Abstract Aim: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder which affects communication and social interaction of children. It is a heterogeneous disease with various clinical presentations. Some genes are involved in its pathogenesis. It has been suggested that environmental exposure to lead can increase the risk of autism. The aim of our study was to compare blood lead levels among autistic and non-autistic children. Material and Method: This retrospective study included 107 children (60 with autism and 47 without autism) referred from the different Iraqi provinces, in the years 2015, 2016 and 2017, to the poisoning consultation center in Baghdad. Data collection including age, gender, residence, referral source, family history and blood lead levels was taken from their medical records. Results: No significant differences were noticed between the prevalence of autism and both of age (P=0.843) and gender (P=0.699). The majority of children have no family history of autism (85%). Mean blood lead level for all participants was 16.01 μg/dl. The statistically significant difference in lead level was found between autistic and non-autistic children (17.38± 1.86 μg/dl in autism group versus 14.27± 1.57 μg/dl in non-autism group) with a P value of 0.001. Discussion: Mean blood lead level was high in all participants, compared to the international values, which might indicate a high level of lead exposure in Iraqi children due to environmental pollution. Autistic children have higher lead levels than non-autistic ones and this might explain the role of lead in the etiology of autism.
Forest fires continue to rise during the dry season and they are difficult to stop. In this case, high temperatures in the dry season can cause an increase in drought index that could potentially burn the forest every time. Thus, the government should conduct surveillance throughout the dry season. Continuous surveillance without the focus on a particular time becomes ineffective and inefficient because of preventive measures carried out without the knowledge of potential fire risk. Based on the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), formulation of Drought Factor is used just for calculating the drought today based on current weather conditions, and yesterday's drought index. However, to find out the factors of drought a day after, the data
... Show MoreBackground: Malnutrition in human life may adversely affect various aspects of growth at different stages of life. Teeth are particularly sensitive to malnutrition. Malnutrition may affect odontometric measurement involving tooth size dimensions. The aim of this study is to estimate the effect of nutrition on teeth size dimension measurements among children aged 5 years old. Materials and methods: This study was conducted among malnourished group in comparison to well-nourished group matching with age and gender. The present study included 158 children aged 5 years (78 malnourished and 80 well-nourished). The assessment of nutritional status was done by using three nutritional indicators, namely Height-for-age, Weight-for-age and Weight-fo
... Show MoreBackground: changing in lifestyle like displacing place could cause depression which is a common mental disorder that change general health that affect dental caries incidence and severity. The aims of this study were to assess the relation of depression status on prevalence and severity of dental caries among internally displaced people. Material and Method: The sample include 121 internally displaced people aged from 13-17 years. Method for depression measuring is by using Children Depression Inventory (CDI2) questionnaire. Dental caries is measured by using caries experience (DMFs) and caries severity D1-4. Result: the mean value for decayed and missing surfaces were higher in high depression grade as compering with low and medium dep
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The study is designed to identify intestinal parasitic infections examined at Al-Aziziyah Hospital in Wasit Governorate in Iraq. In this study, a total of (460) internal and external patients were monitored for intestinal parasitic infections. All stool samples were analyzed by the direct method (microscopic exam.) to discover the trophozoite stages and cyst stages for intestinal protozoan parasites. The most incidence parasites in different sex, area residence and different age groups. Out of (460) patient sample were infected with 217 at a percentage of (47.17%), 101(46.5%) were for males and 116 (53.5%) were for females. It was found that the numbers and percentages of a single (one
... Show MoreBACKGROUND: Vaccine hesitancy and reluctant had an important obstacle in achieving protection and population immunity against coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). It is essential to achieve high COVID-19 vaccination acceptance rates among medical students and health care workers to provide recommendations and counseling vaccine hesitant population. AIM: This study aims to identify level of COVID-19 hesitancy, attitude, knowledge, and factors that affect vaccination decision. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was done among medical students in Al-Kindy College of Medicine, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq. Data collection was done through an online Google Forms questionnaire during 2021 from 810 medical students.
... Show MoreBackground: Iraqi people were exposed to mass disasters for long periods of time. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be of particular interest following a mass disaster. Evidence of poor school outcomes among adolescents affected by violence has been reported.
Objectives: To study the effect of PTSD on school achievement among secondary school children in Baghdad, Iraq.
Materials and methods: A total of 240 secondary school students from 4 secondary schools (2 for boys and 2 for girls) from Baghdad city were included. Multistage random sampling was carried out. Each student was interviewed and a questionnaire (consisted of demographic information, Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, and academic failure) was filled. Academic failur
Microalgae widely used for bioremediation of inorganic (NH4and PO4) nutrients as single isolates. This study aims to use a mix microalgae isolated from Dijlah river for bioremediation of municipal waste water .The experiments had been start with two different concentrations of nutrients. NH4-N values were 23.4 and 31.7mg/l, phosphorus PO4-P 6.7and 10.7 mg/ l and BOD5 were 66 and 83 mg/l. both cycles of treatment showed complete removal for NH 4-N and PO4-P levels after treatment were 1.7 and 0.7 mg/l for both of treatment cycle .Biological oxygen demand reduced to lowest value were18.9 in 2nd cycle while in 1st cycle of treatment reduced to21.3mg/l.The results showed that mix microalgae have the ability to remove nutrients and organic po
... Show MoreBackground: The altered status of some essential trace elements observed in diabetes could have deleterious influences on the health of the diabetics. Objectives: To estimate and study the potential role of serum Selenium in type 1, type 2 diabetics and healthy subjects; and its relation with lipid profile and glycemic index. Methods: A case control designed study was carried out at the National Diabetes Center (NDC) / Al-Mustansiria University; on a total of 94 participants formed of 32 type 1 diabetics, 32 type 2 diabetics and 30 healthy control participants. Data collected about age, sex and BMI; also, blood samples examined for FPG, HbA1C, serum total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, serum triglyceride and sera were
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