Viral hepatitis is a major public health problem in the world affecting millions of children every year despite the availability of vaccines, prophylactic measures and improved sanitation. The prevalence of infection varies from country to country and within countries, having a close association with behavioral, environmental, host factors. This study was an attempt to evaluate the sero-prevalence rate of various viral hepatitis markers of 50 icteric children who attended pediatric outpatient department of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital from January 2010 to December 2010. All the patients were screened for HAV, HEV, HBV, HCV. Anti HAV IgM were positive in in 65.22 %, Anti HEV IgM in 34.78 % and HBsAg in 4% of icteric children. None of the icteric children were positive for hepatitis C virus. Most of the icteric children presented with fever, anorexia and nausea /vomiting. This study shows high rate of HAV and HEV infection among icteric children.

The discussion of disease management focuses on the use of transfusion therapy and the newly developed oral iron chelators, deferiprone and deferasirox, especially combination of the chelator drugs. It has been also discussed on splenectomy and pediatrician management of endocrinopathies and cardiac complications. In addition, the use of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has produced cure rates as high as 97%, and the use of cord blood transplantation as well. Major advances have being made in the discovery of critical modifier genes, such as Myb and especially BCL11A (B cell lymphoma 11A), a master regulator of HbF (fetal hemoglobin) and hemoglobin switching. Finally, the year 2010 has brought in the first successful experiment of gene therapy in a ß-thalassemia patient, opening up the perspective of a generalized cure for all ß-Thalassaemia patients. (J Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll, 2014;6(1):31-37)

Background: Liver biopsy is an established procedure to diagnose disease, to assessprognosis and to follow up of liver diseases. Although liver biopsy is a confirmatory diagnosticprocedure of majority of the hepatological disorders, it carries the risk of complications.Though major complications rarely occur, minor complications are common. To minimizecomplications, several biopsy techniques have been developed. The present study wasintended to correlate the clinical diagnoses with histological diagnoses and to observethe complications encountered by the children with percutaneous liver biopsy procedure.Patients and Methods: A total of 30 paediatric patients of suspected liver diseases,based on predefined eligibility criteria, were subjected to biopsy for confirmation ofdiagnosis. An ultrasound of liver was routinely performed before the procedure to markthe site for percutaneous biopsy. The field was prepared with alcohol-based solution(povidone-iodine) and sterile drapes were placed over the patient. Local anaestheticwas administered with 2% lidocain solution 20mg/ml (preferably levobupivacaine 2.5mg/ml) in both superficial and deep planes. A blind liver biopsy was done at the point ofmaximum dullness by percussion over the right trunk. We used cutting needle. Thediameter of the needle used in our study was 14-gauge (1.4 mm) which allowed adequatecollection of tissue for diagnosis. The biopsy material was taken in a very small amountof sterile normal saline and was immediately sent to the laboratory for evaluation.Results: Half (50%) of the patients was more than 5 years of age with median agebeing 5.0±3.9 years. Majority (80%) was male. Ninety percent of the patients belongedto poor socioeconomic class. Clinically the cases were diagnosed as having chronichepatitis (23.3%) followed by CLD (16.7%), isolated hepatomegaly (16.7%), livercirrhosis (13.3%) and storage disease (13.3%). Hepatosplenomegaly and congenitalhepatic fibrosis, each was 6.7%. Histological diagnoses of biopsy material obtainedfrom the liver confirmed that one-sixth (16.7%) of the cases had liver cirrhosis. Storagedisease and glycogen storage disease each comprised 13.3% of the cases andcongenital biliary atresia 10%. Very few cases had moderate fatty changes withcholestasis, congenital hepatic fibrosis, chronic inflammatory cells, chronic viralhepatitis and secondary biliary cirrhosis. Nearly half (46.7%) patients had mild painand discomfort at the site of biopsy, most of which spontaneously went away. However,some 3 (10%) patients developed major complications needing management.Conclusion: Liver biopsy is a well established procedure in the diagnosis and follow upof liver diseases. But it is not without risk of complications. So, before deciding for aliver biopsy, the indications and risks must be assessed cautiously for each patient.Key words: Percutaneous liver biopsy; clinical diagnoses; histological diagnoses; complications.DOI: 10.3329/bjch.v34i1.5694Bangladesh Journal of Child Health 2010; Vol.34(1): 1-6

Background: Cord separation time has evolved as an important justification for recommending against the topical use of chlorhexidine on the cord. Objective: This present study was undertaken to determine the impact of cord cleansing with chlorhexidine on cord separation time and maternal acceptance of chlorhexidine in umbilical cord care. Methods:  Between April 2013 to July 2014, 340 newborns were randomly assigned within a tertiary level hospital in Bangladesh to receive 1 of 2 cord care regimens: clean and dry cord care (control) and single cord cleansing with 4% chlorhexidine. Results: The mean cord separation time in newborns of chlorhexidine group was significantly longer than dry cord care group (p < 0.001). Mother of newborns in chlorhexidine group more frequently reported “longer than usual” cord separation time. Overall satisfaction of mother with cord separation time was high (95.9%). Conclusion: Topical chlorhexidine significantly increased cord separation time.Journal of Science Foundation, 2015;13(2):27-30DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsf.v13i2.27929

Background: Transient hypoglycemia in the early neonatal period is a common adaptive phenomenon as the newborn changes from the fetal state of continuous transplacental glucose consumption to intermittent nutrient supply following cessation of maternal nutrition at birth. This adaptation is well established in term appropriate for gestational age babies but is not established in low birth weight babies. Objective: this study was undertaken to evaluate glycemic status of the low birth weight babies and impact of early feeding.Methodology: This prospective observational study was done in the department of Pediatrics and department of obstetrics, Rangpur Medical College Hospital, Rangpur, Bangladesh from September 2005 to February 2006 for a period of six (6) months. Blood sugar was estimated at birth (cord blood) and then from capillary blood at 2 hours, 4 hours, in between 12 to 24 hours and in between 24 to 48 hours. The capillary blood was obtained by heel prick. Venous sample was sent to the college laboratory for confirmation if the blood sugar was less than 2.6 mmol/L (47 mg/dL). Result: In the first 48 hours, the blood glucose levels were lowest at 2 hours after delivery and the level gradually increased with increasing postnatal age in low birth weight babies. Birth weight had a positive correlation with blood glucose levels of low birth weight babies. The overall incidence of hypoglycemia in low birth weight babies were 31.8%, among them 77.1% asymptomatic and 22.9% symptomatic. The mean blood glucose levels were significantly high in early feed group than the delayed feed group babies (p<0.05).Conclusion: The blood glucose levels is lowest at 2 hours after delivery and the level gradually increases with increasing postnatal age in low birth weight babies which is a positive correlation with blood glucose levels of low birth weight babies.Journal of Current and Advance Medical Research 2018;5(1):33-38