Determination of birth indices in healthy neonates

Determination of birth indices is essential for primary supportive care, evaluation of perinatal anomalies, determination amount of difference from standard values and for further follow up. In this study using a multicentre sampling, a number of 2832 healthy neonates selected. Mean and percentile values of four main birth indices; weight, height, head and chest circumference are presented. In this study, males outnumbered the females [50.8% vs. 49.2%]. Mean [ +/- SD] weight, height, head and chest circumferences were 3231.70 gr [ +/- 3.92] 49.77 cm [ +/- 1.76], 35.03 cm [ +/- 1.27] and 33.34 cm [ +/- 1.56], respectively. Weight, height and head circumference had significant statistical differences in male and female. Chest circumference had difference in gender groups, but it seemed to be clinically not significant [mean difference= 0.416]. Birth weight in both genders plus height and chest circumference in girls were significantly lower than NCHS standard values. But, head circumference was more. Height and chest circumference of males had no statistically difference

Disseminated nocardiosis in an immunocompromised child with unknown cause

Disseminated nocardiosis [DN], is an infrequent and severe infection due to Nocardia species and defined as infection in two or more discontinuous organs. Most infections occur in the immunocompromised host or in persons with underlying disease. DN occurs rarely in children. In this report, we describe an 11-year-old immunecompromised child with nocardiosis involving the lung, skin, brain and bone. No predisposing factor nor any underlying disease was found to explain his immune deficiency. Diagnosis of nocardial infection is often cumbersome, resulting at times in wrong initial clinical diagnosis such as cancer and other bacterial infections [e.g. tuberculosis]. Therefore, it is important to consider nocardial infection in the differential diagnosis of children with combined brain and lung lesions