A study of depression among Alexandria preparatory school adolescents.

Using a constructed Arabic version of Children Depression Inventory (CDI), screening of a stratified random sample of 1% (1561) of Alexandria Preparatory school adolescents was carried out. The prevalence of depressive scorers was 10.25% of total sample. A sub-sample of depressed scorers (111 pupils) were compared with controls (non-depressed scorers) matched on age and sex to study a variety of personal, familial, medical and scholastic ecological variables. Pupils neuroticism scorers were most predictive of depressive scorers where they explained 59.79% of the variance. Other ecological factors including peer and sibling relationships, introversive and lie scale scorers and scholastic performance explained an additional 14.87% of the variance. Using Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Mother-Father relationship check list, a sub-sample of depressed pupils' mothers were compared with controls of non-depressed pupils' mothers (42 mothers for each). Results indicated a strong positive correlation between pupils, CDI scores and their mothers BDI scores. On the other hand poor mother-father relationship was significantly associated with depressive scores of pupils. Findings, pointed to the need for reconsideration of school mental health program, since the presented medical and social services to depressed pupils were very poor.

A prospective study of morbidity pattern and nutritional status of a group of healthy newborns during their first year of life in a rural area near Alexandria.

The present work was planned to study morbidity pattern and nutritional status of a group of healthy new borns in a rural area near Alexandria (Abbis II, VIII villages) through a prospective follow up approach. Eighty two infants were followed up for 12 months. Each infant was subjected to 15 visits within the first year of life. Morbidity was recorded either from mother's history, records from rural health centres or detected by the researcher and expressed as morbidity risk exposures based on a tested scoring system. Anthropometric standards issued by WHO were used to classify the children's length for age, weight for age and weight for length in terms of a cut off point of 2 SD below the median of that of the reference. Gomez classification was used to diagnose undernutrition and Waterlow system was used to diagnose growth stunting. Socioeconomic status of infants' families was also assessed. Results indicated a high prevalence of morbidity risk exposure, growth retardation and under nutrition with a tendency for gradual increase towards the end of the follow up. The results also proved that diarrheal diseases were still the most common illness among infants followed by respiratory tract infections. Investigation of the effects of socioeconomic status on morbidity risk exposure proved its significance at the end of the follow up. The results also illustrated a significant effect of morbidity risk exposure on the nutritional status at the end of the first year.

PIP: Health workers visited 82 healthy newborns in 2 villages near Alexandria, Egypt 15 times during their 1st year of life. The morbidity pattern, the nutritional status, and the morbidity pattern's effect on the nutritional status of the infants were studied. At the end of 1 year, 40.24% of the children had diarrhea. The mean annual number of diarrheal episodes was 4.3%. Poor environmental sanitation and the presence of animals and birds in and around the infants homes probably contributed to the high prevalence of diarrhea. 35.37% had either an upper or lower respiratory tract infection at the end of follow up. The mean annual number of respiratory infections stood at 2.2. Skin disease was the 3rd most common disease during the 1st year particularly during the 1st 3 quarters (14.13%, 12.36%, and 11.91%). Eye disease especially conjunctivitis were the 4th most common diseases among these children, especially during the 3rd quarter (13.10). The only infectious disease was measles which afflicted only 3.66% of the infants. None of the infants from high middle socioeconomic households were considered at high morbidity risk exposure. Almost all (93.33%) of these infants were at low morbidity and low average risk exposures. 24.39% of infants from low socioeconomic households were at high morbidity risk exposure, however. The percentage of infants growing normally decreased over time. For example, at the 1st quarter, 91.3% grew normally and by the 4th quarter this decreased to 57.32%. By 1 year almost 1.5 were either stunted or wasted and 3.66% were both stunted and wasted. an association existed between morbidity and nutritional status of the infants. Children with high morbidity scores were also the children suffering from the most severe malnutrition. Health workers should encourage mothers to use child health services at the rural health centers. They also should use growth charts to monitor infant and child growth.

Construction of a local standard symphysis fundal height curves for monitoring intrauterine fetal growth.

The aim of the present study was to construct standard symphysis fundal height percentile curves to be used as a reference chart in monitoring fetal growth. The construction was based on 1185 observations (symphysis fundal height measured to the nearest 0.5 cm by a malleable elastic tape) obtained from follow up of 105 cases of healthy pregnant women who were: sure of date of their last menstrual period, confirmed by early dating scan "before 20th gestational week", experienced a very strict normal course of pregnancy, giving birth to normal term newborn with appropriate weight for gestational age and sex. The selection of the study sample went through several screening levels starting by 4088 cases and ending by 105 cases. The measurements were taken biweekly from the 18th week of gestation to delivery "37-42 weeks of gestation." Tenth, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th and 95th percentiles were calculated and represented graphically. Mean, mean-1 SD, mean-2 SD, mean +1 SD, mean + 2 SD were also calculated and represented graphically. The curve of best fit was determined by polynominal regression. The resulted percentile curves and mean values were found to be comparable to those in both developed and developing countries. It was recommended to incorporate the reference charts of symphysis fundal height into the maternity services after using it in routine antenatal examination for large number of cases and establishing its sensitivity and specificity.

Patterns of blood pressure among pregnant mothers attending MCH centres in Alexandria.

The present study was conducted to illustrate the range of normal blood pressure among pregnant mothers attending MCH centres and its biological and socioeconomic determinants. A total sample of 630 pregnant mothers were selected from 6 centres representing the 6 zones of Alexandria. Mothers of blood pressure above 140/90 mm Hg were excluded. The results showed that the mean systolic blood pressure in the first trimester was 112.16 mm Hg, decreased to 109.42. mm Hg for mothers in the 2nd trimester and raised again to 114.41 mm Hg in the 3rd trimester. A variety of socioeconomic and biological factors were involved in changing the range of blood pressure within normal limits specially during specific trimesters of pregnancy. It is recommended to record blood pressure for pregnant mothers from the first antenatal visit at any trimester. Single value can be used as potential marker. Those with higher trends of normal pressure values should be systemically followed.