Experts call for timely attendance to children with open back

HEALTH experts have called upon timely catheterization services to children with spina bifida (open back) and hydrocephalus complications, so as to help them avoid kidney damage.

According to experts, spina bifida is a condition that affects the spine and is usually apparent at birth. It is a type of neural tube defect (NTD). Spina bifida can happen anywhere along the spine if the neural tube does not close all the way.

Untimely services can also lead to intestine damage, the expert said during the launch of Kitongo House of Hope in Magu District, over the weekend.

The house that has been built by the Child Help Tanzania Organisation is meant to accommodate children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus (big head) complications across Tanzania, who seek medical treatments at Bugando Zonal Referral Hospital.

Dr Hendry Tlawi from the Haydom Lutheran Hospital in Manyara Region said that to avoid kidney and intestine complications, parents with children suffering from spina bifida and hydrocephalus have been trained on how best to offer catheterisation services.

It is because in most cases, the waist part, downwards, of a person with spina bifida and hydrocephalus complications has no communication with other parts of the body that could help to thoroughly push out the body wastes.

“A child should, therefore, receives catheterisation three to four times a day to help complete urination. Otherwise, the remaining amount of the urine will go up and affect the kidney,” clarified Dr Tlawi.

He added that spina bifida and hydrocephalus victims should also be catheterised two times a day, for complete excretion. Incomplete excretion leads into constipation, which in turn affect the intestine, he further explained.

“And, the final result is death. That is why we regularly offer catheterisation training to parents,” he said, noting that parents have been also trained on how to prevent spina bifida and hydrocephalus complications, through among others methods, avoid under and over age pregnancies.

Under age (18 years) pregnancies is one of the causes since the mother’ body isn’t yet to accumulate enough folic acid, which prevents the complications for about 80 per cent, said Dr Tlawi.

Again, he added, over age (over 40 years) pregnancies is a cause as the mother’s body is no longer strong enough to produce enough folic acid.

“A two-year interval between pregnancies also matters, to give the mother’ body enough time for folic acid generation,” he said.

Explaining about the newly launched house, the Director for Child Help Tanzania, Mr Hakim Bayakub, said that the building is there to connect the victims with Bugando Hospital.

Bugando Hospital Representative, Dr David Leonard, urged the parents to avoid wrong notions over children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, saying the complications are solved.

He said that the problems’ scope is still big since Bugando records not less than 700 cases a year.