Summary Seventeen infants with nodular purpura are reported. All these infants suffered from a coagulation abnormality due to vitamin K deficiency. Contributing factors were breast-feeding, the use of milk substitutes, diarrhoea and antimicrobial therapy. The patients responded rapidly and completely to parenteral vitamin K. In the management of infantile diarrhoea use of antibiotics should be restricted to specific bacteriologically proven cases. Vitamin K administration is suggested in infants with prolonged gastroenteritis and limited milk intake and particularly those receiving antibiotics.

We studied 50 children with brucellosis. Diagnoses were made from clinical pictures and agglutination titres. Fevers, sweating and chills were common complaints. Hepatosplenomegaly and arthritis were usual findings. Tetracycline is an effective drug for management of childhood brucellosis. Seven patients with relapse were treated successfully with combination of tetracycline and co-trimoxazole.