Background: Malabsorption is the typical presentation of celiac disease in early childhood, whereas older children can present with extra-intestinal symptoms including short stature and delay in pubertal development.Objective: To determine the frequency of celiac disease in shortening of stature in children.Material and methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Pediatric Department in Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, on 152 short stature children of both genders aged 5 to 16 years. Children with dysmorphic faces, syndromes, endocrine disorders, and children or their parents who refused to give consent were excluded. Anthropometric measurement was done on standard equipment. Height and weight were plotted on WHO centile charts. All the children fulfilling inclusion criteria were advised serologic antitissue transglutaminase antibodies tests.Results: Overall the frequency of celiac disease was 33.77% (n=51) among the children with short stature. The mean age of the study was 6.71±1.52 years. There were 76 males (50.3%), while there were 75 females 49.7%. The frequency of celiac disease among short stature females was higher (n=28, 54.9%) than short stature males (n=23, 45.1%). However, the results were not statistically significant (P=0.358). The frequency of celiac disease stratified by age group was not statistically significant (P=0.491).Conclusion: One-third of children having short stature have celiac disease. The frequency of celiac disease in children with short stature has no association with gender and age.

Objective: This study aims to determine the awareness among educated and uneducated parents of betathalassemia major patients about antenatal screening.

To determine the different types of child abuse and its association with behavioral disorders in children presenting to a tertiary care hospital. Materials and methodsOne hundred abused Pakistani children, of both genders, were included. Children with cerebral palsy, a neurodegenerative disorder, chronic illness, chronic liver disease, congenital heart disease, chronic renal failure, and parents who refused to become part of the study were excluded. Descriptive statistics were calculated. The chi-square test was applied to compare the pattern of abuse among various types of behavioral disorders. P≤0.05 was considered significant. ResultsThe mean age of the study was 10.38±2.64 years. The total number of males was 51 (51%); the rest (49; 49%) were females. The most common behavioral disorder was functional disorder (n=59, 59%) followed by depression (n=26, 26%). The most frequent abuse was physical (n=87, 87%) followed by verbal (n=7, 7%) and the least was sexual (n=6, 6%). There was no statistically significant association between type of behavioral disorder and type of abuse in children (P=0.162). ConclusionThe most common type of child abuse among children with behavioral disorders is physical abuse followed by verbal. The type of behavioral disorder is not associated with a specific type of child abuse.