title: Spina bifida cystica in northern Nigeria.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Ahmadu Bello University Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria.
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Mabogunje
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D008591:Meningomyelocele / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D009549:Nigeria