Abstract

PANTOJA LUDUENA, Manuel  and  MAZZI GONZALES DE PRADA, Eduardo. Clinic characteristics of myelomeningocele in newborns admitted to the Hospital del Niño "Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría". 1993 ­ 2002. Rev. bol. ped. [online]. 2003, vol.42, n.3, pp.160-165. ISSN 1024-0675.

Objectives: to determine the clinical characteristics, of newborns with myelomeningocele (MMC), in the Hospital del Niño "Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uría". Design: retrospective and descriptive study (case series). Setting: institutional pediatric hospital of third level. Patients: 55 newborns hospitalized between January 1993 to December 2002. Sampling method: consecutive not probabilistic. Measurements of the main results: the clinical cases were located checking the clinical histories of patients discharged from the hospital or revising the charts from the statistic department. We registered the variables and for the analysis we employed descriptive statistics. Results: we found 2.1% of MMC. 73% are originated from urban area. The median maternal age was 25 years, being multiparae 73% of them. 45% born in home. 75% were derived from medical facilities. 71% had the MMC broken and 33% were admitted under 24 hours of life. The MMC was situated in the lumbar region in 47.28% and lumbosacral region in 38.18%, of case. 71% heaved hydrocephalus. 27% of patients died and only 12.5% came back for a follow-up visit. Conclusions: the prenatal diagnosis was infrequent and patients were send late to the hospital. The most frequents sites for the defects were the lumbar and lumbosacral areas and most of them were open defects and a high percentage develop hydrocephalus. The mortality was high and very few of the patients returned for the follow up.

Keywords : newborn; myelomeningocele; hydrocephalus.