Seizures in children in the Lagoon Mother and Child University Hospital Center (CHUMEL) of Cotonou : community practices and risk factors for death in Benin

Abstract

Introduction: The experience of convulsions is full of myths in our socio- cultural context. Objectives: To determine the frequency of seizures, to identify community practices in the care of seizures and the death risk factors. Methods: We conducted a prospective, descriptive and analytical study between April and August 2015 in the pediatric ward of the Lagoon Mother and Child University Hospital Center (CHUMEL) of Cotonou. We included children aged from 1 month to 15 years old hospitalized for either febrile or non-febrile convulsions happened at home. Results: A total of 102 cases of convulsion were included, 11.3% of hospitalizations. These were mostly children under 5 years, 87/102 (85.3%). Traditional resuscitation procedures were performed on 81 children (79.4%). They consisted of the forced introduction of objects in the mouth in 46 cases (46.1%), the oral administration of various products in 39 cases (38.2%), the ocular instillation of products in 10 cases (9.8%). Nineteen bodily injuries were found. The lethality was 15.8%. The risk factors for death identified were the use of traditional healers and the delay in consultation. Conclusion: The high frequency of seizures, the severity of seizures, the harmful traditional practices performed, and the delay to consultation require to strengthen the education of the population.