21-25 minutes. Also more mothers within the 25-29 years age group resumed sexual intercourse from the first month to the fifteenth month post-partum than mothers in the other age groupsKeywords: Postpartum, Sexual, Abstinence, Breastfeeding, Sexually Transmitted InfectionsAfrican Journal of Reproductive Health Vol. 12 (1) 2008: pp. 96-10

Infant Feeding and Lactational Amenorrhea in Sagamu, Nigeria

Five hundred and twenty educated, breastfeeding women in Sagamu, Nigeria, were observed prospectively in order to describe their infant feeding practices and to determine whether any predictors of the return of menses could be identified. The women remained amenorrheic for seven months. Compared with similarly selected women in other countries, they regularly fed their infants with supplements from a very early age, yet breastfeeding frequency and duration did not decline dramatically. Semi-solid food was introduced at about four months and such supplementation, as well as earlier supplementation with milk/milk-based feedings, was associated with the return of menses. The median duration of abstinence was about four months but the mean may have been much longer. No woman became pregnant until her infant was weaned. (Afr J Reprod Health 2002; 6[2]: 3950) Résumé Lallaitement et laménorrhée qui se rapporte à la lactation à Sagamu, au Nigéria. Cinq cent vingt femmes instruites et allaitant à Sagamu ont été observées prospectivement afin de décrire leurs pratiques dallaitement et pour déterminer sil était possible didentifier quelques indices du retour des règles. Les femmes sont restées aménorrhéiques pendant sept mois. Comparées aux femmes qui ont été selectionnées de la même manière dans dautres pays, elles nourrissaient régulierement leurs enfants du supplément dès leur très jeune âge; pourtant la fréquence de lallaitement et la durée nont pas baissé de façon dramatique. A lâge de presque quatre mois, on a initié les enfants à la nourriture semi-solides. Une telle administration dun supplément aussi bien quune administration antérieure dun supplément du lait et dautres nourritures à base du lait, ont été associées au retour des règles. La durée médiane de labstinence était à peu près quatre mois, mais la moyenne a probablement duré plus longtemps. Aucune femme nest devenue enceinte quaprès avoir sevré lenfant. (Rev Afr Santé Reprod 2002; 6[2]: 3950) Key Words: Breastfeeding, fertility, Nigeria, infant feeding, amenorrhea, Afric