Parental smoking and lower chest problems in infants and children

Tobacco is the commonest indoor environmental pollutant to which children-are exposed. Passive smoking, the major source of indoor pollution has been identified as a risk factor for a variety of diseases. Children appear to be particularly vulnerable to passive smoking with increased incidence of wheezing, bronchial hyperreactivity, asthma, atopy, frequent cough, otitis media, persistent ear effusion, snoring and sudden infant death syndrome. The aim of this work was evaluation the relationship of parental smoking and lower chest problems, serum immunoglobulin E and eosinophil count in infants and children in Sharkia Community.This study included 2 main groups. Group I: Consists of 100 children with history of exposure to indoor passive smoking and group II: included 50 children without history of exposure to parental smoking as a control group. Every child in both groups was subjected to general and local chest examination, stool and urine analysis; chest X-ray; urinary cotinine level; absolute eosinophil count and serum IgE. This study showed that passive smoker children had statistically significant increase in urinary cotinine level; serum total IgE; and the frequency of lower respiratory illness than in control group. This increase was more in boys than girls and in children aged less than 2 years than those above 2 years. Also passive smoker children had significant increase in total eosinophil count than controls but there was no difference regarding the sex and age. Lastly there was positive and significant relationship between urinary cotinine level and serum IgE and the frequency of lower respiratory illness. From the above we can conclude that children exposed to environmental tobacco smoke are more vulnerable to health hazards especially lower respiratory illness

Cows milk feeding in infancy-further observations on blood loss from gastrointestinal tract

100 full-term healthy infants of age range between 9 days and 4 months were studied to determine their fecal blood loss and its reflection on iron status and other blood parameters. They were grouped according to type of feeding into breast milk fed, cow milk fed, formula fed, combined breast and cow's milk fed and lastly combined breast and formula fed groups. All groups were subjected to history taking, full clinical examination, full dietetic history and laboratory investigations. The latter included Hb conc., packed cell volume [PCV], erythrocyte protoporphyrin concentration [PPP], serum ferritin, serum iron and tests for fecal occult blood loss. Results showed that protoporphyrin level was very highly significantly increased in cow milk fed group versus other groups especially breast fed one which showed the lowest level. Conversely Hb concentration and PCV showed very highly significant increase in breast fed group versus other groups especially cow milk fed one which showed the lowest values. Also there was very highly significant increase in both serum iron and serum ferritin in breast fed group when compared to other groups especially the cow milk fed one which also showed the lowest values. The correlation between the fecal blood loss and the other biochemical parameters [hematocrit, protoporphyrin, serum iron and serum ferritin] showed that very highly significant difference is present among positive guaiac test versus negative ones

Weight, height and head circumference versus age in school children of Dakahlia governorate

In a trial to assess, anthropometrically, the nutritional status of school children in urban and rural areas of Dakahlia Governorate, 2400 children [1200 from each community] with ages 6.5-11.5 years were studied. Weight, height and head circumference were measured for all children. It was found that the mean weight and mean height of school boys exceed those of girls till the age of 10.5 years [in urban areas] and 9.5 years [in rural areas], after which the weight and height of girls exceed those of boys. The mean head circumference of boys slightly found to exceed that of girls throughout all school age period. Rural standards for weight, height and head circumference have marked lower position as compared with the urban standards and with the British standards. Malnutrition was more prevalent among rural school children than in urban school children