Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Determinants Of Infant And Young Complementary Feeding Practices Among Children 6-23 Months Of Age In Urban Pakistan: A Multicenter Longitudinal Study, Shabina Ariff, Kamran Sadiq, Javairia Khalid, Laila Sikanderali, Batha Tariq, Fariha Shaheen, Gul Nawaz Khan, Atif Habib, Sajid Bashir Soofi

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Suboptimal feeding practices have a negative impact on children's health and growth in the first 2 years of life and increase their risk of undernutrition, morbidity, and mortality. The aim of the study was to assess the factors that influence infant and young child feeding practices among urban mothers in a hospital setting at Karachi, Pakistan.
Methods: A longitudinal multi-center cohort study was conducted in four countries, MULTICENTER BODY COMPOSITION REFERENCE STUDY (MBCRS) to produce normal body composition reference data in healthy infants from 3 months to 24 months of age. Repeated anthropometric (weight, length and head circumference) and …

Rsv Associated Hospitalizations In Children In Karachi, Pakistan: Implications For Vaccine Prevention Strategies, Syed Asad Ali, Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai, Rabbia Waris, Fatima Jafri, Fatima Aziz, Imran Naeem Abbasi, Anita K. M. Zaidi

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Major progress is being made in vaccines against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), with multiple vaccine candidates currently in the clinical phase of development. Making an investment case for public sector financing of RSV vaccine will require estimation of burden, cost-effectiveness, and impact. The aim of this study is to determine the proportion, age distribution and clinical spectrum of RSV associated hospitalizations in children in Karachi, Pakistan. A three years prospective study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, a city of 20 million in south Pakistan, from August 2009 to June 2012. Children less than five years …

Hepatitis B And C: Prevalence And Risk Factors Associated With Seropositivity Among Children In Karachi, Pakistan, Wasim Jafri, Nadim Jafri, Javed Yakoob, Muhammad Islam, Syed Farhan Ali Tirmizi, Tazeen Jafar, Saeed Akhtar, Saeed Hamid, Hasnain Ali Shah, Sheikh Qamaruddin Nizami

Section of Gastroenterology

Background

Infections with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) can lead to chronic liver disease and hepato-cellular carcinoma (HCC). This cross-sectional study estimated the prevalence and identified risk factors associated with Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and HCV antibody (anti-HCV) sero-positivity among children 1 to 15 years of age.

Methods

The study targeted the low to middle socioeconomic population that comprises 80% to 85% of the population. Consent was obtained from parents of the eligible children before administering questionnaire and collected a blood sample for anti-HCV and HBsAg serology.

Results

3533 children were screened for HBsAg and …