© UnknownMuhimbili Orthopaedic Institute
Speaking to the Daily News, Ms Germana Gaspa, a registered nurse who works in the Paediatrician Ward, said that the patients were sent in from upcountry hospitals mainly from Dodoma, Singida, Lindi and Mtwara.
"Most of the patients, however, come from central Tanzania where the problem is rampant," she said. She added that the patients start developing the complication during infancy.
Public Relations Department records at MOI show that more than 100 patients suffering from this ailment have so far attended outpatient clinics at the institute. A Public Relations Officer, Mr Frank Matua, said that it was only MOI that could handle this problem.
He said that a study on hydrocephalus began recently and medical doctors are still collecting data. "It will not be too long before the medical experts release a full report on the prevalence of the ailment," said the PRO.
According to the nurse the term hydrocephalus is derived from the Greek words "hydro" meaning water and "cephalus" meaning head.
She added that as the name implies, it is a condition in which the primary characteristic is excessive accumulation of fluid in the brain.
She explained that the excessive accumulation of fluid in brain and spinal cord results in an abnormal widening of spaces in the brain called ventricles.
Ms Gaspa said that MOI has started offering meals to children who are admitted in the ward since last month to supplement their nutritional needs.
She said: "We noticed that some of the children lined up for surgical operation did not survive because they were malnourished."
"I advised that our ward should start a feeding programme to reduce the mortality, since we realized that most of the children died before attaining the age of two years," she said.
Most of the ailing children come from low-income families that cannot meet their nutritional requirements, she said.
"Children have high nutritional needs but the under-fives face a more critical situation when they are malnourished," she added. She further said that as a nutrition expert she has come up with a porridge recipe which helps the children to supplement their nutritional needs.
She also said that adequate feeding has helped the children and enabled them to recover faster from surgery."Mortality among the children stood at 80 per cent before the feeding arrangement was introduced. The number of deaths has now dropped significantly."
Fedeya Frank (35), whose child is admitted at MOI, told this paper that the kid started experiencing severe fever three days after it was born.
"I took her to a medical clinic in Ndanda village. He could not breastfeed. Nurses tried to feed him using a tube," she said. After three weeks the child was referred to MOI for further medical treatment, she said.
In April, this year, her son was operated on and until now he has not yet recovered fully. "We are now waiting for another medical examination and treatment. That's why I am still here," she said.
Another patient from Morogoro, Jeremiah Ibrahim, is also admitted at the ward with a spinal wound, deformed legs and contorted face.
His mother, Zawadi Aweso, said that she delivered in a normal way at Turiani Hospital in Morogoro.
"After one and a half months my son developed these problems," she said. Both mothers said they never ate any meat or drank milk during the time of pregnancy. "I have not been eating chicken, meat or fruits during the time of my pregnancy," said Ms Frank.
"Throughout my pregnancy I just ate Ugali and vegetables," said Ms Aweso. Commenting on nutrition, a specialist in nutrition, Dr Kimboka Sabas, said that hydrocephalus is not a result of lack of nutrition.
According to medical experts' reports, the abnormal widening of spaces in the brain creates potentially harmful pressure on the tissues of the brain which requires surgical intervention to drain the water.
The experts further say that hydrocephalus may be congenital or acquired. Congenital hydrocephalus is present at birth and may be caused by either events or influences that occur during fetal development or genetic abnormalities.
Acquired hydrocephalus develops at the time of birth or at some point afterwards, according to the report. This type of hydrocephalus can affect individuals of all ages and may be caused by injury or disease, the report says.
The causes of hydrocephalus are still not properly understood. Hydrocephalus may result from inherited genetic abnormalities, according to the report.
The report also reveals that other possible causes include complications of premature birth such as intra-ventricular hemorrhage, diseases such as meningitis, tumors, traumatic head injury or subarachnoid hemorrhage, which blocks the exit of fluid in brain and spinal cord.
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