Pattern of Neurological Disorders among Children Presenting at the Neurology Unit of Tertiary Hospital in Awka

Abstract

Background: Many children in Nigeria suffer from detrimental, debilitating and lifelong neurologic disorders, many of which are highly preventable using simple, cost-effective interventions. Objective: To examine the pattern of neurological disorders among children presenting at the neurology unit of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Amaku, Awka, Nigeria. Methods: A retrospective review of the hospital records of children who presented at the Paediatric Neurology Unit between 1st March 2020 and 31st March 2022 was carried out. Data were abstracted using a proforma and analyzed using SPSS Version 21. Results: A total of 138 children aged 0 to 15 years were seen in the unit during the period under review. 115 (83.35%) of these children were diagnosed with chronic neurological disorders. Those with chronic neurological disorders had a male:female ratio of 1.9:1, and the majority (65%) of them were below 5 years of age. The most common presenting complaints were delayed milestones (43.4%), seizures (23.8%), and speech disorders (17.2%). The most typical diagnosis was cerebral palsy (CP) (34.7%), seizure disorder (29.8%) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (8.9%). Perinatal asphyxia (47.7%), neonatal jaundice (17.0%) and central nervous system infections (CNS) infections (12.5%) were identified as the major risk factors responsible for these neurologic disorders. Conclusion: Cerebral palsy and seizure disorders constitute the major neurological disorders among children seen in our institution. Efforts should be intensified at reducing the incidence and impact of perinatal asphyxia, neonatal jaundice and CNS infections, identified as the major culprits, to curb the menace of these debilitating lifelong neurologic sequelae.