Preventable forms of severe mental retardation

To study the cause-prevention of mental retardation. 70 cases were studied prospectively a Al-Mansoor Paediatric Teaching Hospital/Saddam's Medical city/Baghdad, from October 1989 to April 1990. The study showed that a definite cause behind mental retardation was found in 46 [65.7%] cases. Possible cases were found in 7 [10%] cases, whereas in 17 [24.3%] cases the definite causes were unknown. The study showed that a good proportion of cases might be due to causes amenable to prevention and with special possible measures, numbers of mentally retarded patients can be reduced in our community

Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory studies of favism [G6PD] in children

This study reports the epidemiological analysis, clinical presentation, laboratory findings and progress of fifty children admitted to "Al-Mansur Teaching Children Hospital", "Saddam's Medical City" during the period from 1st. January 1990 - 31st December 1994, with G6PD deficiency and acute hemolytic anemia after fava bean ingestion. No cases of favism were observed in breast fed babies whose mothers had eaten fava beans, or from pollen inhalation. 10% of the patients had a previous similar attack, 18% had a family history of favism. [86%] of the patients were males. The main age group affected was 2-4 years [66%]. 90% of cases were from Urban and 10% were from Rural areas. 76% presented during the fava bean season, the onset of symptoms started within three days after fava bean ingestion in 94%, the mean value of Hb was 6gm/dl, Hct 19.9%, Reticulocyte count 8.2%, Total bilirubin 5.2mg/dl, Indirect bilirubin 4.3mg/dl. All patients received blood transfusion and achieved good progress