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Epidemiology of Childhood Guillain-Barré Syndrome as a Cause of Acute Flaccid Paralysis in Honduras: 1989—1999

Department of Pediatric Neurology, Hospital Escuela Materno-Infantil, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Central America

Daniel Varon, MD

Department of Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC

Kenton R. Holden, MD

Department of Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC kholden{at}ggc.org., Neuroscience Section, Greenwood Genetic Center, Greenwood, SC

John T. Sladky, MD

Department of Pediatric Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA

Ida B. Molina, MD

Expansion of Immunization Program, Office of the Secretary of Health, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Central America

Francisco Cleaves, MD

Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Escuela Materno-Infantil, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Central America

The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence of acute flaccid paralysis in the pediatric population of Honduras over an 11-year period, determine what percentage of acute flaccid paralysis was Guillain-Barré syndrome, and identify the epidemiologic features of Guillain-Barré syndrome. There were 546 childhood cases of acute flaccid paralysis seen between January 1989 and December 1999 at the Hospital Escuela Materno-Infantil in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Of these cases with acute flaccid paralysis, 394 (72.2%) were diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome. Our incidence of Guillain-Barré syndrome in the Honduran pediatric population (1.37/100,000 per year) is higher than that shown in other studies. There was a significantly higher incidence of Guillain-Barré syndrome in younger children (ages 1—4 years), a significant preponderance of cases from rural areas, and a mild predominance in boys but a typical clinical presentation. The Honduran pediatric Guillain-Barré syndrome population had an increased mortality rate. Guillain-Barré syndrome has become the leading cause of childhood paralysis in Honduras. A better understanding of the population at highest risk and opportunities for earlier intervention with more effective therapeutic modalities may permit reducing the mortality among Honduran children who develop Guillain-Barré syndrome. (J Child Neurol 2003; 18: 741—747).

Journal of Child Neurology, Vol. 18, No. 11, 741-747 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/08830738030180110801


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