Assessment of awareness and feeding practices among mothers of infants under six months of age in an urban slum near Quetta

To assess the attitude, knowledge and feeding practices of mothers of infants below six months of age, in Killi Mohammed Shahi, Quetta. Cross - sectional descriptive study. The study was carried out at Killi Mohammed Shahi, an urban slum near Quetta, over a period of 6 months from June - December 2007. A total of 100 mothers, with children of age groups birth to 6 months were randomly selected from among a total of 150 identified mothers. Their knowledge, attitude and practices regarding breast feeding and weaning were determined by interviewing and observing the mothers in the area of Killi Mohammed Shahi, Quetta. Their education and socio economic status were also recorded. Different myths and beliefs were also recorded. A total of 100 mothers were interviewed for feeding practices. 30% were house wives and 70% were working women. Only 10% were exclusively breast fed for 6 month, 25% were exclusively breast fed after 1[st] month. Prelacteal foods were given to 90% of the infants. Commercial formulae were used by 42% of the mothers and the rest used other breast milk substitutes. It was concluded that knowledge, attitude and practices of breast feeding were not adequate due to different reasons, including lack of knowledge, about when and how to initiate breast feeding, different myths and belief, demands for household shores and economic reasons

comparative study of renal size in newborn babies

In neonatal period usual presentation of renal anomalies is an increase or decrease in renal size. This study was conducted to assess renal size of normal newborn babies and to determine the best parameter against which kidney size should be associated and whether it is similar for small for gestational age and appropriate for gestational age babies. This was a hospital-based case-control study, conducted over six months at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center and National Institute of Child Health, Karachi. One hundred and twenty-eight newborn babies were included. Kidney length and depth were measured by ultrasound. Birth weight, body length and head circumference of babies were measured. Gestational age was assessed using Dubowitz method. Kidney size was compared to birth weight, length, head circumference and gestational age. Out of 128 children 59% were boys and 41% girls. Seventy-one [55.4%] were small for gestational age and 57 [44.6%] appropriate for gestational age. Birth weights of babies ranged from 1100-4200 grams, lengths 39-53 cm and head circumference 30-37 cm. There was a positive correlation of kidney size with birth weight, body length and gestational age, strongest in case of birth weight. Appropriate for gestational age babies had larger kidneys than small for gestational age babies. There is a strong correlation between kidney size and birth weight of newborn babies. Small for gestational age babies have significantly smaller kidneys as compared to appropriate for gestational age babies