African health sciences
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African health sciences · Mar 2015
Comparative StudyDevelopmental screening in South Africa: comparing the national developmental checklist to a standardized tool.
Worldwide, more than 200 million children in low- and middle-income countries have developmental delays and/or disabilities. In South Africa the only nationally implemented developmental 'screening' tool is integrated as part of 'The Road to Health Booklet (RTHB). ⋯ Sensitivity of the RTHB developmental checklist is low, but specificity is high. The RTHB developmental checklist failed to identify more than half the infants at risk of delays or disorders. The nationally implemented developmental checklist is ineffective to identify at-risk infants. It should be adapted and validated or replaced in order to improve identification of at-risk infants.
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African health sciences · Mar 2015
Influence of gender preference and sex composition of surviving children on childbearing intention among high fertility married women in stable union in Malawi.
Child's gender preference (GP) frequently leads to high fertility which has adverse effect on family health. The link between women's fertility intention, GP and Living Children's Sex Composition (LCSC) as found in this study is less explored in Malawi. ⋯ We find that GP and LCSC significantly influence women's intention to bear more children. Women should stop childbearing after attaining their desired number irrespective of the LCSC.
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African health sciences · Mar 2015
Stroke mortality and its predictors in a Nigerian teaching hospital.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death worldwide. Stroke mortality has been noted to be higher in blacks in biracial studies. There have been few studies on stroke mortality and its predictors in Nigeria. This study examines mortality of stroke and its predictors in a Northern Nigerian teaching hospital. ⋯ Stroke mortality was quite high in this study. Predictors of mortality were the indices of severity and the presence of co-morbid conditions.
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African health sciences · Mar 2015
Case ReportsIdiopathic hypertrophic pachymeningitis presenting with occipital neuralgia.
Although occipital neuralgia is usually caused by degenerative arthropathy, nearly 20 other aetiologies may lead to this condition. ⋯ Idiopathic hypertrophic pachymeningitis is a plausible cause of occipital neuralgia and may present without cranial-nerve palsy. There is no consensus on the treatment for idiopathic hypertrophic pachymeningitis, but the usual approach is to start corticotherapy and then to add immunosuppressants. When occipital neuralgia is not clinically isolated or when a first-line treatment fails, another disease diagnosis should be considered. However, the cost effectiveness of extended investigations needs to be considered.