Vol. 7, Issue 1, Part A (2025)

Introduction: Neurological malformations include all abnormalities of the central nervous system as well as abnormalities in the growth and shape of the skull. These congenital neuromalformative pathologies are very often associated with a poor prognosis, both in terms of survival and function, especially in the absence of treatment.
Objective: To determine the frequency of neuromalformative pathologies and evaluate their short-term outcome over three months at the CHUD/B from 2018 to 2023.
Patients and methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study conducted over a period of six years: January 1^st, 2018, to December 31^st, 2023. The study population consisted of all patients admitted to the CHUD/B for a clinically diagnosed neuromalformative pathology during the study period and with a medical record.
Results: During the study period, 137 cases of congenital neurological anomalies were collected. Five (5) types of neurological anomalies were found: isolated spina bifida in 51 cases (37.2%), malformative hydrocephalus in 49 cases (35.8%), and these two malformations were associated in 16.1% or 22 cases. The average age of the children at the first consultation was 4.07 months±3.2 months, ranging from 1 day to 194.66 months. Surgery was performed on 38 children (69.1%). The morbidity rate at 3 months was 53.8% among those who were followed up.
Conclusion: Neurological malformations are increasing at an alarming rate in our settings, largely due to inadequate prenatal care. Their management remains a major challenge, especially since these malformations are associated with a high morbidity rate, thus posing a major public health issue.