Patterns of management of acute respiratory infections among under-five children at primary health care centers in three provinces in Iraq

Acute respiratory infections [ARIs] are major causes for morbidity and mortality among under five children particularly in developing countries. Assessing patterns of management of ARIs among under five children at primary health care [PHC] centers as practiced by medical and paramedical health care providers. A total of 172 medical and 53 paramedical personnel working in PHC centers in three Iraqi governorates were observed using a pre-coded, pre-tested checklist. Recognition of both serious signs and symptoms and other signs and symptoms of ARI were significantly higher among medical than paramedical personnel [P<0.05]. Antibiotics were prescribed for 74.5% of patients by paramedical personnel compared with 54.1% of patients by medical personnel [P<0.05]. Trained health care providers [medical and paramedical] were significantly more capable in identifying danger signs and symptoms of ARIs compared with the untrained care providers. Medical and trained health care providers were managing ARIs conditions among under five children more efficiently than para-medical and non-trained care providers

Maternal factors as determination of the state of the newborn infants delivered at three teaching hospitals in Baghdad

A multi hospital survey was conducted in Baghdad from the 1[st] of February till the 30[th] of May 1996. The study sample consisted of 548 ladies who delivered singleton live born infants. Material factors including parity, history of low birth weight, perinatal death or abortion in the preceding pregnancy, inter-pregnancy interval, vaginal bleeding, premature uterine contractions or leakage of liquour in the current pregnancy, maternal height and midarm circumference were all significantly associated with preterm delivery. Socioeconomic status, pregnancy hypertensive disorders or vaginal bleeding in the current pregnancy, maternal hight and midarm circumference were significantly associated with delivering small for gestational age infants. Furtheremore, vaginal bleeding, premature uterine contraction, leakage of liquor and maternal midarm circumference significantly determined low Apgar Scores at five minutes. As for maternal age and skin fold thickness, they did not seem to have significant influence on the neonatal outcome