Digital Commons Network^™

Protocol For Validation Of The Global Scales For Early Development (Gsed) For Children Under 3 Years Of Age In Seven Countries, Vanessa Cavallera, Gillian Lancaster, Melissa Gladstone, Maureen M. Black, Gareth Mccray, Ambreen Nizar, Salahuddin Ahmed, Muhammad Imran Nisar, Farzana Begum, Fyezah Jehan

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Introduction: Children's early development is affected by caregiving experiences, with lifelong health and well-being implications. Governments and civil societies need population-based measures to monitor children's early development and ensure that children receive the care needed to thrive. To this end, the WHO developed the Global Scales for Early Development (GSED) to measure children's early development up to 3 years of age. The GSED includes three measures for population and programmatic level measurement: (1) short form (SF) (caregiver report), (2) long form (LF) (direct administration) and (3) psychosocial form (PF) (caregiver report). The primary aim of this protocol is to validate …

Tip-Over Injuries Among Children: Data From An Urban Emergency Department Of Karachi, Pakistan, Rubaba Naeem, Asrar Ali, Ahmed Raheem Buksh, Ayesha Quddusi, Uzma Rahim Khan

Department of Emergency Medicine

Introduction: Most unintentional injuries among children occur in the home environment. Tip-overs, defined as incidents where heavy objects fall on children due to some type of interaction, are one of the reasons for injuries inside the home. This study aims to determine injury patterns and outcomes for child injuries resulting from tip-overs in the home environment as reported in the emergency department.
Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of pediatric (under 18 years) tip-overs injuries occurred in years 2010 to 2015 at the Aga Khan University Hospital. Furthermore, parents of injured children participated in phone interviews to provide information …

The Childhood Acute Illness And Nutrition (Chain) Network Nested Case-Cohort Study Protocol: A Multi-Omics Approach To Understanding Mortality Among Children In Sub-Saharan Africa And South Asia, James M. Njunge, Kirkby Tickell, Abdoulaye Hama Diallo, Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayeem Bin Shahi, Md Amran Gazi, Ali Faisal Saleem, Zaubina Kazi, Syed Ali, Caroline Tigoi, Ezekiel Mupere

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Introduction: Many acutely ill children in low- and middle-income settings have a high risk of mortality both during and after hospitalisation despite guideline-based care. Understanding the biological mechanisms underpinning mortality may suggest optimal pathways to target for interventions to further reduce mortality. The Childhood Acute Illness and Nutrition (CHAIN) Network ( www.chainnnetwork.org) Nested Case-Cohort Study (CNCC) aims to investigate biological mechanisms leading to inpatient and post-discharge mortality through an integrated multi-omic approach.
Methods and analysis; The CNCC comprises a subset of participants from the CHAIN cohort (1278/3101 hospitalised participants, including 350 children who died and 658 survivors, and …

Prevalence Of Hiv And Associated Risk Factors Among Street-Connected Children In Mwanza City, Said Nyumayo, Eveline Konje, Benson Kidenya, Anthony Kapesa, Marko Hingi, Nyagwegwe Wango, Joshua Ngimbwa, Violeth Alphonce, Namanya Basinda

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

While on the street, HIV infection among street-connected children is a challenging issue due to the nature of transmission, distribution, and prevention. Lack of proper care and protection, insufficient knowledge of the danger of acquiring HIV, and insufficient or absence of health facilities serving street-connected children have left this vulnerable group engaging in high-risk behaviors exposing them to acquiring HIV. This cross-sectional study aimed at estimating the prevalence of HIV infection and its associated risk factors among street-connected children aged between 10 to17 years in Mwanza City. The study was granted ethical clearance all permissions and restrictions to work with …

Poliovirus Immunity Among Children Aged 6-11 And 36-48 Months In 14 Polio High-Risk Provinces Of Afghanistan: A Health-Facility-Based Study, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Maureen Martinez, Noha H. Farag, William S. Hendley, Derek Ehrhardt, Imran Ahmed, Imtiaz Hussain, William Weldon, Ahmed M. Kassem

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Afghanistan is one of two countries where wild poliovirus (WPV) type 1 remains endemic. We conducted a facility-based cross-sectional survey of antipoliovirus antibodies in children in 14 provinces of Afghanistan. The provinces were selected based on programmatic priorities for polio eradication. Children aged 6-11 and 36-48 months attending outpatient clinics were enrolled in the study. We collected venous blood, isolated serum, and conducted neutralization assays to detect poliovirus neutralizing antibodies. A total of 2086 children from the 14 provinces were enrolled. Among the enrolled children, 44.3% were girls; the median age in the 6-11-month group was 9.4 months, and in …

Frequency Of Bystander Exposure To Antibiotics For Enteropathogenic Bacteria Among Young Children In Low-Resource Settings, Elizabeth T. Rogawski Mcquade, Stephanie A. Brennhofer, Sarah E. Elwood, Timothy L. Mcmurry, Joseph A. Lewnard, Estomih R. Mduma, Sanjaya Shrestha, Najeeha Talat Iqbal, Pascal O. Bessong, Gagandeep Kang

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Children in low-resource settings carry enteric pathogens asymptomatically and are frequently treated with antibiotics, resulting in opportunities for pathogens to be exposed to antibiotics when not the target of treatment (i.e., bystander exposure). We quantified the frequency of bystander antibiotic exposures for enteric pathogens and estimated associations with resistance among children in eight low-resource settings. We analyzed 15,697 antibiotic courses from 1,715 children aged 0 to 2 y from the MAL-ED birth cohort. We calculated the incidence of bystander exposures and attributed exposures to respiratory and diarrheal illnesses. We associated bystander exposure with phenotypic susceptibility of E. coli isolates in …

Burden, Clinical Characteristics, Risk Factors, And Seasonality Of Adenovirus 40/41 Diarrhea In Children In Eight Low-Resource Settings, Godfrey Guga, Sarah Elwood, Caroline Kimathi, Gagandeep Kang, Margaret N. Kosek, Aldo A M Lima, Pascal O. Bessong, Amidou Samie, Najeeha Talat Iqbal, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background: The application of molecular diagnostics has identified enteric group adenovirus serotypes 40 and 41 as important causes of diarrhea in children. However, many aspects of the epidemiology of adenovirus 40/41 diarrhea have not been described.
Methods: We used data from the 8-site Etiology, Risk Factors, and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health and Development Project birth cohort study to describe site- and age-specific incidence, risk factors, clinical characteristics, and seasonality.
Results: The incidence of adenovirus 40/41 diarrhea was substantially higher by quantitative polymerase chain reaction than enzyme immunoassay and peaked at ∼30 episodes …

Effectiveness Of Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine Against Culture-Confirmed Salmonella Enterica Serotype Typhi In An Extensively Drug-Resistant Outbreak Setting Of Hyderabad, Pakistan: A Cohort Study, Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai, Sultan Karim, Sonia Qureshi, Abdul Momin Kazi, Hina Memon, Amber Junejo, Zohra Khawaja, Najeeb Ur Rehman, Muhammad Sajid Ansari, Rafey Ali, Heera Mani Lohana, Farah Naz Qamar

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi (S Typhi) is a major public health problem in low-income and middle-income countries. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness and impact of the typhoid conjugate vaccine Typbar-TCV against S Typhi among children in an outbreak setting of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) S Typhi in Pakistan.
Methods: This cohort study was done from Feb 21, 2018, to Dec 31, 2019. A census survey of all households located in the Qasimabad and Latifabad subdistricts of Hyderabad, Pakistan, was done at baseline, and 174 005 households were registered in the census. The Typbar-TCV immunisation campaign was initiated at temporary …

Risk Of Infection And Transmission Of Sars-Cov-2 Among Children And Adolescents In Households, Communities And Educational Settings: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Omar Irfan, Jiang Li, Kun Tang, Zhicheng Wang, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Background: There is uncertainty with respect to SARS-CoV-2 transmission in children (0-19 years) with controversy on effectiveness of school-closures in controlling the pandemic. It is of equal importance to evaluate the risk of transmission in children who are often asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic carriers that may incidentally transmit SARS-CoV-2 in different settings. We conducted this review to assess transmission and risks for SARS-CoV-2 in children (by age-groups or grades) in community and educational-settings compared to adults.
Methods: Data for the review were retrieved from PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, WHO COVID-19 Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) Database, WanFang Database, Latin …

Comparative Analysis Of Pediatric Covid-19 Infection In Southeast Asia, South Asia, Japan, And China, Judith Ju Ming Wong, Qalab Abbas, Soo Lin Chua, Ririe Fachrina Malisie, Kah Min Pon, Tomohiro Katsuta, Hongxing Dang, Pei Chuen Lee, Muralidharan Jayashree, Quratulain Maha

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

There is a scarcity of data regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in children from southeast and south Asia. This study aims to identify risk factors for severe COVID-19 disease among children in the region. This is an observational study of children with COVID-19 infection in hospitals contributing data to the Pediatric Acute and Critical Care COVID-19 Registry of Asia. Laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases were included in this registry. The primary outcome was severity of COVID-19 infection as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) (mild, moderate, severe, or critical). Epidemiology, clinical and laboratory features, and outcomes of children with COVID-19 …

Mental Health Of Children And Adolescents Amidst Covid-19 And Past Pandemics: A Rapid Systematic Review, Salima Meherali, Neelam Punjani, Samantha Louie-Poon, Komal Abdul Rahim, Jai K. Das, Rehana A. Salam, Zohra S. Lassi

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Background: The COVID‑19 pandemic and associated public health measures have disrupted the lives of people around the world. It is already evident that the direct and indirect psychological and social effects of the COVID‑19 pandemic are insidious and affect the mental health of young children and adolescents now and will in the future. The aim and objectives of this knowledge-synthesis study were to identify the impact of the pandemic on children's and adolescent's mental health and to evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions employed during previous and the current pandemic to promote children's and adolescents' mental health.
Methodology: We conducted …

Frequency Of Hypocalcemic Fits In Children 2 Months To 2 Years Of Age, Presenting With The First Episode Of Afebrile Seizures At Hospital Settings In Urban Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study, Waseem Rahman, Heeramani Lohana, Sarwat Urooj, Sheraz Ahmed, Abdul Moeed, Khadija Nuzhat Humayun

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Introduction: Seizures are common in the pediatric age group, occurring approximately 10% of children. Hypocalcemia is one of the most common metabolic causes of afebrile seizures. The objective of the study was to determine the frequency of hypocalcemic fits in children presenting with the first episode of afebrile seizures from 2 months to 2 years of age.
Methods: The study was conducted at the Aga Khan hospital Karachi and its three secondary hospitals including the following sites of Kharadar, Hyderabad, and garden. It was a cross-sectional study. The duration of the study was of 6 months from 18th July 2017 …

Long-Term Neurocognitive And Educational Outcomes Of Neonatal Insults In Kilifi, Kenya, Dorcas N. Magai, Hans M. Koot, Paul Mwangi, Esther Chongwo, Charles R. Newton, Amina Abubakar

Institute for Human Development

Background: There is little data on the long-term neurocognitive and educational outcomes among school-aged survivors of neonatal jaundice (NNJ) and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in Africa. This study investigates the long-term neurocognitive and educational outcomes and the correlates of these outcomes in school-aged survivors of NNJ or HIE in Kilifi, Kenya.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on neurocognitive and educational outcomes among school-aged survivors (6–12 years) of NNJ (n = 134) and HIE (n = 107) and compared them to a community comparison group (n = 134). We assessed nonverbal intelligence, planning, working memory, attention, syntax, pragmatics, wordfinding, …

Reports From The Nichd Global Network's Maternal And Newborn Health Registry: Supplement Introduction, Robert L. Goldenberg, Shivaprasad S. Goudar, Sarah Saleem, Patricia L. Hibberd, Jorge E. Tolosa, Marion Koso-Thomas, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Global Network Investigators

Community Health Sciences

No abstract provided.

Quantifying Long-Term Health And Economic Outcomes For Survivors Of Group B Streptococcus Invasive Disease In Infancy: Protocol Of A Multi-Country Study In Argentina, India, Kenya, Mozambique And South Africa, Proma Paul, Simon R. Procter, Ziyaad Dangor, Quique Bassat, Amina Abubakar, Sridhar Santhanam, Romina Libster, Bronner P. Gonçalves, Shabir A. Madhi, Azucena Bardají

Institute for Human Development

Sepsis and meningitis due to invasive group B Streptococcus (iGBS) disease during early infancy is a leading cause of child mortality. Recent systematic estimates of the worldwide burden of GBS suggested that there are 319,000 cases of infant iGBS disease each year, and an estimated 147,000 stillbirths and young-infant deaths, with the highest burden occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa. The following priority data gaps were highlighted: (1) long-term outcome data after infant iGBS, including mild disability, to calculate quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) or disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and (2) economic burden for iGBS survivors and their families. Geographic data gaps were …

Drivers Of Stunting Reduction In Peru: A Country Case Study, Luis Huicho, Elisa Vidal-Cárdenas, Nadia Akseer, Samanpreet Brar, Kaitlin Conway, Muhammad Islam, Elisa Juarez, Aviva Rappaport, Hana Tasic, Tyler Vaivada, Jannah Wigle, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Background: Peru reduced its under-5 child stunting prevalence notably from 31.3% in 2000 to 13.1% in 2016.
Objectives: We aimed to study factors and key enablers of child stunting reduction in Peru from 2000-2016.
Methods: Demographic and Health Surveys were used to conduct descriptive analyses [height-for-age z scores (HAZ) means and distributions, equity analysis, predicted child growth curves through polynomial regressions] and advanced regression analyses. An ecological (at department level) multilevel regression analysis was conducted to identify the major predictors of stunting decline from 2000 to 2016, and Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition was conducted to identify the relative contribution of each factor …

Achieving Accurate Estimates Of Fetal Gestational Age And Personalised Predictions Of Fetal Growth Based On Data From An International Prospective Cohort Study: A Population-Based Machine Learning Study, Russell Fung, Jose Villar, Ali Dashti, Leila Cheikh Ismail, Eleonora Staines-Uria, Eric O. Ohuma, Maria Carvalho, Shama Munim, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, International Fetal And Newborn Growth Consortium For The 21st Century (Intergrowth-21st)

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Background: Preterm birth is a major global health challenge, the leading cause of death in children under 5 years of age, and a key measure of a population's general health and nutritional status. Current clinical methods of estimating fetal gestational age are often inaccurate. For example, between 20 and 30 weeks of gestation, the width of the 95% prediction interval around the actual gestational age is estimated to be 18-36 days, even when the best ultrasound estimates are used. The aims of this study are to improve estimates of fetal gestational age and provide personalised predictions of future growth.
Methods: …

C'Est Vraiment Compliqué: A Case Study On The Delivery Of Maternal And Child Health And Nutrition Interventions In The Conflict-Affected Regions Of Mali, Anushka Ataullahjan, Michelle F. Gaffey, Moctar Tounkara, Samba Diarra, Seydou Doumbia, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Diego G. Bassani

Woman and Child Health

Background: Mali is currently in the midst of ongoing conflicts which involve jihadist groups, rebels, and the state. This conflict has primarily centered in the North of the country. Humanitarian actors delivering services in these geographies must navigate the complex environment created by conflict. This study aimed to understand how humanitarian actors make decisions around health service delivery within this context.
Methods: The current case-study utilized a mixed methods approach and focused on Mopti, Mali's fifth administrative region and fourth largest in population. Latent content analysis was used to analyze interview transcripts guided by our research objectives and new concepts …

Global Burden Of Respiratory Infections Associated With Seasonal Influenza In Children Under 5 Years In 2018: A Systematic Review And Modelling Study, Xin Wang, You Li, Katherine L. O'Brien, Qalab Abbas, Syed Asad Ali, Respiratory Virus Global Epidemiology Network, Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Anita K. M. Zaidi

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Seasonal influenza virus is a common cause of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) in young children. In 2008, we estimated that 20 million influenza-virus-associated ALRI and 1 million influenza-virus-associated severe ALRI occurred in children under 5 years globally. Despite this substantial burden, only a few low-income and middle-income countries have adopted routine influenza vaccination policies for children and, where present, these have achieved only low or unknown levels of vaccine uptake. Moreover, the influenza burden might have changed due to the emergence and circulation of influenza A/H1N1pdm09. We aimed to incorporate new data to update estimates of the global …

Mainstreaming Nutrition Services: Stabilization Centers And Outpatient Therapeutic Program Centers, Ashar Muhammad Malik

Community Health Sciences

No abstract provided.

A Novel Histological Index For Evaluation Of Environmental Enteric Dysfunction Identifies Geographic-Specific Features Of Enteropathy Among Children With Suboptimal Growth, Ta-Chiang Liu, Kelley Vanbuskirk, Syed Asad Ali, M. Paul Kelly, Lori R. Holtz, Omer H. Yilmaz, Kamran Sadiq, Najeeha Talat Iqbal, Beatrice Amadi, Sana Syed

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: A major limitation to understanding the etiopathogenesis of environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is the lack of a comprehensive, reproducible histologic framework for characterizing the small bowel lesions. We hypothesized that the development of such a system will identify unique histology features for EED, and that some features might correlate with clinical severity.
Methods: Duodenal endoscopic biopsies from two cohorts where EED is prevalent (Pakistan, Zambia) and North American children with and without gluten sensitive enteropathy (GSE) were processed for routine hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) staining, and scanned to produce whole slide images (WSIs) which we shared among study pathologists …

The Epidemiological Burden Of Obesity In Childhood: A Worldwide Epidemic Requiring Urgent Action, Mariachiara Di Cesare, Maroje Sorić, Pascal Bovet, J Jaime Miranda, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Gretchen A. Stevens, Avula Laxmaiah, Andre-Pascal Kengne, James Bentham

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: In recent decades, the prevalence of obesity in children has increased dramatically. This worldwide epidemic has important consequences, including psychiatric, psychological and psychosocial disorders in childhood and increased risk of developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) later in life. Treatment of obesity is difficult and children with excess weight are likely to become adults with obesity. These trends have led member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) to endorse a target of no increase in obesity in childhood by 2025.
Main body: Estimates of overweight in children aged under 5 years are available jointly from the United Nations Children's Fund …

Association Between Asthma And Dental Caries Amongst 12 - 15 Years Old Children: A School-Based Cross-Sectional Study In Karachi, Pakistan, Wajeeha Zahid, Shafquat Rozi, Farhan Raza Khan, Nida Zahid, Muhammad Masood Kadir

Community Health Sciences

Objective: The study aimed to determine an association between dental caries and asthma among 12 to 15 years old children.
Methods: This is a school-based cross-sectional study conducted from January to February 2016. A random sample of 544 children aged 12 - 15 years were enrolled from five private schools of Karachi. Dental caries was assessed using DMFT Index (Decayed, Missing, Filled teeth). The main exposure variable was asthma and information on it was collected through the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire.
Results: The data was analyzed using Cox Proportional Hazard algorithm. Crude and adjusted …

Does A History Of Sexual And Physical Childhood Abuse Contribute To Hiv Infection Risk In Adulthood? A Study Among Post-Natal Women In Harare, Zimbabwe, Simukai Shamu, Patience Shamu, Christina Zarowsky, Marleen Temmerman, Tamara Shefer, Naeemah Abrahams

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Sexual and physical abuse in childhood creates a great health burden including on mental and reproductive health. A possible link between child abuse and HIV infection has increasingly attracted attention. This paper investigated whether a history of child physical and sexual abuse is associated with HIV infection among adult women.

Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted among 2042 postnatal women (mean age = 26y) attending six public primary health care clinics in Harare, Zimbabwe within 6 weeks post-delivery. Clinic records were reviewed for mother’s antenatal HIV status. Participants were interviewed about childhood abuse including physical or …

Association Between Environmental Tobacco Smoke And Dental Caries Amongst 5-14 Years Old Children In Karachi, Pakistan., Anna Ali Nayani, Romaina Iqbal, Syed Iqbal Azam, Farhan Raza Khan, Aysha Habib Khan, Naveed Janjua, Azmina Hussain

Community Health Sciences

Objective:To determine the association between environmental tobacco smoke and dental caries.
Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted in peri-urban and urban areas of Karachi, from February to August 2014, and comprised children aged 5-14 years. A pre-coded questionnaire for environmental tobacco smoke and food frequency questionnaire for dietary habits were used. Dental examination of children was done to detect caries. Cox-proportional hazard algorithm was used to measure the association of environmental tobacco smoke with dental caries at multivariable level. STATA version 12.0 was used for statistical analysis.
Result:Of the 500 children, 250(50%) each were from peri-urban and urban …

Determinants And Impact Of Giardia Infection In The First 2 Years Of Life In The Mal-Ed Birth Cohort, Elizabeth T. Rogawski, Luther A. Bartelt, James A. Platts-Mills, Jessica C. Seidman, Amidou Samie, Alexandre Havt, Sudhir Babji, Shahida Qureshi, Sadia Shakoor, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Giardia are among the most common enteropathogens detected in children in low-resource settings. We describe here the epidemiology of infection with Giardia in the first 2 years of life in the Etiology, Risk Factors, and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health and Development Project (MAL-ED), a multisite birth-cohort study.
Methods: From 2089 children, 34916 stool samples collected during monthly surveillance and episodes of diarrhea were tested for Giardia using an enzyme immunoassay. We quantified the risk of Giardia detection, identified risk factors, and assessed the associations with micronutrients, markers of gut inflammation and …

Lead Exposure Assessment Among Pregnant Women, Newborns, And Children: Case Study From Karachi, Pakistan., Zafar Fatmi, Ambreen Sahito, Akihiko Ikegami, Atsuko Mizuno, Xiaoyi Cui, Nathan Mise, Mai Takagi, Yayoi Kobayashi, Fujio Kayama

Community Health Sciences

Lead (Pb) in petrol has been banned in developed countries. Despite the control of Pb in petrol since 2001, high levels were reported in the blood of pregnant women and children in Pakistan. However, the identification of sources of Pb has been elusive due to its pervasiveness. In this study, we assessed the lead intake of pregnant women and one- to three-year-old children from food, water, house dust, respirable dust, and soil. In addition, we completed the fingerprinting of the Pb isotopic ratios (LIR) of petrol and secondary sources (food, house-dust, respirable dust, soil, surma (eye cosmetics)) of exposure within …

Genomic Diversity Of Epec Associated With Clinical Presentations Of Differing Severity, Tracy H. Hazen, Michael S. Donnenberg, Sandra Panchalingam, Martin Antonio, Anowar Hossain, Inacio Mandomando, John Benjamin Ochieng, Shahida Qureshi, Farheen Quadri, Anita K. M. Zaidi

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) are diarrhoeagenic E. coli, and are a significant cause of gastrointestinal illness among young children in developing countries. Typical EPEC are identified by the presence of the bundle-forming pilus encoded by a virulence plasmid, which has been linked to an increased severity of illness, while atypical EPEC lack this feature. Comparative genomics of 70 total EPEC from lethal (LI), non-lethal symptomatic (NSI) or asymptomatic (AI) cases of diarrhoeal illness in children enrolled in the Global Enteric Multicenter Study was used to investigate the genomic differences in EPEC isolates obtained from individuals with various clinical outcomes. A …

Effect Of Mobile Phone Text Messages Reminders On Uptake Of Routine Immunization Among Children In Pakistan- Study Protocol For A Randomized Clinical Trial, Abdul Momin Kazi, Murtaza Ali, Khurram Zubair, Hussain Kalimuddin, Syed Asad Ali

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Introduction: Routine Immunization (RI) is considered one of the best public health interventions to decrease child morbidity and mortality. The RI coverage in Pakistan is still well below the desired level, leading to continued polio transmission, large measles outbreaks and thousands of deaths from vaccine-preventable illnesses. Different innovative and cost effective strategies are required to look into for enhancement in vaccination uptake and coverage. We plan to test the effectiveness of reminders to parents/caregivers on cell phones through short messaging system (SMS) in improving vaccine uptake and on-time routine immunization for children in Pakistan.
Methods and Analysis: A parallel-randomized controlled …

Vaccine Effectiveness And Risk Factors Associated With Measles Among Children Presenting To The Hospitals Of Karachi, Pakistan., Aysha Zahidie, Saba Wasim, Zafar Fatmi

Community Health Sciences

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the risk factors regarding guardian's practices associated with development of Measles and also find out effectiveness of Measles vaccine among children less than 12 years of age presenting to the hospitals of Karachi.

STUDY DESIGN:

Matched case control study.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY:

Multicenter surveillance was conducted in 11 public and private sector hospitals of Karachi from January 2011 to September 2012 in consultation with World Health Organization Measles Surveillance Cell.

METHODOLOGY:

Cases were children aged less than 12 years with Measles presenting to the hospitals. Controls for cases were enrolled from the same hospitals without …