Epidemiological-Clinical Features of Anemia in Children Aged 6 to 59 Months Hospitalized in the Pediatrics Department of Nianankoro Fomba Hospital in Ségou

Abstract

According to the WHO, anemia affects 64.6% of children under the age of 5 on the African continent, representing more than 90 million children. In Mali, 82% of children aged 6 to 59 months have anemia. Objective: This work aimed to study anemia in children aged 6 to 59 months hospitalized in the pediatrics department of the Nianankoro FOMBA hospital in Ségou. Materials and Method: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study in children aged 6 to 59 months from January 1 to December 31, 2019 at the pediatrics department of the Nianankoro Fomba Hospital in Ségou. Results: We collected a sample of 316 cases of anemia out of a total of 1,316 hospitalized children, an overall frequency of 24%. The most affected age group was 25-59 months with an average age of 32 months. The sex ratio was 1.2. Farming fathers and out-of-school mothers were the most common at 72.5% and 97.5%, respectively. Most cases of anemia occurred during the winter period with a peak in October of 35.12%. The most talked about reason for consultation was fever. Severe anemia was the most common at 74% with 81% hypochrome anemia. The use of transfusion was 90.8%. The mortality rate was 11.4% with a cure rate of 85.4%. Deaths were strongly related to severe anemia. Conclusion: Anemia has multifactorial cause. Strong parental involvement in integrated activities to combat malaria, malnutrition and parasitosis will help reverse the trend.