High pressure fluid irrigation fluid increases the risk of postoperative systemic inflammatory response syndrome after percutaneous nephrolithotomy.

A national cross-sectional study was carried out in 1991 to investigate child feeding patterns in addition to other MCH issues. The target population was the last live birth born within 5 years preceding the data of the interview. The data were collected by interviewing the mothers of the eligible children using a precoded questionnaire. The total sample size was 3608 children and their mothers were chosen randomly through a multistage cluster sampling technique with representation of different regions. The results observed revealed a previous history of breastfeeding among 92.4 and 94.5 per cent of urban and rural studied children, respectively. The mean duration of breastfeeding among studied children in the urban and rural communities, were 11 and 13 months, respectively. Illiteracy of the parents was associated with a longer breastfeeding duration. Moreover, the results revealed that, the higher the current age of mothers, the longer the average duration of breastfeeding. Governmental health facilities and mass media constituted the main source of essential information about child feeding. The results are further interpreted and suitable recommendations are made.

Obesity rates are rising globally, but there is evidence that young people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are at particularly high risk. We systematically searched the literature to map the MENA region for prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity, and examine the underlying risk factors and adverse effects associated with obesity in this region. Inclusion criteria were: English-language, non-basic-science focused articles that used any of the standard obesity definitions and were conducted in the MENA countries within the last five years. We searched PubMed using combinations of key terms ((childhood) OR adolescence) AND obesity) AND (MENA or each country) AND (“last five years” [PDat]). Studies demonstrated an increasing prevalence of obesity among many countries in the MENA region, especially in the Gulf area. Notably, in Kuwait, prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were 25.6% and 34.8% among young males and 20.8% and 20.5% among females. A meta-analysis revealed that physical inactivity, increased screen time, and higher social status were risk factors for childhood obesity. Childhood and adolescent obesity is a major challenge facing countries of the MENA region. Further research is needed to fully investigate the role of nutrition and other specific risk factors and evaluate various interventions to manage this pervasive and growing health problem.

IL-6 and IL-1Ra polymorphisms can be considered genetic markers for bronchial asthma susceptibility and/or severity among Egyptian children. This may have a potential impact on family counseling and management.

This paper discusses attitudes and practices of antenatal care in Saudi Arabia, based on the results of the maternal and child health survey of 1991. The survey covered a cluster random sample of 6306 households, with 6294 ever-married Saudi women 15-49 years of age out of whom 1050 were pregnant. The interview questionnaire included maternal care data on current pregnancies and births in the sample, totaling 4777 children less than 5 years old. Coverage of antenatal care and frequency of visits among pregnancies identified, by whom and where, and reasons for not attending antenatal services by age, urban-rural, geographical, and educational differentials. Proportions pregnant at the time of the survey were 17 per cent; antenatal care attendance for the whole sample reached 86 per cent; frequencies of one or two visits were 37 per cent; and three or four visits 25 per cent; those checked by a physician were 85 per cent, while 88 per cent attended governmental facilities. Those with timely attendance were 85 per cent. However, almost one-third of non-attenders (30 per cent) believed they did not need antenatal care. Though utilization of antenatal care services is already high, it has to be further increased through health education and publicity, emphasizing the couples role.