study of the factors influencing breast feeding patterns in Al Taif, West Saudi Arabia

The purpose of this work is to study the factors influencing breast-feeding patterns in Al-Taif region, West Saudi Arabia. A survey was carried out in Al-Taif, West Saudi Arabia on a random multistage cluster sample of 4000 households. All women who had delivered a live birth or expected to deliver from January to June 1999 in the primary segments were interviewed. These women were visited once every month for one year to collect data about child feeding practices following a live birth. Mothers were asked about their area of residence, age, parity, occupation, education, family income, type and place of delivery, contraceptive use, outcome of previous pregnancies, pre-natal care of the breast and at what age and why breast-feeding was stopped. Out of 4000 household sampled, 670 mothers [18%] delivered a live birth between January and June 1999. The crude birthrate was 39 per 1000 and the male: female infant ratio was 1.05: 1.00. Forty per cent of the mothers were between the age of 25 and 35 and with an average of 6.2 pregnancies and 5.3 children. Most came from middle socioeconomic backgrounds with family income $ 500-1000 per month; 18% were illiterate, 48% had primary education, 22% had secondary education, and 12% had university education. Of the infants, 25% were exclusively breast-fed initially then dropped to 21% at 3 months, and to 5% at 1 year. Only 12% of babies were exclusively bottle-fed initially, but by 6 months the figure had increased to 21%. By the age of one year, 39% of the babies had ceased to receive any breast milk. The median age of weaning was 8 months. Factors significantly associated with duration of breast-feeding were maternal age, level of education, area of residence, occupation, family income, place and type of delivery and contraceptive use. The most common reasons for refusing to breastfeed were inadequate milk secretion and the mother's employment outside the home

Knowledge, attitude and practices [KAP] of mothers about infants' diarrhea in Al-Taif, West Saudi Arabia

The aim of this study is to investigate the sociodemographic factors associated with infants' diarrheal episodes and the knowledge, attitude and practices [KAP] of mothers regarding their infants' diarrheal diseases in Al-Taif, West Saudi Arabia. Out of 2010 cases of acute diarrhea, 900 cases were selected randomly from those attended pediatric clinics at Al-Ameen and AI Hada Military Hospital at Al-Taif region in West Saudi Arabia, during the period of three years [from the beginning of January 1998 to the end of December 2000]. A questionnaire interview with the mothers of those selected children was performed to collect sociodemographic characteristics of the mothers and fathers. In addition to this, 9 open ended questions dealing with mothers' knowledge about different aspects of diarrhea such as definition, cause, transmission, symptoms and signs, management and prevention and source of mothers' information about these aspects of diarrhea. Also, actual practices and behavior of mothers towards their childrens' episodes of diarrhea were investigated. The great majority of mothers were illiterate [70%], aged 20-29 years [68%]. More than 72% of the fathers were illiterate or can just read and write. More than 60% of the mothers did not know symptom and signs of diarrhea and more than 40% did not know the causes, the appropriate time for seeking medical advice or the importance of fluids in the management of diarrhea. Diarrheal episodes in infants are still a cause of major morbidity associated with lower socioeconomic conditions. Also, the study revealed that mothers' knowledge about diarrhea was deficient particularly among younger and less educated mothers. So, the mother should have proper knowledge and skills to enable her to deliver the appropriate care. This will help in preventing most childhood diseases which are mostly due to deficient or faulty information. We recommend that all members of the health team in all health facilities offering services to mothers and their children should be actively involved as reliable sources for health information about diarrhea and other health problems according to agreed upon policy

study of dental caries and risk factors in preschool aged children

The purpose of this work is to investigate some risk factors associated with occurrence of dental caries in preschool aged children. All cases diagnosed as dental caries from those attended pediatric clinic and dentistry clinic at AI-Ameen Hospital at Al Taif city in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during 1998 were included in the study. For each case, a control matched for age and sex was chosen from patients attended to the same hospital for causes unrelated to dental caries. A questionnaire was completed by interview with the patient or his/her companion to collect the data concerning basic epidemiological data, personal habits and exposures. Majority of cases of dental caries occurred among females [70.4%]and [59.3%] have baby bottle tooth decay [BBTD].The peak of occurrence was observed in the age group [4-5 years].The risk of dental caries was thirteen times higher among cases of night bottle feeding [OR=13.48],five times among those with history of pregnancy complications [OR=5.93],four times in those with history of 3 times or more sweetened snacks between meals [OR=4.9] and two times in those with history of weaning after 14 months of age. Low social standard increased the risk of dental caries two and half times. After controlling confounders by using multivariate logistic regression low social class, night bottle feeding,3 times or more sweetened snacks between meals and weaning after 14 months of age remained significant risk factors [OR=2.13, 11.6, 3.35 and 1.18 respectively]. In conclusion, dental caries is a multifactorial disease. Night bottle feeding, pregnancy complications, 3 times or more sweetened snacks between meals and weaning after 14 months of age increase the risk of occurrence of dental caries

Combined ultrasonographic and clinical evaluation of high risk neonates for developmental dysplasia of hip: a prospective study

Developmental dysplasia of the hip [DDH] continues to be missed by routine physical screening examinations in the early months when treatment is most effective. Real time ultrasonography is valuable in detection of DDH in the young infants less than three months old. We performed a prospective study to evaluate the use of ultrasound screening that targets a select [high risk newborn] population for DDH aiming to increase the early diagnosis of this condition and decrease the incidence of late cases. From 2121 live births in our hospitals; we identified 188 [8.8%] newborns with risk factors for DDH. We followed these patients by clinical examination and ultrasound at birth, 6 weeks and 12 weeks of age. Initial ultrasound scan showed that 28% of the cases had findings suggestive of dysplastic hip, about half of them were clinically normal during neonatal examination. On subsequent scanning, the proportion of abnormal hip decreased gradually so that by 12 weeks, 80% had normal ultrasound appearance. Abnormality was more common in babies with breech presentation and family history of DDH. One female infant, not diagnosed by clinical examination at birth and with no risk factors, had abnormal clinical examination and ultrasound appearance of DDH by 12 weeks. From our study, we conclude that selective screening with ultrasound for the hip of newborns with specific physical and historical risk factors for DDH is more effective than clinical screening alone. It targets treatment to these infants who need it, and reveals a number of dislocated and subluxated hips that would otherwise be missed. It is better done when they are 4-6 weeks old. Clinical assessment cannot be restricted only to the first 2-3 days after birth but continued during the first year of life

First derivative spectrophotometometric analysis of isradipine in the presence of its degradation products

A stability indicating first derivative spectrophotometric method had been proposed for the evaluation of isradipine in pure form and pharmaceutical formulations. The method depends on measuring the delta-A/delta-gamma values at 248 nm where the degradation products do not interfere. It was also determined that the excipients in the tablet and capsule preparations did not interfere with the assay. The suggested procedure showed a linear relation in the range 5-35 mug.ml -1 on plotting delta-A/delta-gamma as a function of concentration. The mean accuracy was found to be 100.1 +/- 0.95

Stability-indicating assay of secnidazole in the presence of its degradation products

Four new selective, precise and accurate first derivative spectrophotometric, RP-HPLC, TLC densitometric and colorimetric methods were described for the determination of secnidazole in the presence of its degradation products, 2-methyl-5-nitroimidazole and hydroxy propanol. These methods were suitable for stability testing of secnidazole in bulk powder retaining their accuracy in the presence of up to 70% and 90% of its degradation product. The proposed methods were applied for the analysis of pharmaceutical formulations and the recoveries were 99.40-100.52%. The results obtained agreed with the reported method

Neonatal and maternal hyponatremia: comparison of oxytocin in dextrose 5 % infusion with oxytocin in saline infusion for induction of labor

We performed a randomized controlled trial of a total of 200 women in labor divided into two equal groups, to determine prospectively the relation between maternal and cord serum sodium levels and the effect of intravenous Oxytocin infusion in either dextrose 5 percent or saline. There was no maternal or neonatal hyponatremia in the saline group. Oxytocin in 5 percent Glucose infusion caused statistically significant depression of maternal and cord serum sodium levels, compared to those of the saline group. Eight newborns in dextrose 5 percent group [8 percent] had definite hyponatremia [< 130mmol/L]. We observed significant negative correlation between cord serum sodium and both the dose of Oxytocin and volume of glucose solution infused in the dextrose 5 percent group. Comparing the serum sodium levels in mothers and newborns between those women who received volumes of saline or dextrose 5 percent less than 1000ml and those who received more than 1000ml revealed statistically significant depression of serum sodium level in only more than 1000 ml dextrose 5 percent group. We recommended that caution should be exercised in prescribing intravenous Oxytocin therapy during labor and, if more than 1000ml of fluids are required, sodium should be included

Stability indicating permanganometric procedure for the determination of doxycycline hydrochloride

A permanganometric method for the quantitative determination of the intact doxycycline hydrochloride is described. The method depends upon the preliminary TLC separation of 1-14 mg of doxycycline hydrochloride on silica gel-H glass plates, using n-butanol, NH4OH, water [5: 1: 5] as a developing solvent. The spot corresponding to the intact molecule parallel to that of a reference sample is identified under U.V. lamp, scratched extracted with water, treated with 25% H2SO4 heated to 60-70C and titrated with 0.05 N KMnO4. The concentration of doxycycline hydrochloride is computed from a standard calibration curve, or from the equivalence factor calculated to be 0.542 mg doxycycline hydrochloride for each milliliter of 0.05 N KMnO4. The efficiency of the method is assessed by mixing a reference sample of doxycycline hydrochloride with controlled, alkaline degraded samples, and the results obtained are found to concord nicely. The method is applied to doxycycline hydrochloride bulk power and to its capsule pharmaceutical formulation