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Ninety-day-old baby needs urgent overseas treatment for head enlargement

Oct 10, 2011, 3:12 PM | Article By: Lamin Drammeh

A three-month-old baby in Kiang Jiffarong in the Lower River Region is in need of urgent overseas treatment, as the baby continues to grapple with a serious problem of head enlargement, over and above the normal size.

According to his medical report issued by the RVTH medical board, baby Muhammed Lamin Njie was born on 29 September 2011 in good condition but two weeks later, he developed a history of progressive enlargement on his head whose treatment is not available in The Gambia.

The medical report dated 11th August 2011 stated that Muhammed was presented to the Paediatric neurology clinic on 11 of August 2011 with a history of progressive enlargement of his head.

On evaluation, he was systemically stable except for a macrocephalic with distended scalp veins and a transilluminable cranium.

He was evaluated further at a Craniofacial Computer Assisted Tomography Scan which revealed a mark supratentorial hydrocephalus on the right horn measured 5.4cm and left horn measured 6.9cm, the third ventricle measured 3.4cm, and therefore was cortical mantle thinning to 0.6cm.

His other laboratory investigative results were unremarkable and his calcium/phosphates levels and X-Ray radiological surveys are being undertaking to exclude rachitic osteodystrophy.

However, Njie will need to be evaluated further at an advanced neuroimaging to achieve a better definitive of his cerebral cytoarchitectonics to direct specific interventions at an initial salvage ventriculo-peritoneal shunt survey and other specific interventions.

This means Njie will proceed elsewhere to achieve this, which is a real concern to his father, Alieu Njie, who walked into our office crying for help.

Mr Njie used the opportunity to appeal to the government and philanthropists to help him in his effort at saving the life of his baby.

Meanwhile, anyone who may wish to assist the little Njie can contact the father on the following mobile phone numbers: 7644775 or 6658440.