[Population survey of a pediatric department in Dakar]

The survey includes 4.876 children registered in 1983 and 1984. Girls appear to be less frequently admitted than boys (42% and 58% respectively) but they die significantly more often. Lethal rates, all ages merged, are respectively 19 and 15.4%. For both sexes, this rate reaches 47% during the only first month. It is during the hot season that mortality is evidently the highest, because diarrhea, malnutrition and malaria are much more frequent during this season. In 40% of the cases, death occurs during the first 24 hours of hospitalization. A better monitoring during pregnancy and nutrition education would certainly reduce such an over-mortality.