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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 Jan 2023

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 …


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 Nov 2022

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 …


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 Oct 2022

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 Sep 2022

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 …


Community-Based Asthma Assessment In Young Children: Adaptations For A Multicentre Longitudinal Study In South Asia, Mohammad Shahidul Islam, Samin Huq, Steven Cunningham, Jurgen Schwarze, Asmd Ashraful Islam, Mashal Amin, Farrukh Raza, Benazir Baloch, Muhammad Imran Nisar, Sajid Bashir Soofi Jul 2022

Community-Based Asthma Assessment In Young Children: Adaptations For A Multicentre Longitudinal Study In South Asia, Mohammad Shahidul Islam, Samin Huq, Steven Cunningham, Jurgen Schwarze, Asmd Ashraful Islam, Mashal Amin, Farrukh Raza, Benazir Baloch, Muhammad Imran Nisar, Sajid Bashir Soofi

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Systematic assessment of childhood asthma is challenging in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings due to the lack of standardised and validated methodologies. We describe the contextual challenges and adaptation strategies in the implementation of a community-based asthma assessment in four resource-constrained settings in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.
Method: We followed a group of children of age 6-8 years for 12 months to record their respiratory health outcomes. The study participants were enrolled at four study sites of the 'Aetiology of Neonatal Infection in South Asia (ANISA)' study. We standardised the research methods for the sites, trained field staff …


Knowledge And Practices On The Prevention And Management Of Diarrhea In Children Under-2 Years Among Women Dwelling In Urban Slums Of Karachi, Pakistan, Asif Khaliq, Amreen 1, Nazia Jameel, Stefanie J. Krauth Mar 2022

Knowledge And Practices On The Prevention And Management Of Diarrhea In Children Under-2 Years Among Women Dwelling In Urban Slums Of Karachi, Pakistan, Asif Khaliq, Amreen 1, Nazia Jameel, Stefanie J. Krauth

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death especially among children. The age-proportionate mortality of diarrheal disease in infants under 2 years is 72%, among children under 5 years of age. Children living in urban slums are more prone to develop diarrhea. Although the disease can be prevented by many simple cost-effective interventions, i.e. proper sanitation and hygiene, appropriate feeding, and timely vaccination, poverty and lack of basic life amenities often potentiate diarrhea mortality. Gadap town is the largest town of Karachi with a deprived health system. This study aims to assess pediatric diarrhea prevalence and related knowledge-practice gaps …


Risk Factors For Acute Respiratory Infections In Children Between 0 And 23 Months Of Age In A Peri-Urban District In Pakistan: A Matched Case–Control Study, Fatima Mir, Shabina Ariff, Maria Asif Bhura, Suhail Chanar, Aspara Ali, Muhammad Jawwad, A Hussain, Arjumand Rizvi, Muhammad Umer, Zahid Memon, Atif Habib, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta Jan 2022

Risk Factors For Acute Respiratory Infections In Children Between 0 And 23 Months Of Age In A Peri-Urban District In Pakistan: A Matched Case–Control Study, Fatima Mir, Shabina Ariff, Maria Asif Bhura, Suhail Chanar, Aspara Ali, Muhammad Jawwad, A Hussain, Arjumand Rizvi, Muhammad Umer, Zahid Memon, Atif Habib, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Acute respiratory infection (ARI) accounts for nearly 15% of all childhood mortality in South Asia, with children from rural areas at higher risk due to inaccessibility to healthcare facilities. We therefore aimed to identify risk factors associated with ARI in children under 2 years of age in rural Pakistan.
Methods: A retrospective 1:2 matched case-control study was conducted between October and December 2018 in Taluka Kotri, Jamshoro District of Pakistan. Cases were identified as children between 0 and 23 months of age with a history of fever, cough, sore throat, fast breathing, difficulty breathing, or chest indrawing in the …


Effect Of 3 Days Of Oral Azithromycin On Young Children With Acute Diarrhea In Low-Resource Settings: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Antibiotics For Children With Diarrhea (Abcd) Study Group, Tahmeed Ahmed, Farah Naz Qamar, Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai, Shahida Qureshi, Sadia Shakoor, Rozina Thobani, Aneeta Hotwani, Furqan Kabir, Jan Mohammed Dec 2021

Effect Of 3 Days Of Oral Azithromycin On Young Children With Acute Diarrhea In Low-Resource Settings: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Antibiotics For Children With Diarrhea (Abcd) Study Group, Tahmeed Ahmed, Farah Naz Qamar, Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai, Shahida Qureshi, Sadia Shakoor, Rozina Thobani, Aneeta Hotwani, Furqan Kabir, Jan Mohammed

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Importance: World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines do not recommend routine antibiotic use for children with acute watery diarrhea. However, recent studies suggest that a significant proportion of such episodes have a bacterial cause and are associated with mortality and growth impairment, especially among children at high risk of diarrhea-associated mortality. Expanding antibiotic use among dehydrated or undernourished children may reduce diarrhea-associated mortality and improve growth.
Objective: To determine whether the addition of azithromycin to standard case management of acute nonbloody watery diarrhea for children aged 2 to 23 months who are dehydrated or undernourished could reduce mortality and improve linear …


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 Aug 2021

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 …


A Retrospective Review On Antibiotic Use In Acute Watery Diarrhea In Children In A Tertiary Care Hospital Of Karachi, Pakistan, Sonia Qureshi, Shahzadi Resham, Mariam Hashmi, Abdullah B. Naveed, Zoya Haq, Syed Asad Ali Jul 2021

A Retrospective Review On Antibiotic Use In Acute Watery Diarrhea In Children In A Tertiary Care Hospital Of Karachi, Pakistan, Sonia Qureshi, Shahzadi Resham, Mariam Hashmi, Abdullah B. Naveed, Zoya Haq, Syed Asad Ali

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Introduction: Responsible for at least one in nine pediatric deaths, diarrheal diseases are the leading, global cause of death. Further abetted by improper antibiotic use in a hospital setting, children with acute watery diarrhea can see prolonged hospital stays, and unwanted adverse effects such as antibiotic resistance. Hence, this study is aimed to identify the association between antibiotic usage for the treatment of acute watery diarrhea in children, and the impact this line of management has on the duration of their hospital stay.
Methods: A retrospective review was conducted at the department of Pediatric of Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) …


Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (Mis-C) In Pakistani Children: A Description Of The Phenotypes And Comparison With Historical Cohorts Of Children With Kawasaki Disease And Myocarditis, Shazia Mohsin, Qalab Abbas, Devyani Chowdhary, Farah Khalid, Abdul Sattar Sheikh, Zuviya Ghazala Ali Khan, Nadeem Aslam, Omaima Anis Bhatti, Maha Inam, Ali Faisal Saleem, Adnan T. Bhutta Jun 2021

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (Mis-C) In Pakistani Children: A Description Of The Phenotypes And Comparison With Historical Cohorts Of Children With Kawasaki Disease And Myocarditis, Shazia Mohsin, Qalab Abbas, Devyani Chowdhary, Farah Khalid, Abdul Sattar Sheikh, Zuviya Ghazala Ali Khan, Nadeem Aslam, Omaima Anis Bhatti, Maha Inam, Ali Faisal Saleem, Adnan T. Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Objectives: To determine clinical, laboratory features and outcomes of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children (MIS-C) and its comparison with historic Kawasaki Disease (KD) and Viral Myocarditis (VM) cohorts.
Methods: All children (1 month- 18 years) who fulfilled the World Health Organization criteria of MIS-C presenting to two tertiary care centers in Karachi from May 2020 till August 31st were included. KD and VM admitted to one of the study centers in the last five years prior to this pandemic, was compared to MIS-C.
Results: Thirty children with median age of 24 (interquartile range (IQR)1-192) months met the criteria for MIS-C. …


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 Jun 2021

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 …


Gastrointestinal Complications In Critically Ill Children: Experience From A Resource-Limited Country, Sidra Ishaque, Mariam Shakir, Asma Akbar Ladak, Anwar Ul Haque May 2021

Gastrointestinal Complications In Critically Ill Children: Experience From A Resource-Limited Country, Sidra Ishaque, Mariam Shakir, Asma Akbar Ladak, Anwar Ul Haque

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Objectives: To determine the frequency and predictors of outcome of gastrointestinal complications (GIC) in critically ill children.
Methods: This descriptive study was prospectively conducted in The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), The Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi, from September 2015 to January 2017. After obtaining approval from the Ethical Review Committee of AKUH and informed consent from the parents, all children (aged one month to 18 years), of either gender, admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) during the study period were included. The frequency of the defined GIC: vomiting, high gastric residue volume (GRV), diarrhea, constipation, and …


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 Dec 2020

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 …


Global Burden Of Acute Lower Respiratory Infection Associated With Human Metapneumovirus In Children Under 5 Years In 2018: A Systematic Review And Modelling Study, Xin Wang, You Li, Maria Deloria-Knoll, Shabir A. Madhi, Cheryl Cohen, Syed Asad Ali, Sudha Basne, Quique Bassat, W Abdullah Brooks, Malinee Chittaganpitch Nov 2020

Global Burden Of Acute Lower Respiratory Infection Associated With Human Metapneumovirus In Children Under 5 Years In 2018: A Systematic Review And Modelling Study, Xin Wang, You Li, Maria Deloria-Knoll, Shabir A. Madhi, Cheryl Cohen, Syed Asad Ali, Sudha Basne, Quique Bassat, W Abdullah Brooks, Malinee Chittaganpitch

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Human metapneumovirus is a common virus associated with acute lower respiratory infections (ALRIs) in children. No global burden estimates are available for ALRIs associated with human metapneumovirus in children, and no licensed vaccines or drugs exist for human metapneumovirus infections. We aimed to estimate the age-stratified human metapneumovirus-associated ALRI global incidence, hospital admissions, and mortality burden in children younger than 5 years.
Methods: We estimated the global burden of human metapneumovirus-associated ALRIs in children younger than 5 years from a systematic review of 119 studies published between Jan 1, 2001, and Dec 31, 2019, and a further 40 high …


Natural History Of Non-Lethal Raine Syndrome During Childhood, Chiara Mameli, Giulia Zichichi, Nasim Mahmood, Siham Chafai Elalaoui, Adnan Mirza, Poonam Dharmaraj, Marco Burrone, Elisa Cattaneo, Jayesh Sheth, Ajit Gandhi Apr 2020

Natural History Of Non-Lethal Raine Syndrome During Childhood, Chiara Mameli, Giulia Zichichi, Nasim Mahmood, Siham Chafai Elalaoui, Adnan Mirza, Poonam Dharmaraj, Marco Burrone, Elisa Cattaneo, Jayesh Sheth, Ajit Gandhi

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Raine syndrome (RS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by biallelic loss-of-function mutations of FAM20C. The most common clinical features are microcephaly, exophthalmos, hypoplastic nose and severe midface hypoplasia, leading to choanal atresia. The radiological findings include generalized osteosclerosis and brain calcifications. RS is usually lethal during the neonatal period due to severe respiratory distress. However, there exists a non-lethal RS form, the phenotype of which is extremely heterogeneous. There is paucity of data about clinical course and life expectancy of these patients.
Results: This is the first description of follow-up features of non-lethal RS patients. Moreover, we …


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 Apr 2020

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 …


Diarrhoeal Disease And Subsequent Risk Of Death In Infants And Children Residing In Low-Income And Middle-Income Countries: Analysis Of The Gems Case-Control Study And 12-Month Gems-1a Follow-On Study, Myron M. Levine, Dilruba Nasrin, Sozinho Acácio, Quique Bassat, Helen Powell, Sharon M. Tennant, Samba O. Sow, Anita K. M. Zaidi, Shahida Qureshi, Farheen Quadri Feb 2020

Diarrhoeal Disease And Subsequent Risk Of Death In Infants And Children Residing In Low-Income And Middle-Income Countries: Analysis Of The Gems Case-Control Study And 12-Month Gems-1a Follow-On Study, Myron M. Levine, Dilruba Nasrin, Sozinho Acácio, Quique Bassat, Helen Powell, Sharon M. Tennant, Samba O. Sow, Anita K. M. Zaidi, Shahida Qureshi, Farheen Quadri

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: The Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS) was a 3-year case-control study that measured the burden, aetiology, and consequences of moderate-to-severe diarrhoea (MSD) in children aged 0-59 months. GEMS-1A, a 12-month follow-on study, comprised two parallel case-control studies, one assessing MSD and the other less-severe diarrhoea (LSD). In this report, we analyse the risk of death with each diarrhoea type and the specific pathogens associated with fatal outcomes.
Methods: GEMS was a prospective, age-stratified, matched case-control study done at seven sites in Africa and Asia. Children aged 0-59 months with MSD seeking care at sentinel health centres were recruited along …


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 Jan 2020

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 Nov 2019

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 …


Childhood Acute Illness And Nutrition (Chain) Network: A Protocol For A Multi-Site Prospective Cohort Study To Identify Modifiable Risk Factors For Mortality Among Acutely Ill Children In Africa And Asia, Childhood Acute Illness And Nutrition Network, J A. Berkley, J L. Walson, A H. Diallo, Asmsb Shahid, A Gwela, Ali Faisal Saleem Dr, Syed Asad Ali, C C. Tigoi, C Bourdon May 2019

Childhood Acute Illness And Nutrition (Chain) Network: A Protocol For A Multi-Site Prospective Cohort Study To Identify Modifiable Risk Factors For Mortality Among Acutely Ill Children In Africa And Asia, Childhood Acute Illness And Nutrition Network, J A. Berkley, J L. Walson, A H. Diallo, Asmsb Shahid, A Gwela, Ali Faisal Saleem Dr, Syed Asad Ali, C C. Tigoi, C Bourdon

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Introduction: Children admitted to hospitals in resource-poor settings remain at risk of both inpatient and post-discharge mortality. While known risk factors such as young age and nutritional status can identify children at risk, they do not provide clear mechanistic targets for intervention. The Childhood Acute Illness and Nutrition (CHAIN) cohort study aims to characterise the biomedical and social risk factors for mortality in acutely ill children in hospitals and after discharge to identify targeted interventions to reduce mortality.
Methods and analysis: The CHAIN network is currently undertaking a multi-site, prospective, observational cohort study, enrolling children aged 1 week to 2 …


Protecting Women And Children In Conflict Settings, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Michelle F. Gaffey, Karl Blanchet, Ron Waldman, Kamran Abbasi Mar 2019

Protecting Women And Children In Conflict Settings, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Michelle F. Gaffey, Karl Blanchet, Ron Waldman, Kamran Abbasi

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

No abstract provided.


Fly Control To Prevent Diarrhoea In Children, Jai K. Das, Yousaf Bashir Hadi, Rehana Salam, Mehar Hoda, Zohra S. Lassi, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta Dec 2018

Fly Control To Prevent Diarrhoea In Children, Jai K. Das, Yousaf Bashir Hadi, Rehana Salam, Mehar Hoda, Zohra S. Lassi, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background:
Diarrhoeal disease accounts for millions of child deaths every year. Although the role of flies as vectors of infectious diarrhoea has been established, fly control is not often mentioned as an approach to decrease childhood diarrhoea. Theoretically, fly control for decreasing diarrhoea incidence can be achieved by intervening at four different levels: reduction or elimination of fly breeding sites; reduction of sources that attract houseflies; prevention of contact between flies and disease-causing organisms; and protection of people, food, and food utensils from contact with flies.
Objectives:
To assess the impact of various housefly control measures on the incidence of …


Oral Ondansetron Administration To Nondehydrated Children With Diarrhea And Associated Vomiting In Emergency Departments In Pakistan: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Stephen B. Freedman, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Andrew R. Willan, Sarah Williamson Urquhart, Noshad Ali, Jianling Xie, Fady Dawoud, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta Nov 2018

Oral Ondansetron Administration To Nondehydrated Children With Diarrhea And Associated Vomiting In Emergency Departments In Pakistan: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Stephen B. Freedman, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Andrew R. Willan, Sarah Williamson Urquhart, Noshad Ali, Jianling Xie, Fady Dawoud, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Study objective: We determine whether single-dose oral ondansetron administration to children with vomiting as a result of acute gastroenteritis without dehydration reduces administration of intravenous fluid rehydration.
Methods: In this 2-hospital, double-blind, placebo-controlled, emergency department–based, randomized trial conducted in Karachi Pakistan, we recruited children aged 0.5 to 5.0 years, without dehydration, who had diarrhea and greater than or equal to 1 episode of vomiting within 4 hours of arrival. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1), through an Internet-based randomization service using a stratified variable-block randomization scheme, to single-dose oral ondansetron or placebo. The primary endpoint was intravenous rehydration (administration of 20 …


Reducing Micronutrient Deficiencies In Pakistani Children: Are Subsidies On Fortified Complementary Foods Cost-Effective?, Simon Wieser, Beatrice Brunner, Christina Tzogiou, Rafael Plessow, Michael B. Zimmermann, Jessica Farebrother, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Zaid Ahmad Bhatti, Imran Ahmed, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta Oct 2018

Reducing Micronutrient Deficiencies In Pakistani Children: Are Subsidies On Fortified Complementary Foods Cost-Effective?, Simon Wieser, Beatrice Brunner, Christina Tzogiou, Rafael Plessow, Michael B. Zimmermann, Jessica Farebrother, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Zaid Ahmad Bhatti, Imran Ahmed, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Objective: To estimate the cost-effectiveness of price subsidies on fortified packaged complementary foods (FPCF) in reducing iodine deficiency, iron-deficiency anaemia and vitamin A deficiency in Pakistani children.
Design: The study proceeded in three steps: (i) we determined the current lifetime costs of the three micronutrient deficiencies with a health economic model; (ii) we assessed the price sensitivity of demand for FPCF with a market survey in two Pakistani districts; (iii) we combined the findings of the first two steps with the results of a systematic review on the effectiveness of FPCF in reducing micronutrient deficiencies. The cost-effectiveness was estimated by …


Causes And Incidence Of Community-Acquired Serious Infections Among Young Children In South Asia (Anisa): An Observational Cohort Study., Samir K. Saha, Stephanie J. Schrag, Anita K. M. Zaidi, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Muhammad Imran Nisar, Benazir Baloch, Furqan Kabir, Sheraz Ahmed, Imran Ahmed Jul 2018

Causes And Incidence Of Community-Acquired Serious Infections Among Young Children In South Asia (Anisa): An Observational Cohort Study., Samir K. Saha, Stephanie J. Schrag, Anita K. M. Zaidi, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Muhammad Imran Nisar, Benazir Baloch, Furqan Kabir, Sheraz Ahmed, Imran Ahmed

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: More than 500 000 neonatal deaths per year result from possible serious bacterial infections (pSBIs), but the causes are largely unknown. We investigated the incidence of community-acquired infections caused by specific organisms among neonates in south Asia.
Methods: From 2011 to 2014, we identified babies through population-based pregnancy surveillance at five sites in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. Babies were visited at home by community health workers up to ten times from age 0 to 59 days. Illness meeting the WHO definition of pSBI and randomly selected healthy babies were referred to study physicians. The primary objective was to estimate …


Effect Of Mobile Phone Text Message Reminders On Routine Immunization Uptake In Pakistan: Randomized Controlled Trial, Abdul Momin Kazi, Murtaza Ali, Khurram Zubair, Hussain Kalimuddin, Abdul Nafey Kazi, Saleem Perwaiz Iqbal, Jean-Paul Collet, Syed Asad Ali Mar 2018

Effect Of Mobile Phone Text Message Reminders On Routine Immunization Uptake In Pakistan: Randomized Controlled Trial, Abdul Momin Kazi, Murtaza Ali, Khurram Zubair, Hussain Kalimuddin, Abdul Nafey Kazi, Saleem Perwaiz Iqbal, Jean-Paul Collet, Syed Asad Ali

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Improved routine immunization (RI) coverage is recommended as the priority public health strategy to decrease vaccine-preventable diseases and eradicate polio in Pakistan and worldwide.
Objective: The objective of this study was to ascertain whether customized, automated, one-way text messaging (short message service, SMS) reminders delivered to caregivers via mobile phones when a child is due for an RI visit can improve vaccination uptake and timelines in Pakistan.
Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial, conducted in an urban squatter settlement area of Karachi, Pakistan. Infants less than 2 weeks of age with at least one family member who had …


Promising Biomarkers Of Environmental Enteric Dysfunction: A Prospective Cohort Study In Pakistani Children., Najeeha Talat Iqbal, Kamran Sadiq, Sana Syed, Tauseefullah Akhund, Fayyaz Umrani, Sheraz Ahmed, Mohammad Yawar Yakoob, Najeeb Rehman, Shahida Qureshi, Syed Asad Ali Feb 2018

Promising Biomarkers Of Environmental Enteric Dysfunction: A Prospective Cohort Study In Pakistani Children., Najeeha Talat Iqbal, Kamran Sadiq, Sana Syed, Tauseefullah Akhund, Fayyaz Umrani, Sheraz Ahmed, Mohammad Yawar Yakoob, Najeeb Rehman, Shahida Qureshi, Syed Asad Ali

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (EED), a syndrome characterized by chronic gut inflammation, contributes towards stunting and poor response to enteric vaccines in children in developing countries. In this study, we evaluated major putative biomarkers of EED using growth faltering as its clinical proxy. Newborns (n = 380) were enrolled and followed till 18 months with monthly anthropometry. Biomarkersassociated with gut and systemic inflammation were assessed at 6 and 9 months. Linear mixed effects model was used to determine the associations of these biomarkers with growth faltering between birth and 18 months. Fecal myeloperoxidase (neutrophil activation marker) at 6 months [β = …


High Smad7 And P-Smad2,3 Expression Is Associated With Environmental Enteropathy In Children, Sana Syed, Vincenzo Dinallo, Najeeha Talat Iqbal, Laura Di Iorio, Davide Di Fusco, Shan Guleria, Beatrice C. Amadi, Kamran Sadiq, Christopher Moskaluk, Syed Asad Ali Feb 2018

High Smad7 And P-Smad2,3 Expression Is Associated With Environmental Enteropathy In Children, Sana Syed, Vincenzo Dinallo, Najeeha Talat Iqbal, Laura Di Iorio, Davide Di Fusco, Shan Guleria, Beatrice C. Amadi, Kamran Sadiq, Christopher Moskaluk, Syed Asad Ali

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Enteropathies such as Crohn's disease are associated with enteric inflammation characterized by impaired TGF-β signaling, decreased expression of phosphorylated (p)-SMAD2,3 and increased expression of SMAD7 (an inhibitor of SMAD3 phosphorylation). Environmental enteropathy (EE) is an acquired inflammatory disease of the small intestine (SI), which is associated with linear growth disruption, cognitive deficits, and reduced oral vaccine responsiveness in childrenp-SMAD2,3 levels (using Western blotting) in EE duodenal biopsies (N = 19 children, 7 from Pakistan, 12 from Zambia) and comparing these with healthy controls (Ctl) and celiac disease (CD) patients from Italy. Densitometric analysis of immunoblots showed that EE SI biopsies …


Outcome Of Traumatic Brain Injury In Children By Using Rotterdam Score On Computed Tomography, Anwarul Haque, Zehra Dhanani, Amin Ali, Basit Salam, Qalab Abbas, Gohar Javed, Humaira Jurair Jan 2018

Outcome Of Traumatic Brain Injury In Children By Using Rotterdam Score On Computed Tomography, Anwarul Haque, Zehra Dhanani, Amin Ali, Basit Salam, Qalab Abbas, Gohar Javed, Humaira Jurair

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: The Rotterdam Score (RS) on CT head is a new evolving clinical tool as a predictor of mortality in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The objective of this study is to assess the outcome of children with TBI admitted in paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a tertiary-care, university hospital by using RS.
Methods: This was a prospective observational study conducted on children (age: 1mo -16yr) with TBI admitted in PICU of Aga Khan University Hospital from 2013 to 2016. RS on CT was calculated by a radiologist. All patients were managed according to according to Paediatric Brain Trauma Foundation …