Challenges of caregivers and needs of children with parents in a Nigerian prison

BACKGROUND

Separation of a parent from the family as a result of incarceration has both short-term and long-term effects on the family, even after release from prison. This study is a report of factors and challenges of the family left to adapt to the changed circumstances of separation from parent(s) who are incarcerated.

METHODS

This was a cross sectional study carried out on 89 caregivers of children whose parents are incarcerated at the Agodi prison, Ibadan who gave informed and written consent to interview their families.

RESULTS

Most caregivers had little or no formal education (69.7%) and 67.4% are into petty trading or subsistence farming. A majority of the caregivers reported the need of schooling (85.4%), provision of food (84.3%) and medical care (71.9%) as major challenges, only 25% received any form of support to meet these needs. Twenty-nine (32.6%) respondents reported receiving financial support to provide for the child's feeding. Some caregivers 21 (23.6%), obtained loans to cope with the financial needs of the children while only 3 (3.4%) received support from family or other non-governmental organisations.

CONCLUSION

The caregivers of children of prison inmates face significant challenges in meeting the needs of feeding, health and schooling. Support structures and policies to address these gaps are required.

Co-existing sickle cell anaemia and inflammatory bowel disease: case report and review of the literature

Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is a chronic haemolytic anaemia associated with vaso-occlusive painful crises which may affect several systems including the gastro-intestinal system, resulting in abdominal pain. The concurrence of inflammatory bowel disease and haemoglobinopathy is rare. No previously reported concurrent cases of both SCA and ulcerative colitis (UC) in sub-Saharan Africa were found in the literature. A 16-year-old girl with concurrent SCA and UC is presented. She was admitted to University College Hospital, Ibadan with a 1-year history of recurrent peri-umbilical pain and bloody stools. These symptoms were mainly attributed to SCA at the referring hospital, and she was managed for chronic tropical diarrhoea without a remarkable clinical response. This case illustrates the concurrent presentation of SCA and ulcerative colitis which led to the missed and delayed diagnosis of ulcerative colitis.

HCV co-infection is associated with metabolic abnormalities among HAART naive HIV-infected persons

OBJECTIVES

To determine the metabolic abnormalities among Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) co infected HAART naïve HIV infected persons within the adult ARV clinic of the University College Hospital/University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria Methods: This was a retrospective study involving the review of clinical records of newly recruited HIV-infected persons in the adult antiretroviral (ARV) clinic over a 12 month period (January - December 2006). Baseline results for fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and fasting lipid profile were retrieved.

RESULTS

Out of the 1,260 HIV infected persons seen during the study period, HCV co-infection was found in 75 (6%) persons. The median values for total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were lower in the HCV co-infected persons. HIV-HCV co-infection was associated with a 0.31 mmol/L depression in Total Cholesterol (TC). The median FPG concentration was significantly higher in HIV-HCV co-infected than HIV only infected persons (5.33mmol/L vs. 5.00mmol/L, p = 0.047). However, regression analysis showed there was no relationship between the HIV-HCV co infected state and fasting glucose levels.

CONCLUSION

HIV-HCV co-infection may be associated with a predictable decline in plasma cholesterol, but FPG may not be sufficient to demonstrate insulin resistance in these persons.