ABSTRACT
Background: Congenital malformations are assuming prominence as a contributor to neonatal and childhood mortality. This study is aimed at identifying the pattern and profile of congenital malformations among neonates delivered in a tertiary teaching hospital in Sikkim which will provide baseline data for future studies.Methods: A hospital based cross sectional observational study was conducted from 15 October 2015 till 15 April 2017 among live newborns delivered in the only teaching hospital of Sikkim. Out of 2521 neonates delivered, 96 neonates met the inclusion criteria. These neonates underwent a detailed clinical evaluation and appropriate investigations. Data collected were entered into Microsoft excel worksheet 2017, SPSS (version 22) was used for data analysis.Results: The occurrence of congenital malformations in the hospital was 3.8%. Neonates with major anomalies were 50% and majority of the anomalies were of genitourinary system (23.96%). The relation between gender and congenital malformation was found to be statistically significant with p value <0.05, predominantly affecting male. Only 6.25% of the malformations were diagnosed prenatally.Conclusions: This study gives data on the pattern and profile of malformation from a geographically isolated place in the Himalayan regions of India which showed some significant variation. It also highlights the lack of adequate facilities for prenatal diagnosis of congenital malformation in these regions.
ABSTRACT
Background: The association between anaemia and iron deficiency anaemia with febrile seizures is still not very well understood. The purpose of this study was to describe the occurrence of anaemia in children admitted with first episode of febrile seizures.Methods: This was a hospital based prospective study conducted at Central Referral Hospital, Gangtok, Sikkim, India from December 2012 to May 2014 on 50 children in the age group of 6 to 60 months admitted with first episode of febrile seizures. Detailed history and physical examination were performed and findings recorded and complete blood count, serum electrolytes and random blood sugar were done in all children. Mentzer Index was calculated from the haematological data.Results: The mean age in this study was 24.88'13.22 months. 74% of the cases were males. Twenty-eight children (56%) had anaemia out of which twenty-seven had Iron deficiency anaemia. The statistical analysis of qualitative data using Chi-square test with Yate's correction revealed no statistically significant difference between number of children with anaemia and no anaemia (p value=0.1493) and also between number of children with Iron deficiency anaemia and children with no Iron deficiency anaemia (p value=0.4478).Conclusions: This study did not reveal a higher occurrence of anaemia as well as iron deficiency anaemia in children admitted with first episode of febrile seizures.
ABSTRACT
We screened 50 neonates fulfilling the inclusion criteria admitted during the study period in a teaching hospital in a north-eastern state of India. Out of 50 neonates screened, 22 (44%) developed retinopathy of prematurity. There was significant association between the birth weight and gestational age of the baby at the time of the delivery with the development of ROP. Multivariate analysis of risk factors for development of ROP using a stepwise method, after controlling for various potential confounders, showed that apnea was a significant risk factor for the development of retinopathy of prematurity.