Acquired heart diseases in children in Gadarif pediatrics teaching hospital, Gadarif state, Eastern Sudan

<p><strong>Background: </strong>Acquired heart diseases (AHD) are heterogeneous diseases including rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and other affecting the heart and blood vessels after birth but usually appear clinically after 5 years of age. AHD considered as major cause of   morbidity and mortality. The present study was designed to document the spectrum, the affected age and clinical characteristics of AHDs in children of Gadarif state, eastern Sudan.</p><p><strong>Methods</strong>: This was a descriptive cross section study conducted in Gadarif pediatrics teaching hospital in period from June to Dec 2019.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 46 children from Gadarif pediatrics teaching hospital with confirmed AHD were enrolled in this study. The females were 27 (58.7%), with a male-to-female ratio of 1.4:1. The mean age was 10.6±3.9 years (age’s ≤16 years old); the most common affected age group was 10-14 years accounted 18 (39.1) cases. RHD was the commonest AHD found in 38 (82.6%) patients, the commonest valvular lesion was mitral regurgitation 31 (73.9%).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>RHD was the most common AHD in the children in the present study, there is need to improve the scope of intervention facilities in the Sudan particularly in rural areas to prevent the growing and spread of these diseases.</p>