Serum total protein profile in children under 5 years age at women and children hospital, Abbottabad

A study of serum protein profile was done in 324 infants/children suffering from meningitis, pneumonia, enteric fever, diarrhoeal diseases, gastro - enteritis, malaria, septicaemia, rheumatic fever, cirrhosis, tetanus and leishmaniasis. Pneumonia and meningitis were the common diseases in the study. Hypoproteinaemia was found in only 4% of the patient of diarrhoeal diseases while hypoalbuminaemia occurred in all cases of septicaemia and cirrhosis. Alpha-I globulin was raised in 56% of meningitis, 60% cases of rheumatic fever, 20% of the enteritis fever and all of the septicaemia cases. It was markedly less in cirrhosis. Alpha-2 globulin was high in 85% of meningitis, 64% of pneumonia, 41% enteric fever, 38% of diarrhoeal diseases, 8% of gastro-enteritis and all of septicaemia, rheumatic fever and leishmaniasis. Beta globulin fraction was increased in rheumatic fever and cirrhosis only. Marked hypergammaglobulinaemia was found in septicaemia and cirrhosis. Hypogammaglobulinaemia was detected in 62 [19%] patients. Bisalbuminaemia, a genetic abnormality was seen in only one case. Alpha-2 globulin was raised in 7[8.5%] while Hypogammaglobulineemia was found in 4[4.9%]. Serum protein and its fraction determination is a valuable diagnostic aid for infections and some genetic abnormalities

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia

The exact incidence of herniation through diaphragm is difficult to assess. If oesophageal Hiatal Hernia is excluded, a diaphragmatic Hernia in a child is usually through Foramen of Bochdalek on left side. The Foramen of morgagni is involved much less frequently. The commonest and most important type of Diaphragmatic Hernia is through the patent pleureperitonial canal [Bochdalek]. This causes trouble on the left side more often than on the right, where the liver blocks off all but large hernias. This paper is a report of two cases with delayed onset type of Hernia which were repaired surgically after confirmation of diagnosis

Infant feeding practices in the rural and urban areas in district Abbottabad

This article summarises the findings of a field study of infant feeding patterns in Urban and Rural areas of District Abbottabad. The main purpose of this study was to find out the reasons of declining trend of breast feeding. Over 70% rural mothers had no education and about 93% did not go to school. Average duration of breast feeding was observed to be 5.8 months and 19.2 months in the urban and rural areas respectively. The degree of suckling in urban and rural women was 9.7% and 24.7% respectively. It was observed that in urban areas 96% infants received breast milk for first 4 months of their life and by 2 years this level was dropped to 31%. In rural areas mothers breast fed their babies for 2 years on the average. 57% rural mothers believed that breast feeding is natural thing to do. The most obvious reason for stopping breast feeding was the next pregnancy. Urban mothers preferred brand name cereals as compared to home made, which are most commonly used by rural mothers

Nutrition and acute respiratory infection[ARI]

Seven hundred and sixty children, under 5 years of age were followed up for two years and data collected indicate the following nutritional status. 22% have normal nutrition, 54% have mild malnutrition, 17% have moderate malnutrition and 7% have severe malnutrition. It was observed that significantly greater proportion of severely malnourished children had poor housing facility and did not receive childhood immunization. Thee incidence of ARI with normal and mild malnutrition was [6.46 per child per year. However, this incidence was essentially the same as that for children with moderately severe and severe malnutrition [6.56 per, child per year]. Thus, the results indicate that malnutrition did not correlate with increased overall incidence of ARI. The impact of malnutrition on hospitalised cases indicated that about half of these admitted cases had associated illnesses, mostly Diarrhoea or Measles. Case fatality rate [CFR] in normal children was essentially similar to that of children with mild malnutritions. CFR of children with severe malnutrition [7.54%] has been observed to be significantly higher than either normal or those with mild malnutrition