Nutritional status of the Iraqi children before the Gulf war

The study was conducted to assess the nutritional status of children in Baghdad, Data for weight, stature and weight / stature from 1480 children between the age of 0 - 72 months were determined between November 1989 and April 1990. Data were determined from eight nursery schools, two obstetric units and one health centre [children attending for vaccination]. All data determined from Baghdad and designed to represent the different socioeconomic classes of the city. The study revealed that stunting or chronic malnutrition were very low in Baghdad [below 20%] and wasting of acute malnutrition was also below 3%, similarly the rate of under weight was low [below 15%]. Thus there was a low prevalence of protein energy malnutrition problem in Baghdad

Anemia in vitamin D deficiency rickets.

The blood film, haemoglobin and serum ferritin were evaluated in 50 rechitic children and 50 normal children used as a control. We found [86%] of patients to have hypochromic microcytic anaemia while[16%] of control[p<0.005]. The haemoglobin levels were equal or more than 11 gm/dl in [26%] of control[p<0.005] Serum ferritin more than or equal 20ng/ml was found in [80%] of patients and [90%] of control [p>0.05]. We can conclude from this study that the hypochromic microcytic anaemia in rickets is not necessarily due to associated iron depletion but might be due to distribution of vitamin D and calcium metabolism

Factors contributing to the decline in the incidence of tetanus neonatorum [Tn] in Iraq

A prospective study was conducted at Baghdad Fever Hospital [Ibn Al-Katib], over a period of 12 months, to verify the factors contributing to the decline in the incidence of TN. A sharp reduction in the number of cases was noticed. Only fifty three neonates with TN referred to the hospital in 1986 compared to the figures previously recorded [224 and 152 cases] in [1984 and 1985 respectively]. We found in this current study that several factors were contributing to the decline in the incidence of TN and they are in order of importance, Increases of immunization coverage of pregnant women by tetanus toxoid vaccine followed the national mass immunization campaign in Iraq, improvement of the procedure used during delivery[improvement in delivery practice], and improvement in the standard of delivery practice, and improvement in the standard of living and education especially in rural areas