Clinical and Laboratory Features of Children Presenting with Severe Anaemia at University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, North East Nigeria

Severe anaemia in children is a medical emergency associated with high mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, and laboratory characterisation is essential for aetiological diagnosis and appropriate management. This study described the clinical and laboratory features of children presenting with severe anaemia at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Borno State, North East Nigeria. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 150 children aged 6 months to 12 years admitted with haemoglobin below 6 g/dL. Full blood count, peripheral blood film, reticulocyte count, serum ferritin, malaria parasite testing, sickle cell genotype, haemoglobin electrophoresis, and stool microscopy were performed on all cases. Malaria was the most common contributory aetiology, identified in 45.3% of cases. Iron deficiency anaemia was present in 38.7% and sickle cell anaemia in 20.0%. Polyparasitism contributed to 12.0% of cases. Normocytic normochromic anaemia with low reticulocyte count was the most frequent haematological pattern. Severe malaria cases had the lowest haemoglobin values, with a mean of 3.8 g/dL. Thrombocytopaenia co-existed in 56.0% of malarial anaemia cases. Blood transfusion was required in 72.7% of admitted children. The study highlights the multifactorial aetiology of severe childhood anaemia in North East Nigeria and recommends integrated diagnostic protocols combining malaria, nutritional, and haematological assessment to guide targeted treatment and reduce transfusion-related morbidity. Keywords: severe anaemia, children, malaria, iron deficiency, Maiduguri