ABSTRACT
Background: Breast milk is an ideal feed for infants, and it is effective in ensuring child health and survival. The study was done to assess the perception regarding breastfeeding among medical students of basic and clinical sciences and to compare knowledge regarding feeding among basic sciences with clinical sciences students.Methods: This cross-sectional survey was done at Al-Tibri Medical College and Hospital over a period of 6 months from February 2019 till July 2109. A self-generated Questionnaire was used to assess the perception of 367 medical students regarding breast feeding from basic and clinical sciences of medical students. Result was statistically analyzed using SPSS version 22. Chi-square test was used to compare qualitative data, p-value <0.05 was considered significant.Results: A total of 367 students participated in the study with 159(43.3%) from basic medical sciences and 208(56.7%) from clinical sciences. Out of respondents, 54.5% were females. Internet was the main source of knowledge (47.3%) as shown in the graph, 74.1% were native. Generally, the majority of students from clinical group had a better perception regarding breastfeeding initiation and continuation along with infant and maternal benefit. Clinical science group had an edge on the basic science group with reference to their perception of breastfeeding in special circumstances.Conclusions: Medical universities are the main platform for future physicians, so knowledge regarding breast feeding promotion and practices should be given from this stage.
ABSTRACT
Background: In pediatrics, the season is one of the elements contributing to the etiological factors of community based diseases. Awareness of this variation can help the physicians for prevention and counseling of the patients. A cross-sectional observational study was designed with non-probability convenient sampling technique to determine the frequency of patients admitted to the paediatric ward of the hospital in a whole calendar year and to ascertain which disease presentation is most common. Methods: Study conducted at paediatric ward of Al-Tibri Medical College and Hospital Karachi, Pakistan having patients admitted during May 2018 to April 2019. After ethical approval and informed consent from their parents/ guardian, a total of 734 paediatric patients that were admitted from paediatric OPD/ emergency were selected for the study. Paediatric patients that were referred, in emergency/ ICU and surgical paediatric patients were excluded from the study. Chi-square test was applied to evaluate the statistical variation among the patients.Results: From the 734 patients, 357 (48.6%) patients were of acute gastroenteritis, 104 (14.2%) of respiratory illness, 86 (11.7%) of viral fever, 67 (9.1%) of urinary tract infection, 36 (4.9%) of neurological illness, 29 (4.0%) of protein calorie malnutrition, 25 (3.4%) of enteric fever, 20 (2.7%) of haematological illness and 10 (1.4%) patients were admitted due to sepsis.Conclusion: Our study concluded that majority of the patients admitted were of acute gastroenteritis / admitted due to gastric issues, therefore further studies in the vicinity would help to better understand the issues and help plan a strategy to combat the diseases.