Installation of mobile phone base stations in residential areas has initiated public debate about possible adverse effects on human health. This study aimed to determine the association of exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic field radiation (RF-EMFR) generated by mobile phone base stations with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and occurrence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. For this study, two different elementary schools (school-1 and school-2) were selected. We recruited 159 students in total; 96 male students from school-1, with age range 12–16 years, and 63 male students with age range 12–17 years from school-2. Mobile phone base stations with towers existed about 200 m away from the school buildings. RF-EMFR was measured inside both schools. In school-1, RF-EMFR was 9.601 nW/cm2 at frequency of 925 MHz, and students had been exposed to RF-EMFR for a duration of 6 h daily, five days in a week. In school-2, RF-EMFR was 1.909 nW/cm2 at frequency of 925 MHz and students had been exposed for 6 h daily, five days in a week. 5–6 mL blood was collected from all the students and HbA1c was measured by using a Dimension Xpand Plus Integrated Chemistry System, Siemens. The mean HbA1c for the students who were exposed to high RF-EMFR was significantly higher (5.44 ± 0.22) than the mean HbA1c for the students who were exposed to low RF-EMFR (5.32 ± 0.34) (p = 0.007). Moreover, students who were exposed to high RF-EMFR generated by MPBS had a significantly higher risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (p = 0.016) relative to their counterparts who were exposed to low RF-EMFR. It is concluded that exposure to high RF-EMFR generated by MPBS is associated with elevated levels of HbA1c and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

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Background: Neonatal sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially when an infant is delivered preterm. Objectives: The aim of the current work was to evaluate the clinical presentation, etiology, antibiotics use, and mortality in neonatal sepsis cases at King Fahad Medical City. Duration of antibiotics and length of hospital stay were also included. Patients and Methods: This cross sectional retrospective descriptive, single-institute study included a total of 225 neonates suspected to have neonatal sepsis, attending at tertiary hospital, Department of General Pediatric, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This study was conducted between January 2014 to July 2017. Subjects were hospitalized through Emergency Department and included all neonates underage of 28 days. Results: Among the included 225 neonates, 134 (59.6%) were male and 91 (40.4%) were female. Most of them Term neonates 203 (90.2%). Fever found to be the most common symptoms 184 patients (81.8%) followed by decrease feeding and activity in 124 (55%) and 101 (44.9%) respectively. Respiratory symptoms like cough, tachypnea, runny nose and cyanosis found in 56 (25%). Empirical antibiotics frequently used were amipicillin 209 (92%) and cefotaxime 185 (82%) with median duration of 4days (range 1-47 days). Blood cultures came positive in 8 patients (3.6%). Coagulase negative staphylococci came in 3 (30%) patients and E.coli in 3 (30%) patients as well. Conclusion:It could be concluded that large number of neonates admitted as suspected neonatal sepsis in our hospital resolved their symptoms without find identifiable etiology. In those who had identifiable etiology urinary tract infections (UTI) and viral infections were the common etiology. However, blood stream sepsis and meningitis were quite rare.

We highly appreciate the readers’ interest [1] in our article [2] titled “Association of Exposure to Radio-Frequency Electromagnetic Field Radiation (RF-EMFR) Generated by Mobile Phone Base Stations with Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus” published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health [2].[...]