Background: Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) is an important respiratory bacterial pathogen, especially among children. It causes acute upper and lower respiratory infections.Objective: This study was aimed to measure anti- M. pneumoniae antibodies among hospitalized children who were admitted to hospital diagnosed with acute respiratory tract infections.Method: Automated ELISA technique was performed to detect anti- M. pneumoniae antibodies (IgM and IgG antibodies) in serum from 108 children less than 5 years old. The children were admitted to the Pediatric Teaching Hospital in Suleimani city/Kurdistan Region/Iraq because of acute respiratory tract infections. A questionnaire was designed to collect demographic and clinical data from those children.Results: IgM anti- M. pneumoniae antibodies were positive in 15 (13.9%) out of 108 children. The highest seroprevalence was found in the age group 25-36 months while the lowest is in the age group 1-12 months. M. pneumoniae infections were more common among males than females though results were statistically not significant, and attendance of kindergarten or nursery, residency, history of chronic diseases, history of contact with similar conditions, and family history of chronic diseases, they were all statistically not significant. The IgMseropositive children were suffering from bronchitis, croup, pneumonia, or other respiratory infections, in frequencies of 7 (46.6%), 4 (26.7%), 3 (20%), and 1 (6.7%) respectively. Increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, diagnosis of croup, and diagnosis of bronchitis were more frequent in M. pneumoniae infected group and the results were statistically significant. The IgG anti- M. pneumoniae antibodies were positive in 31 (28.8%) out of the 108 children, and the greatest IgG seroprevalence was highest in age group 49-60 months.Conclusion: M. pneumoniae is an important respiratorypathogen among hospitalized children in Sulaimanigovernorate/Kurdistan/Iraq, and nearly one third of childrenhad experienced M. pneumoniae infection by the age of fiveyears
Objective: to evaluate body image and depression symptoms of children with precocious puberty, and find out association between children`s sociodemographic characteristics and their body image and depression signs. Methodology: A cross sectional study, sample of (80) child from both gender, > 7 years were included due to their ability to express their own feeling, diagnosed with precocious puberty, attending out-patient endocrine clinics at pediatric hospitals in Baghdad city. Data collected, during the period from May to November 2018. Consent form has taken from children and their guardians to participate in study. Child body image scale (CBIS) was used to evaluate children body satisfaction (1) and Mood and feeling questionnaire (M
... Show MoreBackground: The level of parent education has an important role in making decision about their children oral hygiene.<br />Material and methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted in Baghdad city, the total sample include 569 preschool children (318 males and 251females) aged 5-years, they were randomly selected from different kindergartens. For measuring oral cleanliness gingival condition and dental stain, Plaque index by Silness and Lِe gingival index by Lِe and Silness and stain index by Leung were used respectively.<br />Results: Results showed that the mean plaque index was (0.68 ± 0.018) results reveal a high prevalence of gingival inflammation (77%)with mild type was found to be the predominant, as m
... Show MoreBackground: Iraqi people have endured an excess burden of morbidity’ and mortality during the last two decades due to wars and sanctions. This report M’as carried out to assess the nutritional status of first year primary school children.
Methods: A total of3881 school children in Balad district in Salahadin govemorate was included in the study. Age, height and weight were recorded. Malnutrition was regarded as value of less than 2 SD of the reference value.
Results: Among the total sample, 16.5%, 20.06% and 15.3% were underweight, stunted and wasted, respectively. No significant difference was detected in malnutrition rates between both sexes. Conclusion: High rates of malnutrition were detected among school children.
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Background: Thyroid cancer (TC) is an increasingly prevalent malignancy throughout the world. It has long been recognized that the incidence of TC is higher in women which increases with age. However, the association of gender disparity and age with TC aggressiveness and outcomes are still controversial. The aim of this study was focused on the association of age and gender with histopathological characteristics in TC. Methods: 153 patients who met the criteria, were selected. The included cases were divided into four age groups (≤24 years, 25-44 years, 45-64 years, and ≥65 years). Demographic, age and pathological parameters were compared among them. The association of gender and age with
... Show MoreBackground: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a chronic disease of childhood. Increased prevalence of periodontal disease and dental caries in juvenile idiopathic arthritis is due to difficulties in executing good oral hygiene. This study was conducted to assess oral health status in patients with Juvenile idiopathic arthritis according to age and duration of illness. Materials and methods: A research was conducted among Juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients attending Baghdad Teaching Hospital with different age and both gender, underwent a clinical evaluation of their dental and oral condition. Diagnosis of dental caries was done according to the criteria of WHO (1997). Dental plaque, gingival condition, calculus were assessed by PI/
... Show MoreBackground: Saliva is a specific bio-fluid with important biomarkers. Analyzing any alternation in these markers could give valuable information, in relation to oral health status parameters. The aim of this study was to investigate the level of α -amylase in unstimulated whole saliva of healthy, primary school children in relation to some oral health parameters. Materials and Methods: A questionnaires consisted of demography and medical histories of participants were filled by children families. Saliva samples were collected for 5- minutes between 9:00 -11:00 AM from 114 healthy students aged 6-13 years, divided into four age groups. Flow- rate, Plaque and Gingival Index were assessed and dentition status was investigated by DMFT/dmft
... Show MoreBackground: Oral health and nutrition are in interdependent relationship that good nutritional health enhancing good oral health. Nutrition can affect the development and integrity of oral cavity and the progression of oral disease. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of the gingival health condition in relation to the nutritional status, among 10 years old primary school children in urban and rural area in Al-Hillah city. Material and method: Eight hundred ninety one (891) students, aged10 years old, selected randomly from different primary schools, in urban and rural area in Al-Hillah city, were included in this study. Oral examination including of plaque index assessment, which was done according to the criteria
... Show MoreStreptococcus pluranimalium was first isolated in 1999. Recently, several case reports have been published that have revealed that S. pluranimalium can infect humans as well. The pathogenicity and pathophysiology of this pathogen is poorly studied and its characteristics are not well known. In this study, S. pluranimalium was first isolated and then identified from infants and children who suffered from upper respiratory infections. 90 samples were collected from nasopharyngeal cavity. Among them, 83 Streptococcus spp. isolates were identified. 3 out of which were biochemically and molecularly identified as S. pluranimalium. 16S rRNA sequencing based identification revealed that all iso
... Show MoreBackground: Pneumonia is the common lower respiratory tract infection among pediatrics, especially under five; it is a common cause of under-five children morbidity and mortality. Objectives of study: To identify nurses' perceptions toward therapeutic strategies for children with pneumonia and to find the association between their perceptions and their demographic variables. Methods: A Convenient sample of 46 nurses in Baghdad city from three hospitals) Kadhimiya Hospital for Children, Central Teaching Hospital of Pediatrics, and Child Welfare Teaching Hospital) included in the study to identify their perceptions regarding pneumonia in children. Results: The results of the study present that most of the nurses' participants in the a
... Show MoreThe quality of groundwater should be improved by keeping safe water sources from contaminants in protective way by doing regular measuring and checkup before it supplied for usage. Private Wells do not receive the same services that wells supplying the public do. Well owners are responsible for protecting their drinking water. This work was carried out in Badra city, Iraq from December 2017 to May 2018, six wells water were investigated to determine the general characteristics of wells as well as studying the effect of environmental factors on the quality of water. The average of six wells were eleven parameters that is out of permissible limits were EC, Sal., Alk., TH, TDS, Na, Ca, Cl, SO4, Fe, Zn (4402-5183 /cm, 2.76-3.9 ppt
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