ArticleBrain & spine2023
Surgical treatment outcome of children with neural-tube defect: A prospective cohort study in a high volume center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Article in Brain & spine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 4 citations in OpenAlex.
- Birth prevalence and risk factors of neural tube defects in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open · 2023Pooled it
- Barriers to Timely Referral of Children Born with Myelomeningocele in Zambia.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
13 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: Prevalence of neural tube defects (NTD) is high thus many children are born with a neural tube defect in Addis Ababa, and surgical closure is a commonly performed procedure at the pediatric neurosurgical specialty center. Research question: The primary aim is to study the outcomes in children undergoing surgical closure of NTDs and to identify risk factors for readmission, complications and mortality. Material and methods: Single-center prospective study of all surgically treated NTDs from April 2019 to May 2020. Results: A total of 228 children, mean age 11 days (median 4) underwent surgery during the study period. There were no in-hospital deaths. Perioperatively 11 (4.8%) children developed wound complications, none of them needed surgery and there was no perioperative mortality. The one-year follow-up rate was 62.7% (143/228) and neurological status remained stable since discharge in all. The readmission and reoperation rates were 38 % and 8 % and risk factors for readmission were hydrocephalus (80%) and open defects (88%). Hydrocephalus (P = 0.05) and younger age (P = 0.02) were identified as risk factors for mortality. The wound-related complication rate was 55% at and was associated with large defects (P = 0.04) and delayed closure due to late hospital presentation (P = 0.01). Discussion and conclusion: The study reveals good perioperative surgical outcome and further need for systematic improvement in treatment and follow-up of NTD patients especially with hydrocephalus. We identified risk factors for wound-related complications, readmission and mortality.
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