Abstract
At the Ahmadu Bello University Hospitals in northern Nigeria 152 boys and 160 girls with spina bifida cystica were registered from 1971 to 1985. Only 21% of the patients were registered at the hospital within 24 h of birth; 90% had been delivered at home and without antenatal care. The malformation occurred in the lumbar or lumbosacral region in 75% of cases. Meningomyeloceles comprised 81%. Surgical closure was performed by general surgeons in 112 (36%) of the patients mainly for nursing care and social reasons. Of the children, 56 died in the hospital, 33 moved and 166 were lost to follow-up at 1 month. Only 8 were seen up to 1 year but 4 have lived beyond 4 years. This series serves as a baseline for comparison with future experience in this part of the world.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adeloye A, Odeku EL (1972) Congenital malformation of the central nervous system in Nigeria. West Afr Med J 21: 73–77
Carstairs V, Cole S (1983) Spina bifida and anencephaly in Scotland. Br Med J 289: 1182–1184
Guthkelch AN (1986) Aspects of the surgical management of myelomeningocele. A review. Dev Med Child Neurol 28: 525–532
Harrison KA, Ekanem DA, Chong H (1985) Easily identifiable congenital malformations. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 92 [Suppl 5]: 81–85
Haynes BF, Cheek WR, Mintz AA (1974) Treatment of meningomyelocele in indigent and non-indigent patients. Am J Dis Child 127: 182–186
Leck I (1983) Spina bifida and anencephaly: fewer patients, more problems. Br Med J 286: 1679–1680
Lemire RT (1988) Neural tube defects. JAMA 259: 558–561
Lesi FEA (1979) Congenital malformations of the central nervous system in Lagos, Nigeria. West Afr J Surg 3: 11–16
Lorber J (1973) Early results of selective treatment of spina bifida cystica. Br Med J 4: 201–204
Lorber J, Ward AM (1985) Spina bifida. A vanishing nightmare. Arch Dis Child 60: 1086–1091
Macias R (1986) Surgical considerations in the management of myelomeningocele. Child's Nerv Syst 2: 10–12
McLone DG (1986) Treatment of myelomeningocele: arguments against selection. Clin Neurosurg 33: 359–370
Odeku EL, Grant IH, Ekop AC (1967) Congenital malformations of the cerebrospinal axis seen in western Nigeria. The spinal meningoceles. Int Surg 47: 580–596
Ohaegbulam SC, Saddeqi N (1979) Congenital malformations of the central nervous system in Enugu, Nigeria. East Afr Med J 56: 509–513
Olumide AA, Adeloye A (1980) Management of spina bifida cystica at Ibadan. Niger J Paediatr 7: 46–50
Sutton LN, Charney EB, Bruce DA, Shut L (1986) Myelomeningocele. The question of selection. Clin Neurosurg 33: 371–381
Windham GC, Edmonds LD (1982) Current trends in the incidence of neural tube defects. Pediatrics 70: 333–337
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mabogunje, O.A. Spina bifida cystica in northern Nigeria. Child's Nerv Syst 6, 103–106 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00307931
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00307931