Factors affecting birth weight in Kuwait: part II-pregnancy characteristics and health factors

The aim of this study was to determine the mean birth weight of Kuwaiti infants, the incidence of low birth weight and the impact of maternal age, smoking, health status, parents' consanguinity and pregnancy characteristics on infants' birth weight. The study was conducted in the major maternity hospital in Kuwait where the body weight of 1995 newborn infants was recorded shortly after birth. Data describing maternal age, duration of pregnancy, sex of the infant and maternal illness during pregnancy were recorded. Mothers were interviewed to collect data on duration between present and last pregnancy, birth order of the infant, parents' consanguinity and frequency of smoking. The results show that the mean birth weight was 3.5 Kg and the incidence of low birth weight was 3.4%. The results illustrate that young mothers were more liable to have small infants while old mothers were more liable to deliver a very heavy or low birth weight infant. The weight of the newborn infant was positively correlated with duration of pregnancy, duration between present and last pregnancy and birth order. The mean birth weight of male infants [3.51 Kg] was higher than females [3.47 Kg]. Parents' consanguinity and maternal smoking had a slight effect on infants' birth weight. The results show that diabetic mothers delivered large babies. On the contrary, the incidence of low birth weight was highest [7.0%] among infants of hypertensive mothers

Patients' satisfaction with diets presented in Kuwaiti hospitals

The study was implemented to investigate patients satisfaction with diets presented in Kuwaiti hospitals. Four hospitals were included in the study, Al-Sabah and Chest disease hospitals in which dietary services are offered directly by the nutrition and catering administration of the Ministry of Health and Al-Jahra and Farwanya hospitals in which dietary services are offered by catering companies. The survey included 171 Kuwaiti and 355 non-Kuwaiti patients. Data was collected by direct interview technique using a pre-coded questionnaire. The patients were questioned about their opinion of the hospital diet, its quanity, temprature, time of presentation and how frequently do they bring foods from outside the hospital.The result of this study show that patients reported that breakfast and dinner were offered early. In the mean time 30.2% reported that the quantity of food offered is more than required and as a result 50% of the patients did not consume all the food offered to them. The results also show that 10% of the patients felt hungry after consuming hospital meals, 21.4% received exogenous food either regularly or occasionaly. The results also show that 11.6% of the patients received diets that were not compatible with their diagnosis

Iron and folic acid metabolism in chicks

The effects of iron and/or folic acid deficiency on hemoglobin, hematocrit, growth rates, liver weights and folic acid metabolism were investigated in chicks. A severe anemia developed in all chicks fed the deficient diets; those fed the diet low in iron and folic acid developed the most severe anemia. Maximum growth retardation was noted in chicks fed the folic acid deficient diet rather than in the double deficient chicks. A significant decrease in plasma folic acid was noted in the folate deficient groups and a comparable reduction in plasma N[5]- methyl tetrahydrofolic acid was observed in the iron deficient chicks. Perhaps the most interesting observation made from this study is that the chick maintains more than half of its plasma folic acid as tetrahydrofolic acid rather than in the form of N[5]- methyl tetrahydrofolale which is the major circulating form in most mammals tested. It was concluded from this study that as in man or the rat prolonged iron deficiency may enhance or induce secondary folate deficiency in the chicks. Further, the chicks susceptibility to dietary folate deficiency in contrast to other species may be related to the form in which it maintains its circulating folate