TITLE:
Pubertal Development of Adolescents with Homozygous Sickle Cell Disease in Brazzaville
AUTHORS:
Judicaël Kambourou, John Claude Edzan, Aymar Pierre Gildas Oko, Léticia Lombet, Yvette Néli Ngakegni, Moyen-Engoba, Georges Marius Moyen
KEYWORDS:
Pubertal Development, Adolescent, Homozygous Sickle Cell Disease, Brazzaville
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.15 No.4,
July
23,
2025
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Pubertal development represents a physical, biological, and psychological process resulting in the acquisition of reproductive capacity. Among the factors inhibiting pubertal development are chronic diseases, including sickle cell disease, which is a public health problem. The objective of this work was to report the prevalence of pubertal development abnormalities and to identify the associated factors that delay pubertal development in adolescents with sickle cell disease. Materials and Methods: This was a multicentric cross-sectional analytical study conducted from April 1 to October 30, 2022, at the National Reference Center for Sickle Cell Disease and the University Hospital of Brazzaville. It included adolescents with sickle cell disease aged 10 to 19 years. The study was based on the evaluation of secondary sexual characteristics using Tanner’s classification. The variables studied were sociodemographic, clinical, paraclinical, and therapeutic. Data processing and analysis were performed using SPSS version 20. The significance threshold was set at 5%. Results: Among the 347 adolescents included, 56.5% had normal puberty, 42.6% had delayed puberty, and 0.9% had hypogonadism. Associated factors were irregular follow-up, malnutrition, more than 5 hospitalizations per year, low baseline hemoglobin levels, hypochromic microcytic anemia, and a high percentage of hemoglobin S. Conclusion: The prevalence of delayed puberty is high among adolescents with sickle cell disease in Brazzaville. Improved follow-up and intensified treatment for children with sickle cell disease appear necessary.