Pediatrics Commons^™

Postpartum Endometritis And Infection Following Incomplete Or Complete Abortion: Case Definition & Guidelines For Data Collection, Analysis, And Presentation Of Maternal Immunization Safety Data, C E. Rouse, L O. Eckert, F M. Muñoz, J S A. Stringer, S Kochhar, L Bartlett, M Sanicas, D J. Dudley, D M. Harper, Fyezah Jehan

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Abstract are not provided by the author/publisher

Deworming Children For Soil-Transmitted Helminths In Low And Middle-Income Countries: Systematic Review And Individual Participant Data Network Meta-Analysis, Vivian Andrea Welch, Alomgir Hossain, Elizabeth Ghogomu, Alison Riddle, Simon Cousens, Michelle Gaffey, Paul Arora, Robert Black, Donald Bundy, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Intestinal parasites affect millions of children globally. We aimed to assess effects of deworming children on nutritional and cognitive outcomes across potential effect modifiers using individual participant data (IPD). We searched multiple databases to 27 March 2018, grey literature, and other sources. We included randomised and quasi randomised trials of deworming compared to placebo or other nutritional interventions with data on baseline infection. We used a random-effects network meta-analysis with IPD and assessed overall quality, following a pre-specified protocol. We received IPD from 19 trials of STH deworming. Overall risk of bias was low. There were no statistically significant subgroup …

Distal Splenorenal Shunt (Dsrs) In Children With Extrahepatic Portal Hypertension, Zia Ur Rehman, Zafar Nazir

Department of Surgery Docs

Portal hypertension (PH) is infrequent in children as compared to adults. Currently, repetitive endoscopic ablation of varices is standard treatment. However, endoscopic facilities are not readily available in resource-limited settings. We reviewed the indications, operative morbidity, mortality, shunt patency and re-bleeding episodes in nine patients (age range 6-16 years, M:F 6:3) who had DSRS for recurrent GI bleeding not responding to endoscopic treatment and hypersplenism. DSRS is a safe and effective treatment alternative in resource limiting setting for preventing bleeding and improving hypersplenism in children with extrahepatic portal hypertension.

Intravenous Dexamethasone Along With Caudal Block Improves Analgesic Efficacy Following Day-Case Inguinal Hernia Repair In Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Amjad Nadeem, Aliya Ahmed

Department of Anaesthesia

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of intravenous dexamethasone along with caudal block in improving analgesia following inguinal hernia repair in children.
Methods: The double-blind randomised controlled trial was conducted over a 6-month period from June 01, 2016 to November 30, 2016 at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised patients aged 1-5 years, scheduled for elective inguinal hernia repair. The subjects were randomised into two groups using the sealed envelope technique. Group D patients received 0.5mg/kg dexamethasone intravenous in 5ml, and group P was given placebo (5ml 0.9% saline). Assessment of postoperative pain was made through the faces, legs, …

Pediatric Brainstem Gliomas: An Institutional Experience, Altaf Ali Laghari, Mirza Zain Baig, Muhammad Ehsan Bari, Aneela Darbar, Naureen Mushtaq, Umme E Hani Abdullah, Daniya Aziz Khan

Section of Neurosurgery

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical profiles and outcomes of pediatric brainstem gliomas treated at our institute.
Methodology: We reviewed the files of 18 pediatric age group patients diagnosed with brainstem glioma at our institution. The following variables were recorded: age, sex, duration of symptoms, date of diagnosis, main clinical symptoms, Karnofsky performance status score, magnetic resonance imaging findings, histopathology findings, details of the treatment given, disease progression, and date of mortality/last follow-up. This data were then transferred to SPSS version 23 which was used for further analysis.
Results: The mean age of our cohort …

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 …

Determinants Of Linear Growth Faltering Among Children With Moderate-To-Severe Diarrhea In The Global Enteric Multicenter Study, Rebecca L. Brander, Patricia B. Pavlinac, Judd L. Walson, Grace C. John-Stewart, Marcia R. Weaver, Abu S. G Faruque, Anita K. M. Zaidi, Dipika Sur, Samba O. Sow, M Jahangir Hossain

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Moderate-to-severe diarrhea (MSD) in the first 2 years of life can impair linear growth. We sought to determine risk factors for linear growth faltering and to build a clinical prediction tool to identify children most likely to experience growth faltering following an episode of MSD.
Methods: Using data from the Global Enteric Multicenter Study of children 0-23 months old presenting with MSD in Africa and Asia, we performed log-binomial regression to determine clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with severe linear growth faltering (loss of ≥ 0.5 length-for-age z-score [LAZ]). Linear regression was used to estimate associations with ΔLAZ. A …

Determinants Of Campylobacter Infection And Association With Growth And Enteric Inflammation In Children Under 2 Years Of Age In Low-Resource Settings, Md Ahshanul Haque, James A. Platts-Mills, Estomih Mduma, Ladaporn Bodhidatta, Pascal Bessong, Sadia Shakoor, Gagandeep Kang, Margaret N. Kosek, Aldo A M Lima, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Campylobacter species infections have been associated with malnutrition and intestinal inflammation among children in low-resource settings. However, it remains unclear whether that association is specific to Campylobacter jejuni/coli. The aim of this study was to assess the association between both all Campylobacter species infections and Campylobacter jejuni/coli infections on growth and enteric inflammation in children aged 1-24 months. We analyzed data from 1715 children followed from birth until 24 months of age in the MAL-ED birth cohort study, including detection of Campylobacter species by enzyme immunoassay and Campylobacter jejuni/coli by quantitative PCR in stool samples. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) concentration in stool, …

A Novel Training Simulator For Portable Ultrasound Identification Of Incorrect Newborn Endotracheal Tube Placement – Observational Diagnostic Accuracy Study Protocol, Hasan S. Merali, Mark O. Tessaro, Khushboo Q. Ali, Shaun K. Morris, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Shabina Ariff

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Endotracheal tube (ETT) placement is a critical procedure for newborns that are unable to breathe. Inadvertent esophageal intubation can lead to oxygen deprivation and consequent permanent neurological impairment. Current standard-of-care methods to confirm ETT placement in neonates (auscultation, colorimetric capnography, and chest x-ray) are time consuming or unreliable, especially in the stressful resuscitation environment. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) of the neck has recently emerged as a powerful tool for detecting esophageal ETTs. It is accurate and fast, and is also easy to learn and perform, especially on children.
Methods: This will be an observational diagnostic accuracy study consisting of two …

Frequency Of Early Morbidities In Low Birth Weight Neonates At The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Saroop Chand, Fayaz Ahmed Memon, Muhammad Hussain Shah, Abdul Lateef Leghari, Parveen Uzma, Rohan Advani, Muhammad Sohail Salat, Shabina Ariff

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background:
Globally, approximately 14.6% children are born with low birth weight (LBW) annually. In Pakistan, this figure however reaches approximately 16%. Low birth weight infants are vulnerable to develop early morbidities like hypothermia, hypoglycemia, respiratory distress syndrome and hypocalcemia. There is a scarcity of statistics which creates a gap in development of strategies for improving quality of care in developing countries. The aim of our study was to determine the frequency of early morbidities such as respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), hypoglycemia, hypothermia and hypocalcemia in low birth weight neonates.
Methodology:
prospective descriptive study was conducted via non-probability sampling technique from …

Rethinking Community Based Strategies To Tackle Health Inequities In South Asia, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Abhay Bang, Kaosar Afsana, Bishal Gyawali, Mohammed Shafiq Mirzazada, Renuka Jayatissa

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

No abstract provided.

Chronic Maternal Depressive Symptoms Are Associated With Reduced Socio-Emotional Development In Children At 2 Years Of Age: Analysis Of Data From An Intervention Cohort In Rural Pakistan, Clariana V R. De Oliveira, Muneera Rasheed, Aisha K. Yousafzai

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Maternal depression affects a high proportion of women during the antenatal and postnatal period in low- and middle-income countries. While maternal depression is recognized as a significant risk for poor early child development that warrants interventions, the effects of chronic maternal depression on children's development are less understood.
Objective: To determine the association of chronicity of maternal depressive symptoms and early child development in a rural population in southern Pakistan.
Materials and Methods: This study employs data from the "Pakistan Early Child Development Scale-Up Trial," a randomized controlled study that evaluated the integration of responsive stimulation and nutrition interventions …

Evaluation Of A Maternal, Neonatal And Child Health Intervention Package In A Rural District Of Pakistan: A Quasi-Experimental Study, Atif Habib, Kirsten I. Black, Camille Raynes Greenow, Mushtaq Mirani, Sajid Muhammad, Fariha Shaheen, Monika Christofori Khadka, Annette Vondeling, Shabina Ariff, Sajid Bashir Soofi

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Pakistan is among the countries which have the highest maternal, neonatal and child mortality rates. Immediate efforts are required to enable Pakistan to achieve the health related sustainable development goals. The continuum of care interventions can substantially reduce the mortality burden, however local evidence to implement them is lacking in Pakistan. We implemented the maternal, neonatal and child health intervention package comprised of health facility strengthening, capacity building, continuum of care interventions and community mobilization and evaluated its effectiveness on maternal, neonatal and child health care practices and neonatal mortality.
Methods: The intervention package was delivered through existing public …

Association Of Exposure To Civil Conflict With Maternal Resilience And Maternal And Child Health And Health System Performance In Afghanistan, Nadia Akseer, Arjumand Rizvi, Zaid Ahmad Bhatti, Jai K. Das, Karl Everett, Aneesa Arur, Mickey Chopra, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Importance: Current studies examining the effects of Afghanistan's conflict transition on the performance of health systems, health service delivery, and health outcomes are outdated and small in scale and do not span all essential reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health interventions.
Objective: To evaluate associations of conflict severity with improvement of health system performance, use of health services, and child nutrition outcomes in Afghanistan during the 2003 to 2018 reconstruction period.
Design, setting, and participants: This population-based survey study included a sequential cross-sectional analysis of individual-level panel data across 2 periods (2003-2010 and 2010-2018) and a difference-in-differences design. Surveys included …

Women And Children Living In Areas Of Armed Conflict In Africa: A Geospatial Analysis Of Mortality And Orphanhood, Zachary Wagner, Sam Heft-Neal, Paul H. Wise, Robert E. Black, Marshall Burke, Ties Boerma, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Eran Bendavid

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background:
The population effects of armed conflict on non-combatant vulnerable populations are incompletely understood. We aimed to study the effects of conflict on mortality among women of childbearing age (15–49 years) and on orphanhood among children younger than 15 years in Africa.
Methods:
We tested the extent to which mortality among women aged 15–49 years, and orphanhood among children younger than 15 years, increased in response to nearby armed conflict in Africa. Data on location, timing, and intensity of armed conflicts were obtained from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program, and data on the location, timing, and outcomes of women and …

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Outbreak In A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Seema Irfan, Imran Ahmed, Farida Lalani, Naureen Anjum, Nadia Mohammad, Maria Owais, Afia Zafar

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

The global and national burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases continues to rise, thus making access to Healthcare workers (HCWs) colonized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) may pose transmission risk to vulnerable patients including neonates. This study reports an MRSA outbreak in a level-II neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a secondary care hospital in Pakistan. Once identified, an infection control team from the parent hospital visited the facility, risk factors were listed and infection control measures taken to control the outbreak. Screening cultures of NICU staff and environmental cultures from NICU were obtained for the presence of MRSA. Five …

Burden And Risk Of Neurological And Cognitive Impairment In Pediatric Sickle Cell Anemia In Uganda (Brain Safe): Final Results Of The Cross-Sectional Analysis, Nancy Green, Deogratias Munube, Paul Bangirana, Linda Buluma, Bridget Kebirungi, Robert Opoka, Ezekiel Mupere, Philip Kasirye, Sarah Kiguli, Annet Birabwa

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Background: Children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) are highly susceptible to stroke and other manifestations of pediatric cerebral vasculopathy. Detailed evaluations in sub-Saharan Africa are limited.

Methods: We aimed to establish the frequency and types of pediatric brain injury in a cross-sectional study at a large SCA clinic in Kampala, Uganda in a randomly selected sample of 265 patients with HbSS ages 1–12 years. Brain injury was defined as one or more abnormality on standardized testing: neurocognitive impairment using an age-appropriate test battery, prior stroke by examination or transcranial Doppler (TCD) velocities associated with stroke risk in children with …

Intestinal Permeability And Inflammation Mediate The Association Between Nutrient Density Of Complementary Foods And Biochemical Measures Of Micronutrient Status In Young Children: Results From The Mal-Ed Study, Benjamin J J. Mccormick, Laura E. Murray-Kolb, Gwenyth O. Lee, Kerry J. Schulze, A Catharine Ross, Aubrey Bauck, Aldo A M. Lima, Bruna L L. Maciel, Ali Turab, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Mal-Ed Network Investigators, Shahida Qureshi, Muneera Rasheed, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Anita K. M. Zaidi

Woman and Child Health

Background: Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is thought to increase the risk of micronutrient deficiencies, but few studies adjust for dietary intakes and systemic inflammation.
Objective: We tested whether EED is associated with micronutrient deficiency risk independent of diet and systemic inflammation, and whether it mediates the relation between intake and micronutrient status.
Methods: Using data from 1283 children in the MAL-ED (Etiology, Risk Factors, and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health) birth cohort we evaluated the risk of anemia, low retinol, zinc, and ferritin, and high transferrin receptor (TfR) at 15 mo. We …

Use Of Machine Learning Algorithms For Prediction Of Fetal Risk Using Cardiotocographic Data, Zahra Hoodbhoy, Mohammad Noman, Ayesha Shafique, Ali Nasim, Devyani Chowdhury, Babar Hasan

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: A major contributor to under-five mortality is the death of children in the 1^st month of life. Intrapartum complications are one of the major causes of perinatal mortality. Fetal cardiotocograph (CTGs) can be used as a monitoring tool to identify high-risk women during labor.
Aim: The objective of this study was to study the precision of machine learning algorithm techniques on CTG data in identifying high-risk fetuses.
Methods: CTG data of 2126 pregnant women were obtained from the University of California Irvine Machine Learning Repository. Ten different machine learning classification models were trained using CTG data. Sensitivity, precision, …

Frequency And Early Complications Of Late Preterm Infants: A Descriptive Analysis From Two Secondary-Care Hospitals Of Karachi, Waqar Khowaja, Abdul Lateef Leghari, Ali Shabbir Hussain, Shabina Ariff, Iqtidar Khan

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Introduction: Globally, prematurity accounts for 12.7% of all live births while late preterm accounts for around three-fourth (73%) of these premature births. In Pakistan, the prevalence of prematurity is approximately 18.89%. Late preterm infants often have weight and size similar to some term infants, but they are still metabolically and physiologically immature. Hence, these infants, as compared to term infants, are at a higher risk of developing medical complications, which results in higher morbidity and mortality during the birth hospitalization. We aim to determine the frequency of early complications in late preterm infants during their stay at Aga Khan Secondary-care …

Factors Leading To Meconium Aspiration Syndrome In Term- And Post-Term Neonates, Saroop Chand, Aamna Salman, Razia Mustafa Abbassi, Abdul Rehman Siyal, Fayaz Ahmed Memon, Abdul Lateef Leghari, Ashmal Sami Kabani, Sajid Ali

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background:
Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) is considered a major cause of respiratory morbidity. It is a common issue encountered in the delivery room and newborn nursery. There is a need to identify the factors that lead to MAS to develop strategies to screen such patients at an early stage to decrease the mortality and morbidity. The objective of this study was to determine the factors leading to MAS in neonates delivered at ≥37 weeks of gestational age.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted through non-probability consecutive sampling technique at Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad from August 2016 to February 2017. All …

Factors Leading To Meconium Aspiration Syndrome In Term- And Post-Term Neonates, Saroop Chand, Aamna Salman, Razia Mustafa Abbassi, Abdul Rehman Siyal, Fayaz Ahmed Memon, Abdul Lateef Leghari, Ashmal Sami Kabani, Sajid Ali

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) is considered a major cause of respiratory morbidity. It is a common issue encountered in the delivery room and newborn nursery. There is a need to identify the factors that lead to MAS to develop strategies to screen such patients at an early stage to decrease the mortality and morbidity. The objective of this study was to determine the factors leading to MAS in neonates delivered at ≥37 weeks of gestational age.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted through non-probability consecutive sampling technique at Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad from August 2016 to February 2017. All …

Management And Outcomes Of Gastrointestinal Congenital Anomalies In Low, Middle And High Income Countries: Protocol For A Multicentre, International, Prospective Cohort Study, Naomi Jane Wright, Andrew Leather, Nick Sevdalis, Niyi Ade-Ajayi, Adesoji O. Ademuyiwa, Emmanuel A. Ameh, Justine Davies, Kokila Lakhoo, Samuel Parker, Muhammad Arshad

Section of Paediatric Surgery

Introduction: Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of death in children globally, contributing an estimated half a million deaths per year. Very limited literature exists from low and middle income countries (LMICs) where most of these deaths occur. The Global PaedSurg Research Collaboration aims to undertake the first multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of a selection of common congenital anomalies comparing management and outcomes between low, middle and high income countries (HICs) globally.
Methods and Analysis: The Global PaedSurg Research Collaboration consists of surgeons, paediatricians, anaesthetists and allied healthcare professionals involved in the surgical care of children globally. Collaborators …

Addressing Childhood Undernutrition And Development Through Education And Lipid-Based Supplements, Jai K. Das, Rehana Salam

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

No abstract provided.

Vitamin D Status And Risk Of Incident Tuberculosis Disease: A Nested Case-Control Study, Systematic Review, And Individual-Participant Data Meta-Analysis, Omowunmi Aibana, Chuan-Chin Huang, Said Aboud, Alberto Arnedo-Pena, Mercedes C. Becerra, Juan Bautista Bellido-Blasco, Ramesh Bhosale, Roger Calderon, Rabia Hussain, Najeeha Talat Iqbal

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: Few studies have evaluated the association between preexisting vitamin D deficiency and incident tuberculosis (TB). We assessed the impact of baseline vitamins D levels on TB disease risk.
Methods and Findings: We assessed the association between baseline vitamin D and incident TB in a prospective cohort of 6,751 HIV-negative household contacts of TB patients enrolled between September 1, 2009, and August 29, 2012, in Lima, Peru. We screened for TB disease at 2, 6, and 12 months after enrollment. We defined cases as household contacts who developed TB disease at least 15 days after enrollment of the index patient. …

Pathobiome Driven Gut Inflammation In Pakistani Children With Environmental Enteric Dysfunction, Najeeha Talat Iqbal, Sana Syed, Furqan Kabir, Zehra Jamil, Tauseef Akhund, Shahida Qureshi, Jie Liu, Jennie Ma Z, Shan Guleria, Andrew Gewirtz, Christopher Duggan P, Molly Hughes A, Kamran Sadiq, Asad Ali

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (EED) is an acquired small intestinal inflammatory condition underlying high rates of stunting in children <5 years of age in low- and middle-income countries. Children with EED are known to have repeated exposures to enteropathogens and environmental toxins that leads to malabsorptive syndrome. We aimed to characterize association of linear growth faltering with enteropathogen burden and subsequent changes in EED biomarkers. In a longitudinal birth cohort (n = 272), monthly anthropometric measurements (Length for Age Z score- LAZ) of asymptomatic children were obtained up to 18 months. Biological samples were collected at 6 and 9 months for the assessment of biomarkers. A customized TaqMan array card was used to target 40 enteropathogens in fecal samples. Linear regression was applied to study the effect of specific enteropathogen infection on change in linear growth (ΔLAZ). Presence of any pathogen in fecal sample correlated with serum flagellin IgA (6 mo, r = 0.19, p = 0.002), fecal Reg 1b (6 mo, r = 0.16, p = 0.01; 9mo, r = 0.16, p = 0.008) and serum Reg 1b (6 mo, r = 0.26, p<0.0001; 9 mo, r = 0.15, p = 0.008). At 6 months, presence of Campylobacter [β (SE) 7751.2 (2608.5), p = 0.003] and ETEC LT [β (SE) 7089.2 (3015.04), p = 0.019] was associated with increase in MPO. Giardia was associated with increase in Reg1b [β (SE) 72.189 (26.394), p = 0.006] and antiflic IgA[β (SE) 0.054 (0.021), p = 0.0091]. Multiple enteropathogen infections in early life negatively correlated with ΔLAZ, and simultaneous changes in gut inflammatory and permeability markers. A combination vaccine targeting enteropathogens in early life could help in the prevention of future stunting

Early Life Child Micronutrient Status, Maternal Reasoning, And A Nurturing Household Environment Have Persistent Influences On Child Cognitive Development At Age 5 Years: Results From Mal-Ed, Benjamin J J. Mccormick, Stephanie A. Richard, Laura E. Caulfield, Laura L. Pendergast, Jessica C. Seidman, Beena Koshy, Reeba Roshan, Rita Shrestha, Erling Svensen, Muneera Rasheed

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Child cognitive development is influenced by early-life insults and protective factors. To what extent these factors have a long-term legacy on child development and hence fulfillment of cognitive potential is unknown.
Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the relation between early-life factors (birth to 2 y) and cognitive development at 5 y.
Methods: Observational follow-up visits were made of children at 5 y, previously enrolled in the community-based MAL-ED longitudinal cohort. The burden of enteropathogens, prevalence of illness, complementary diet intake, micronutrient status, and household and maternal factors from birth to 2 y were extensively measured …

Minimally Invasive Technique Of Placing A Dual Chamber Permanent Pacemaker In Children, Muneer Amanullah, Somia Razaq, Asif Hasan Siddiqui, Fazal Wahab Khan

Section of Paediatric Surgery

Objective: To share the experience of a minimally invasive technique in the implantation of a dual chamber permanent pacemaker in paediatric population.
Methods: The retrospective study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised data of patients aged up to1 6 years who underwent epicardial dual chamber permanent pacemaker insertion via xiphisternal incision between April 2011 and August 2016. Demographic data included age, weight and gender of the patient. Indications for pacemaker insertion, electrocardiography findings, concomitant cardiac procedures and procedural complications were reviewed. Pacemaker thresholds and impedance at the time of implantation and throughout the course of follow-up …

Beyond Sequencing: Re-Visiting Annotations For Pjl As A Test Case, Waqasuddin Khan, Aisha Ghani, Muhammad Bilal Azmi, Safina Abdul Razzak

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Objectives: Current developments in sequencing techniques have enabled rapid and high-throughput generation of sequence data. however, there is a growing gap between the generation of raw sequencing data and the extraction of meaningful biological information. variant annotation is a crucial step in the analysis of genome sequencing data. incorrect or incomplete annotations can cause researchers to dilute interesting variants in a pool of false positives. we require consistent, accurate and reliable annotation of variants for making diagnostic and treatment decisions. current annotation depends on the set of transcripts, and software used can be managed, with sufficient care, in the research …

Study Of Environmental Enteropathy And Malnutrition (Seem) In Pakistan: Protocols For Biopsy Based Biomarker Discovery And Validation, Najeeha Talat Iqbal, Sana Saeed, Kamran Sadiq, Marium N. Khan, Junaid Iqbal, Jennie Z. Ma, Fayaz Umrani, Sheraz Ahmed, Elizabeth A. Maier, Lee A. Denson, Shahida Qureshi, Syed Asad Ali

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background:
Environmental Enteropathy (EE), characterized by alterations in intestinal structure, function, and immune activation, is believed to be an important contributor to childhood undernutrition and its associated morbidities, including stunting. Half of all global deaths in children < 5 years are attributable to under-nutrition, making the study of EE an area of critical priority.
Methods:
Community based intervention study, divided into two sub-studies, 1) Longitudinal analyses and 2) Biopsy studies for identification of EE features via omics analyses. Birth cohorts in Matiari, Pakistan established: moderately or severely malnourished (weight for height Z score (WHZ) < − 2) children, and well-nourished (WHZ > 0) children. Blood, urine, and fecal samples, for evaluation of potential biomarkers, will be collected at various time points from all participants (longitudinal …