Objective: To determine the celiac disease using Marsh classification in the paediatric population at the Pak Emirates Military Hospital. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Paediatrics, Pak Emirates Military Hospital Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Aug 2020 till Mar 2021. Methodology: Patients of either gender aged 1 to 14 years with three or more clinical features of celiac disease such as chronic diarrhoea, any degree of malnutrition, short stature, abdominal distension, anaemia, and clubbing at the time of admission, were included in this study. Results: There were 97 patients in this study. Among them, 61 (62.9%) were males, and 36 (37.1%) were females. There were 56 (57.7%) patients who were histology positive and 41 (42.3%) patients who were histology negative. There were 37 (38.1%) patients in Marsh III a, 15 (15.5%) were in Marsh III b, and 4 (4.1%) patients were in the Marsh III c category. Gender distribution showed that 33 (58.9%) males were positive compared to 23 (41.1%) females. Even though the frequency was higher among males, the difference was not statistically significant (p-value=0.23). Conclusion: Celiac disease is a possible reason for anaemia among patients with iron deficiency anaemia of unknown origin. Therefore, the histopathological diagnosis should be completed when celiac disease is suspected.

Objective: To determine the frequency of Respiratory Distress Syndrome among preterm neonates born at the Pak Emirates Military Hospital. Study Design: Cross-Sectional Study. Place and Duration of Study: Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Aug 2020 to Mar 2021. Methodology: One hundred and sixty-nine neonates with a gestational age of ≤34 weeks of either gender were included in this study. RDS was confirmed by reviewing neonatal medical charts. The frequency of RDS was seen in different groups according to gestational age, gender, weight, hypothermia, sepsis and jaundice. Results: There were 169 patients; among them were 94 (55.6%) males and 75 (44.4%) females. 105 (62.1%) were born by caesarean section, and 64 (37.9%) were normal vaginal delivery. There were 26 (15.4%) neonates, with RDS, and 143 (84.6%) did not have RDS. Among our 169 sample, 26 (15.4%) were in <28 weeks, 96 (56.8%) were in the 28 to 32 weeks and 47 (27.8%) were in >32 week gestational groups. There were 34 (20.1%) who were <1000 g, there were 96 (56.8%) were between 1000 to 1500 g, and 39 (23.1%) were > 1500 g. Hypothermia was found in 43 (25.4%) of neonates; 126 (74.6%) did not have hypothermia. 63 (37.3%) neonates had sepsis, and 39 (23.1%) had jaundice. Conclusion: RDS is a serious problem in our country. Health care providers must plan cost-effective and efficient strategies to detect and treat RDS in the developing world.

Objective: To compare Vitamin D levels in children with recurrent respiratory tract infections with normal children. Study Design: Case-control study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Paediatrics, Combined Military Hospital, Kharian, from Nov 2018 to Dec 2019. Methodology: Sixty children fulfilling the inclusion criteria from the indoor department of Paediatrics, Combined Military Hospital, Kharian were included in the study. Thirty patients were in the recurrent respiratory tract infections-group (cases), while 30 were in the normal children- group (control). The blood sample was drawn from all the children included in the study to analyze serum 25 (OH) D levels. Data regarding Vitamin D levels were noted from both groups as per operational definition on an especially designed proforma. Results: The mean age of cases was 5.63 ± 2.82 years, and controls were 5.66 ± 2.44 years. In cases-group, 20 (66.7%) cases had low vitamin D levels, and 10 (33.3%) cases had normal vitamin D levels, while in control subjects, 11 (36.7%) children had low vitamin D levels and 19 (63.3%) children had average vitamin D level. Cases with low vitamin D levels were statistically higher than controls, with the p-value of 0.02 with a significant odds ratio = 3.455 (95% CI: 1.95–9.99). Conclusion: This study concludes that children with recurrent respiratory tract infections had low vitamin D levels compared with normal children.