Risk factors of acquired prothrombin complex deficiency syndrome: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic vitamin K deficiency in infancy or acquired prothrombin complex deficiency (APCD) is a serious bleeding disorders in infants. It leads to a high mortality rate and permanent neurological sequele among the survivors. A low vitamin K intake by infants is suggested to have a major role in the pathogenesis. To reduce the incidence of this syndrome, its risk factors have to be identified. OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk factors of the acquired prothrombin complex deficiency syndrome in the early infantile period. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A case-control study was conducted in 20 cases and 60 age- and sex-matched controls who were admitted to the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health in Bangkok during August 1991 to August 1993. Feeding type, maternal history of herb-liquor extracts (herbal medicine) use and no history of vitamin K1 prophylactics at birth were identified to be risk factors of the syndrome. All subjects were fed by breast milk with or without formula milk. None of the subjects fed by formula milk were in the case group (Chi-square for trend = 14.77, p = 0.001). RUSULTS: The rate of a maternal history of herb-liquor extracts use in the case group was significantly higher than that of the control group (p = 0.03). Vitamin K2MK4 level in breast milk obtained from the mothers of the infants with maternal history of herb-liquor extracts use was lower than that obtained from the mothers of the infants without maternal history of herb-liquor extracts use (p = 0.03). No infant with history of intramuscular K1 prophylactics was in the case group. Three out of eight infants with history of oral vitamin K1 regimen were cases. Although vitamin K1 and K2MK4 level in breast milk obtained from the cases' mothers were significantly lower than that obtained from the controls' mothers (p = 0.015 and p = 0.003 respectively), there was an overlapping of vitamin K levels among these two groups. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that vitamin K in breast milk has a main role in the pathogenesis of this disease. Herb-liquor extracts may be a cause of the APCD syndrome. Intramuscular vitamin K1 prophylactics should be routinely given to all newborn babies who will receive breast feeding. Effectiveness of oral vitamin K1 prophylactics regimen must be studied urgently.

A community-based thalassemia prevention and control model in northern Thailand.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a community-based model for prevention and control of thalassemias and haemoglobinopathies in northern Thailand. DESIGN: Operational research composed of two components. First, a model to test whether thalassemic cases and carriers could be retrospectively detected from school children. Second, a model for prevention of prospective cases of thalassemic babies among pregnant women. SETTING: Phan District of Chiang Rai Province in northern Thailand. SUBJECTS: Component one: 5,617 preschool children and 21,123 school children were screened during May and July 1997. Component two: 256 pregnant women, 16 weeks or less gestation were screened during January and December 1997. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Component one: Sub-district public health officers and school teachers were trained to use pictures and simple clinical examination to detect suspected thalassemics among preschool and school children. Suspected cases were then referred for further clinical examination and blood testing. Blood smear examination was done at the Phan Community Hospital but Hb typing lusing on electrophoresis was done at the provincial hospital. The cellulose acetate was sent for re-reading at the Department of Medical Sciences. Component two: Osmotic fragility (OF) and dichlorophenol-indolephenol (DCIP) tests were abol in pregnant women (< or = 16 weeks of gestation) in the Phan Community Hospital. If OF test was positive, Hb typing was done at a regional medical sciences center. Their spouses were also located and tested for Hb typing. Prenatal diagnosis was done and therapeutic abortion was offered, if indicated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cases, carriers, suspected cases, Hb typing, OF and DCIP tests. RESULTS: In Component one: 26,740 children were screened of whom 893 cases were suspected. Out of those suspected, 296 (33.2%) were normal, 140 (15.6%) were diseased, and 457 (51.2%) were carriers. 56 cases had major thalassemia diseases. Their parents were counseled. Forty couples were determined to need some form of family planning and 39 (97.5%) accepted. In Component two: 256 pregnant women were screened and 56 were found to be carriers. Only 45 husbands could be located and Hb typed. Five couples were determined to require prenatal diagnosis (PND). One happened to undergo therapeutic abortion because of HIV infection in the mother without PND. Of the four who underwent PND, one was found to have a fetus with major thalassemia. However, this couple refused therapeutic abortion because of religious reasons. CONCLUSION: This study combined both prospective and retrospective approaches and can be considered successful. However, as the only available option for pregnant women with affected fetuses is therapeutic abortion, this makes it difficult to expand the program because abortion may not be acceptable in certain communities. In addition, this model requires PND and other laboratory and clinical facilities as backups. Such backups may not be available in certain settings.

Medical and non-medical expenses for treating babies born to HIV-infected and non-HIV-infected mothers.

BACKGROUND: Most human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections among children under 5 years are transmitted perinatally. These children require more medical attention and hospitalization than non HIV-infected children. The expenses of HIV-infected children are mostly related to opportunistic infections. OBJECTIVE: To compare the medical and non-medical expenses of treating babies born to HIV-infected and non-HIV-infected mothers at the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health (QSNICH). METHODOLOGY: Consecutive children of HIV-infected and non HIV-infected mothers born at Rajavithi Hospital, Bangkok, were recruited from 1993 to 1995. All of them were followed at QSNICH for free medical services. The demographic and pregnancy data of mothers and the characteristics of the babies of the two groups were compared as well as the number of the hospital visits and reported medical and non-medical expenses. RESULTS: 58 children of HIV-infected mothers and 119 children of non-HIV-infected mother were recruited during this period. Only 30 (51.7%) children of HIV-infected mothers could complete the 18-month requirement, while 90 (75.6%) of the babies born to non-HIV-infected mothers finished the 18 months follow-up period. The two groups did not differ much in terms of demographic characteristics, except that the infant fathers were younger and serology for syphilis was higher in the HIV-infected mothers. This indicated that the HIV-infected mothers had earlier sexual activity. Babies born to the HIV-infected mothers tended to have a lower birth weight and were small for gestational age (SGA). Nine out of 30 babies (30%) born to the HIV-infected mothers were found to be HIV positive at the 18th month of follow-up. The mean medical, non-medical, and total expenses of the babies of the infected group were 2,525.90 +/- 4,328.75, 1,323.07 +/- 1,452.41, 3,848.97 +/- 5,308.90 baht respectively, or were 2.4, 2.0, and 2.2 times those of the non-infected group. These expenses did not include antiretroviral therapy. CONCLUSION: The total medical and non-medical expenses excluding antiretroviral therapy of the children of the infected group were 2.2 times those of the non-infected group. Under the limitation of financial resource and fast growing health care expenditures, the preventive measure for HIV infections including public information, education, communication, and condom promotion should be emphasized.