Background: Birth defects are the leading cause of both neonatal and post-neonatal deaths, as an estimated 240,000 neonates die in their first month of life worldwide each year. In Iraq, local studies have shown varying frequencies and types of congenital anomalies. Objectives: To provide new insight into the incidence and types of congenital anomalies and to explore their possible risk factors in Baghdad City. Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, a total of 2007 neonates were enrolled from six hospitals in Baghdad during the period extending between September and December 2020. Hospital records and personal interviews were used for data collection. These data included the neonates' demographic and clinical characteristics, maternal, pregnancy, and immediate postnatal conditions. Description of the defects in those with birth defects was recorded from hospital records and as described by the parents. Statistical analysis was performed as required. Results: There were 64 (3.2%) neonates with birth defects, i.e., an incidence of 32/1000 total births (28/1000 live births); of them, 38 (59.4%) were males, 8 (12.5%) were stillborn, 43 (66.2%) were born with a cesarean section, the majority (87.5%) had maternal age between 20 and 40 years, and 35 (54.6%) had a low birth weight and were statistically significant. In addition, reduced fetal movement, prematurity, and not receiving tonics during pregnancy were also statistically significant. Among the 64 births with congenital anomalies, multiple congenital anomalies were the most common defects [26 (40.6%)]. An isolated defect was detected in 38 (57.8%) of them. The predominant system involved was the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) [12 (18.8%)] cases, followed by the central nervous system (CNS) with 11 (17.2%) cases, and the musculoskeletal system (MS) with 6 (9.4%) cases. Conclusion: The incidence of birth defects in Baghdad is close to global figures at 28/1000 live births with multiple congenital anomalies, gastro-intestinal, central nervous, and musculoskeletal systems defects being the most frequent, while cardiovascular, genitourinary, and skin defects being the least frequent. Possible risk factors included maternal age, drug intake, and not receiving tonics during pregnancy.
Blastocystis is a ubiquitous human and animal protozoa that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract. Metronidazole is considered the standard drug for the treatment of Blastocystis infection; however, there is growing evidence of treatment failure, hazardous side effects, and appearance of strains resistant to metronidazole. In the last era, many studies have been implicated in the quest for new treatments for Blastocystis infection, especially natural products. Attention has been focused on the effect of Amygdalin (B17) and pumpkin seed on eradicating parasitic infections. The current work was built up to explore the in vitro efficacy of two natural compounds, Amygdalin (B17) and pumpkin seeds against
... Show MoreThis study documented the role of blowfly Chrysomya albiceps and Chrysomya megacephala as carriers of 15 species of intestinal parasites eggs, cysts and Oocysts as a primary effort of Iraq, by external and internal techniques: 10 species of different parasites were reported in this study that transmitted mechanically by Calliphoridae fly ,eight of them are nematode eggs (Ancylostoma duodenal, Ascaridia sp., Ascaris lumbricoides, Parascaris equirum, Strongyloides stericoralis , Strongylus sp., Trichostrongylus sp. and Toxocara canis)and cysts of two species of protozoa ( Entamoba sp.and Iodomaba butschlii). Internal technique by stained the fluid gut of flies with Zael Nelson stain, was app
... Show MoreA total of 30 specimens of house sparrow Passer domesticus biblicus Hartert, 1904 (15 females and 15 males) were collected from gardens of some houses in Baghdad city; all birds were dissected to identify the parasites in vesicle, gizzard, intestine, gall bladder and caecum. One species of trematodes Brachydistomum microscelis (Yamaguti, 1933) was found in the gall bladder and two species of cestodes Anonchotaenia globata (von Linstow, 1879) and Raillietina tetragona (Molin, 1858) were found in the small intestine of house sparrow. Morphologic and morphometric measurements were considered.
The genus Brachydistomum Travassos, 1944 is being recorded for the first time in Iraq in the gall bladder of house sparr
... Show MoreFresh vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. The consumption of raw vegetables without cooking or good washing can be a major rout of transmission to the parasitic infection. The goal of this study was to determine the intestinal parasitic contamination of fresh vegetables from vegetables sales markets in Baghdad province during the different above months of the year. A total of 303 samples of different vegetables were randomly selected from three wholesale markets distributed through different regions in Baghdad (East, West and South) and then were examined by a floatation method. The present study showed that the collected vegetables were contaminated with 12 species of intestinal parasites, and the total percentage of contam
... Show MoreThe virulent genes are the key players in the ability of the bacterium to cause disease. The products of such genes that facilitate the successful colonization and survival of the bacterium in or cause damage to the host are pathogenicity determinants. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of virulence factors (esp, agg, gelE, CylA) in E. faecalis isolated from diverse human clinical collected in Iraqi patient , as well as to assess their ability to form biofilm and to determine their haemolytic and gelatinase activities. Thirty-two isolates of bacteria Enterococcus faecalis were obtained, including 15 isolates (46.87%) of the urine, 6 isolates (18.75%) for each of the stool and uterine secretions, and 5 isolates (15.62%) of the wo
... Show MoreObjective(s) : This study aimed at evaluating the seroprevalence of anti -HCV and studying the
correlation between hemophilia and risk factors for acquiring HCV such as age , marital status &
occupation among hemophilic patients .
Methodology : 210 hemophilic patients in children welfare teaching hospital/medical city/Baghdad–Iraq
(hemophilia center) were investigated using prepared questionnaire and tested for HCV infection, those
were measuring patient’s age, hemophilia types and severity, marital status, residency and history of
previous HCV infection .
Results : Most hemophilic patients were hemophilia A at severe , hemophilia was at age group 20 – 29
years , the majority of patients were unmarried a
Several problems have emerged as a result of urban expansion or the connection of urban areas with rural areas. This process has led to the urbanization of rural areas, and to have overlapping edges and margins of areas, which were outside the basic design of the city. Accordingly, the present research assumes that the accelerating growth of Baghdad population has contributed significantly to the process of unplanned urbanization. Thus, the study aims to examine the factors that have led to an increase of urban sprawl at the expense of the agricultural land. The study has thus adopted the descriptive, analytical, and historical approaches relying on the simple linear regression method to predict the phenomenon of urban expansion and its
... Show MoreInfluential, organized groups with natural antimicrobial and anti-biofilm broad-spectrum power exist within the food chain, like a hidden dormant mimic hygienic bio life nanobodies that can terminate multiple opportunistic disease entities owing multi-stress resistant forbidden recalcitrant power, such as Candida albicans. These wonderful dynamic forces created by ALLAH Almighty are the Mycophages or fungi-eating state of fungi foodborne phages, and this project was redirected to be a dare to leap from us towards the future. Multi-stress resistant C. albicans that are resistant to different antifungal agents with their genetic tolerance plasticity to thermal pasteurization decontamination module as well as to ultraviolet irradiation
... Show MoreObjective(s): The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Health educational program on nurses' knowledge toward children pneumonia at Al-Amara City hospitals..
Methodology: A quasi –experimental study design two-study group (pretest-posttest 1 and posttest 2) carried out at Alzahrawy Hospital and Child and maternity hospital in Al Amara City to identify the effectiveness of the Health educational program on Nurses Knowledge toward Children pneumonia; the study was conducted between 1 of September 2019 to 1 of April 2020. A Purposive (Non-probability) sample is chosen for the present study. The size of sample is (60) nurses divided into two gr
... Show MoreAbstract:
Objective(s): The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Health educational program on nurses' knowledge toward children pneumonia at Al-Amara City hospitals..
Methods: A quasi –experimental study design two-study group (pretest-posttest 1 and posttest 2) carried out at Alzahrawy Hospital and Child and maternity hospital in Al Amara City to identify the effectiveness of the Health educational program on Nurses Knowledge toward Children pneumonia; the study was conducted between 1 of September 2019 to 1 of April 2020. A Purposive (Non-probability) sample is chosen for the present study. The size of sample is (60) nur
... Show More