Factors Associated with Mortality in Children Aged 1 Month to 15 Years Hospitalized in the Pediatric Ward of the Kalaban-Coro Reference Health Center: Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Infant and child mortality is a worldwide concern, but developing countries such as Mali are more affected. The aim of this study was to investigate morbidity and factors associated with mortality in children aged 1 month to 15 years. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study which took place from January 1 to December 31, 2020 covering children aged 1 month to 15 years hospitalized at the Kalaban-Coro CSRéf. Data were entered into Excel and analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. Results: Five hundred children aged 1 months to 15 years were included. The age range 1 to 5 years (53.6%) and male sex (58.2%) were the most represented. Malaria (72.2%), acute respiratory infections (6.2%) and diarrhea/dehydration (3%) were the main morbidities. Mortality was estimated at 10.6%, and the two main causes of death were malaria (56.6%) and acute respiratory infections (7.54%). Univariate analysis revealed a statistically significant association between the dependent variable (death) and age (p Conclusion: This study confirms the high rate of infant and child morbidity and mortality in our health facilities. Strengthening human resources and intensifying behavior-change communication can help reverse the trend.

Improving the Use of Insecticide-Treated Nets among Children under Five Years Old in Benin, West Africa

Background: In Benin, malaria represents the first cause of consultation and hospitalization (48% for children under 5 years old) in health units. It also accounts for 23.1% of deaths recorded in health facilities (MoH, 2019). Between the two main components of vector control adopted by Benin government, the mass distribution campaigns of Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) remained the only proven cost-effective way to rapidly achieve high and equitable coverage (WHO, 2017). After the fourth mass distribution campaign conducted in 2017, the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data indicated that the percentage of children who slept under an ITN has increased from 20% in 2006 to 70% in 2011-2012 and to 76% in 2017-2018 while the incidence of malaria (tested positive) is increasing rapidly among children under 5 years old, growing from 36.5% in 2009 to 28.8% in 2012 and then to 51.4% in 2019. This study aims to understand this contrast by identifying the origin of the increase in ITN use over time among children under five years old and the factors which determine this use. Methods: Data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) conducted in Benin respectively in 2006 and in 20018 were used during the analysis, which covered 13,445 children under five years old from 2006 DHS and 12,255 children from 2017-2018 DHS. Firstly, the data were analyzed using decomposition method to highlight the origin of the increase of ITN use over time among children under five years old. Secondly, the chi-square test analysis estimated the association between ITN use and some characteristics (wealth index, maternal or caregiver education level and child age). Finally, the logistic regression model was used to identify the main factors, which influence the net use over the study period. Results: This study shows that the improvement of basic conditions is the main origin of behavior change in the use of ITNs among children under five years old. This improvement of the basic conditions consists of making ITNs available in households and informing household members about the benefits of ITN use. So, the free ITN distribution campaigns, routine distribution, awareness campaigns about the benefits of ITN use are the strategies, which increase the household capacities and knowledge, allowing household members to make their children sleep under net. The analysis also shows that region of residence, wealth index of household, household size, religion, and child age continue to determine the ITN use among children under age 5 years old and MNCP will integrate the factors in malaria prevention strategies in order to achieve universal use of ITNs. Conclusions: Although, sleeping under ITN behavior has indeed spread among children under 5 years old, policymakers and other stakeholders should design strategies to maintain and improve the current level of ITN use to reach the collective protection threshold (80% according to WHO). Therefore, to address the challenges of universal use of ITN, the study recommends expanding the routine distribution system to private sector health centers;discussing issues related to health service utilization (particularly ITN use) within a consultation framework at the communal level. In addition, collecting qualitative and quantitative data in the Oueme region will allow better understanding of all aspects of the ITN use gap among children under 5 years.

The Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Otitis Media in Children under Five Years of Age in Mogadishu, Somalia: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Otitis media (OM) is highly prevalent and is one of the most important causes of preventable hearing loss in developing countries and it may have long-term impacts on the children. Several hospital-based cross-sectional studies have been conducted in East African countries to assess the prevalence of OM;however, no similar studies have been conducted in Somalia. Therefore, we conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study to identify the prevalence and the underlying risk factors of OM among children under the age of five in Mogadishu, Somalia. Methodology: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2022 to November 2022 at three main hospitals in Mogadishu, Somalia. A total of 384 children aged less than 5 years were included. Parents of these children were interviewed with a questionnaire and a clinical examination was performed for each child. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences, SPSS (Version 22, IBM, Inc.), was used for the statistical analysis. Result: The prevalence of otitis media among the 384 children recruited was 31.25% (120/384). Otitis media was significantly associated with age less than one year (P = 0.006), malnutrition (P Conclusion: In summary, the present study found that otitis media was highly prevalent (31.25%) in Mogadishu, Somalia. The majority of the affected children were younger than one year. Age of the child, malnutrition, upper respiratory tract infections, feeding in lying position, and dripping something into a child’s ear were found to significantly increase the risk of developing otitis media in children. In contrast, breastfeeding for more than one year has been found to reduce the risk of developing otitis media in children.

Effect of a Nutrition Education Intervention on Food Safety Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Mothers of Children under 5 Years in the Peri-Urban Areas of Bobo-Dioulasso: Before and after Study

Background: This study assessed the effect of a nutrition education intervention. This intervention aimed to improve the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of mothers on food safety in the peri-urban areas of Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso. Methods: A total of 243 mothers of children under 5 years in the peri-urban of Bobo-Dioulasso were administered the FAO questionnaire for food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices assessment during two cross-sectional surveys, before and after the intervention, in January and October 2017. The intervention included two components consisting of a theoretical phase (counselling and discussion) and cooking demonstrations implemented for ten months. To account for the before-and-after design of the study, the McNemar’s test was used to assess the effect of the intervention on food safety KAP of mothers of children under 5 years. Results: The mean age of mothers was 29 ± 6.2 years and 50.6% of them were between 20 and 29 years old. One for knowledge (cooking thoroughly with, p-value = 0.0001) and another for attitudes (perceived benefits of reheating leftovers before eating them, p-value = 0.0001), significantly increased after the intervention. In terms of food safety practices, all the indicators (cleaning of dirty surfaces, plates and utensils and storage of perishable foods) significantly increased (all p = 0.0001 Conclusion: This study provided some evidence of an effective nutrition education intervention for improving maternal KAP on food safety for their child’s feeding.

Risk Factors for Geo-Helminthiasis in Children Aged 6 - 36 Months in a Rural Health District in Cameroon

Introduction and Objectives: Soil-Transmitted-Helminthiasis (STH) is a public health problem in Cameroon. The control strategies currently in place, particularly chemoprevention, has shortcomings linked to the target population, which are school-age children. The objective was to determine the prevalence and the risk factors associated with geo-helminthiasis in children aged 0 to 3 years in a rural health district. Method: From December 2020 to May 2021, a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study of 376 children between 6 and 36 months was carried out in the Akonolinga health district. This was a cluster sampling in 4 health areas. Stool samples were collected and analysed using the mini-FLOTAC method. The results expressed as the number of eggs per gram of stool. A questionnaire on socio-demographic and lifestyle data was administered to the parents. The Chi-squared test was used to measure the association between geo-helminth infection and the data collected. A multivariate analysis using logistic regression was performed (p 0.05). Results: The prevalence of STH was 19.4% (Ascaris lumbricoides: 16% and Trichuris trichiura: 8%). Risk factors were: consumption of contaminated water (AOR = 1.93 [1.03 - 3.6];p = 0.040), early contact of the child with the ground (before age of 4 months) (AOR = 4.9 [2.1 - 11.37];p .001), habit of walking barefoot (AOR = 2.91 [1.1 - 7.97];p = 0.038), and living in a habitat with unpaved ground (AOR = 7.4 [1.55 - 35.7];p = 0.012). Conclusion: The prevalence of STHs in infants was high. Preventive chemotherapy should be extended to this age-group, and other measures intensified.

Prevalence of diarrhea and associated risk factors among children under-five years of age in Eastern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Diarrhea remains a major cause of mortality in children under 5 years of age in Sub-Saharan countries in Africa. Risk factors for diarrhea vary by context and have important implications for developing appropriate strategies to reduce the burden of the disease. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of diarrhea and associated risk factors among children un-der 5 years of age in Kersa district, located in Eastern Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 1456 randomly selected households with at least one child under 5 years of age. A questionnaire and an observational check list were used for col-lecting information on socio-economic charac-teristics, environmental hygiene and behavioral practices, and occurrence of diarrhea among children under 5 years of age. Logistic regres-sion was used to calculate the adjusted odds ratio of 95% confidence interval. The two-week prevalence of diarrhea among children under 5 years of age was 22.5% (95% CI: 20.3-24.6). Improper refuse disposal practices (OR = 2.22, 95% CI: 1.20-4.03), lack of hand washing facilities (OR = 1.92, 95%CI: 1.29-2.86), living in rural area (OR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.12-3.31), the presence of two or more siblings in a household (OR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.33-2.28), and age of the child (OR= 2.25, 95% CI;1.5-3.36) were the major risk factors for diarrhea. This study demonstrated that diarrhea morbidity was relatively high among children under 5 years of age residing in Eastern Ethiopia. Efforts to reduce childhood diarrhea should focus on improving household sanitation, personal hygiene, and child birth spacing.

Skin problems in children under five years old at a rural hospital in Southern Ethiopia

Objective: To examine the prevalence of cutaneous disorders in children under 5 years old who attended a rural hospital in Southern Ethiopia.Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from January 26 to February 20, 2015 in children under 5 years old who attended Gambo Rural Hospital in West Arsi of the Oromia Region, Ethiopia.Results: A total of 324 children were included(59.6% male) whose median age was 16.4months. In total, 147 children [45.4%; 95% confidence interval(CI): 40.0%–50.8%]under 5 years had a skin problem, of which 101(68.7%) consulted for that reason. The other 46(31.3%) consulted for a general health problem and the dermatological condition was a secondary finding during the physical exploration. In 93 children(28.7%; 95% CI:20%–33.8%), it was the main disease, and in 54 children(16.5%; 95% CI: 13.0%–21.1%)it was concomitant with other diseases. The most common dermatological disease was scabies(n = 44, 13.6%; 95% CI: 10.3%–17.7%). Impetigo was diagnosed in 32 children(9.9%; 95% CI: 7.1%–13.3%), of which 23(71.9%) had complicated impetigo. Nineteen children(5.9%; 95% CI: 3.8%–9.0%) had eczema, 10(3.1%) had eczema associated to other conditions. The following most frequent skin problems were tinea(n = 9; 2.8%),infected wound and ulcer(n = 7; 2.2%), and burns(n = 6; 1.9%).Conclusions: Skin problems, mainly scabies, impetigo, and eczema were common in young children attended at a rural hospital in Southern Ethiopia. Children under 5 years should be examined thoroughly to rule out skin diseases, especially scabies.

Effect of a Malaria Control Program on the Prevalence of Malaria, Fever and Anaemia in Children under Five Years in the Hohoe Municipality of Ghana: A Comparative Analysis of Cross-Sectional Surveys

Background: Malaria and anaemia continue to adversely impact the health of children in Ghana. Hohoe is an area of intense and prolonged, seasonal malaria transmission. In 2006, malaria control programme activities which provided In-secticide Treated Bed-Nets (ITNs) to resident children under five years and Artemisinin Combination Therapies (ACTs) for the management of malaria were introduced into the Hohoe Municipality. Before the introduction of the control programme, baseline surveys were carried out in communities in the Hohoe municipality to determine the prevalence of malaria, fever, anaemia, malaria parasite density, gametocytaemia and ITN ownership and use in June and November 2006 ahead of the intervention programme. Similar surveys were conducted in 2010 after the intervention to assess changes in the earlier indicators in the same communities. This report presents an evaluation of the intervention by comparing findings before and after the malaria control interventions. Methods: In 2010, two community-based surveys were carried out in thirty communities among children aged five years and below. The first one was at the beginning of the rainy and high malaria transmission season in June and the other was in November at the end of the rainy season. The surveys were to determine the prevalence of malaria, fever, anaemia and ITN ownership, use and effectiveness among children less than 5 years. Data were collected in the form of interviews using questionnaire and collection of biological samples. Findings were compared to those similar surveys conducted in the same communities and age groups in 2006. Pr-testi was used to analyze two sample tests for proportions and t-test was used for means. Findings: Malaria prevalence decreased by 20% [9.0% vs. 7.2%;p = 0.0.40], fever decreased by 47.8% [2.3% vs. 1.2%;p = 0.008] and anaemia decreased by 32.9% [7.8% vs. 5.3%;p = 0.002]. ITN ownership increased by 67.9% [20.8% vs. 64.8%;p < 0.001], ITN use increased by 64.2% [15.1% vs. 42.2%;p < 0.001] and ITN effectiveness increased by 41.7% [20.0% vs. 34.3%;p < 0.001]. The proportion of children with high density parasitaemia reduced by 17.9% [2.8% vs. 2.3%;p = 0.223]. Gameto-cytaemia decreased by 82.5% [0.8% vs. 0.14%;p = 0.002. Similarly data comparing 2006 and 2010 post-rainy season showed that malaria prevalence decreased by 16.8% [40.4% vs. 33.6%;p < 0.001], fever decreased by 14% [5.0% vs. 4.3%;p = 0.347] and anaemia decreased by 64.2% [12% vs. 4.3%;p < 0.001]. The proportion of children with high density parasitaemia also reduced by 69.5% [10.5% vs. 3.2%;p < 0.001] and gametocytaemia decreased by 78.5% [0.8% vs. 0.17%;p = 0.008]. Conclusion: This study suggested that there was an association between the current intervention and reduction in the prevalence of malaria, fever and anaemia. High parasite density and gametocytaemia prevalence have also significantly reduced over the five years of the introduction of the control measures. There has also been a significant increase in the ownership and use of ITNs.

Dietary Behaviors and Influencing Factors among Rural Left-behind Children Aged below 7 Years in China

Left-behind children comprise a special population inChinese rural areas. According to the 2007 China Census,the number ofleft-behind children aged≤14 years was estimated at 58 million which suggested that these childrencon stituted a

Energy Balance-related Behaviors Are Related to Cardiometabolic Parameters and Predict Adiposity in 8-14-year-old Overweight Chinese Children One Year Later

To identify target energy balance-related behaviors（ERBs）,baseline data from 141overweight or obese schoolchildren（aged 8-14years old）was used to predict adiposity[body mass index（BMI）and fat percentage]one year later.The ERBs included a modified Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension diet score（DASH score）,leisure-time physical activity（PA,days/week）,and leisure screen time（minutes/day）.Several cardiometabolic variables were measured in the fasting state, including systolic blood pressure （SBP）, diastolic blood pressure （DBP）, blood glucose （GLU）, total cholesterol （TC）, triglycerides （TG）, low-density lipoprotein （LDL-C）, and high-density lipoprotein （HDL-C）.

Factors Influencing Preventive Behaviors of Mothers for Diarrhea in Children Aged 1-5 Years in Buol District, Indonesia

This study aims to determine the factors related with mothers＇ behaviors in preventing diarrhea in children aged 1-5 years inBuol District. This was a cross-sectional survey design with health belief model as the conceptual framework. A total of 300mothers were selected by using purposive sampling method based on criteria. Mothers were interviewed by using astructured questionnaire during October to November 2015. A chi-square （X^2） test was used to determine a significantassociation between independent variables and dependent variable. The finding showed that 68.3% of mothers hadgood behaviors in preventing diarrhea. The factors significantly related to mothers＇ behaviors included perceivedsusceptibility to diarrhea, perceived severity of diarrhea, perceived benefits of diarrhea prevention behaviors, and perceivedbarriers of diarrhea prevention behaviors CP 〈 .01, p 〈 .01, p 〈 .01, and p 〈 .01 respectively）. Further, mothers had highperception to comply with diarrhea prevention behaviors. Those who perceived that diarrhea prevention behaviors werehighly beneficial to their children had good behaviors in preventing diarrhea. However, taking certain actions must considernegative aspects.

The Impact of Malaria Control Interventions on Malaria and Anaemia in Children under Five after Ten Years of Implementation in the Hohoe Municipality of Ghana

Background: Malaria remains a dominant health issue among children in Ghana. We monitored the trend of long lasting insecticide net (LLIN) ownership and use and its impact on malaria and anaemia among children under five over the past decade in an area of intense, prolonged and seasonal malaria transmission. Methods: A total of 1717, 2155 and 1915 children were surveyed in June and 1717, 2155 and 1697 in November in 30 communities of the Hohoe Municipality in 2006, 2010 and 2015 respectively. The primary outcomes monitored were the trend of LLIN ownership, use and prevalence of malaria and anaemia through cross-sectional surveys. Findings: Results showed a significantly positive trend (p Interpretation: Ownership of LLIN and its use together with other indicators of malaria prevalence generally improved five years after the implementation of a malaria control programme. Ten years after programme implementation, consistent improvement was only in LLIN ownership and use. Also malaria prevalence indicators improved in the post as compared to the pre-rainy season in the study communities.

Seroprevalence of anti-HBs antibodies and the need for booster vaccination in children under 5 years of age born to HBsAg-negative mothers

Objective:To determine the proportion of HBV surface antigen(anti-HBs)antibody positive children under five years of age born to HBs Ag-negative mothers and to analyze the possible related factors following implementation of a hepatitis B vaccination program for infants in Indonesia 22 years ago.Methods:Blood samples were taken from children under five years of age born to HBsAg-negative mothers who have completed primary vaccination series.Anti-HBs antibodies were determined by using rapid test.Data of age,gender,nutritional status,vaccination timing or vaccination compliance,and booster vaccination were collected from vaccination card.Results:Ninety children were enrolled,consisting of 47 females and 43 males with a mean age of 2.3 years.Twenty two(24.4%)children received booster vaccine between 18 and 24 months and 55(61.1%)were anti-HBs positive.Among factors of age,gender,nutritional status,compliance to vaccination and booster vaccine,only administration of booster vaccine was significantly associated with anti-HBs status(OR 5.45,95%CI 1.45,20.52).Children who received booster vaccine at age of 18-24 months were 5.45 times more likely to be anti-HBs positive than that of children who did not receive booster vaccine.Conclusions:Booster vaccine rate is low among children under 5 years of age but is associated with anti-HBs positivity.Booster vaccination may be required to improve anti-HBs seropositivity.

Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy for Non-Tumor Obstructive Hydrocephalus in Children under Two Years of Age

The goal of this work is to report on the efficacy of endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) for non-tumor obstructive hydrocephalus in children aged two years and below. In the period between June 2007 and December 2014, we had performed ETV in 30 patients with hydrocephalus from diverse etiologies. Among them were eight children aged two years or below. Clinical, radiological and outcome data of these children were retrospectively reviewed to assess ETV efficiency in this age group. Eight children (6 boys, 2 girls) with age range from 6 to 24 months (mean 12.5 months, median 15 months) suffering from non-tumor obstructive hydrocephalus underwent ETV as primary treatment. Seven patients (87.5%) were under two years and 3 had less than one year of age at the time of surgery. Macro crania, suture diastasis, scalp vein bulging and sunset gaze were the most common findings on physical examination. Computed tomography scanning was done in all patients but none had magnetic resonance imaging. Hydrocephalus was due to primary (congenital) aqueductal stenosis in all cases and was associated with myelomeningocele in one. ETV was successful in 7 (87.50%) cases but failed in one. Operation time varied from 28 to 35 minutes (mean 31.12 minutes, median 31.5 minutes). No intraoperative complication occurred. The child in whom ETV failed had postoperative CSF leak. No death related to procedure occurred. Hospital stay ranged from 2 to 4 days (mean, 2.87 days, median, 3 days). Follow up range was 5.5 to 86 months (0.46 to 7.16 years);mean, 59.14 months (4.92 years);median, 45.75 months (3.81 years).

The effect of protective genital care protocol on preventing diaper dermatit development in 0 - 18 month old children using antibiotics

Diaper dermatit is among the widely seen inflamatory skin diseases in neonatals and small 0 - 18 month old children. Control of causative agents as well as providing good genital care may prevent or reduce the risk of the disease. The aim of this study is find out the effect of protective genital care on reducing the diaper dermatit development in 0 - 18 months old inpatient 0 - 18 month old children who are using antibiotic. The study was conducted as prospective half-experimetal using control-experimental groups. Our samples comprise of 0 - 18 month old children admitted at Dokuz Eylul University Practical and Research Hospital, pediatric clinic between January and May 2009, 41 0 - 18 month old children as a control group were not under protective genital care, and 42 0 - 18 month old children as an experimental group were under the protecion and using vaseline. The mothers of the experimental group 0 - 18 month old children were given education. All 0 - 18 month old children were followed-up 3 - 7 days and the collected data were evaluated in computer using Pearson’s chisquare, Fisher’s exact chi-square and Yatest-corrected chi-square tests. The diaper dermatit develop- ment ratio was 34.1% in the control group and 7.1% in the experimental group

Solving an Age Old Problem A new law requires children to visit their aging parents

MORE than 10 years ago, the song Come Home As Often As You Can to See Your Parents became popular in China, reminding young people of their obli- gation to set aside their hectic lives and return to their hometowns to visit their aging parents. Today, the idea expressed in this song has been codified in Chinese law.

National Nutrition and Health Systematic Survey for Children 0–17 Years of Age in China

The main purpose of the National Nutrition and Health Systematic Survey for children 0-17 years of age in China(CNHSC)was to collect basic data on the nutrition,development,and health status for children in different regions across China using evidence-based,reliable,and cost-effective approaches.Children and their parents or guardians from seven regions(south,southwest,north,northwest,eastern,central,and northeast China)in China were recruited.A multi-stage stratified randomized sampling method was used.Two provinces were randomly sampled from each of the seven regions,from which one urban district and one rural country were also randomly sampled,resulting in a total of 28 survey counties/districts.Dietary surveys,health examinations,laboratory testing,and questionnaires were used to collect dietary intake,nutritional status,child development,and health status information.Nutrition,health,and lifestyle assessment of children and their parents was determined using the Knowledge Attitude Practice(KAP)survey.Greater than 100,000 children(38,000 children<6 years of age and 66,000 children6-17 years of age)completed the survey.The survey provided comprehensive data on child nutrition and health status for future studies and will serve as the basis for an integrated nutrition and health improvement strategies proposal for children in China.

Prevalence and Years Lived with Disability for Dental Caries among Children Aged 0-14 Years in China, 1990-2016

The estimate of dental caries among Chinese children at the microscale level using standard methodology remains unclear. In this study, we assessed and analyzed the disease burden of childhood dental caries in China by extracting data from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 （GBD 2016）. In 2016, the number of cases, prevalence, years lived with disability （YLD）, and age-standardized YLD rate of dental caries was 93.0 million, 43.0%, 32,200 person years, and 14.8 per 100,000, respectively. Across 33 provincial units, the disease burden was highest in Hubei （YLD rate 28.6 per 100,000）, lowest in Macao （9.1 per 100,000）, while geographical clustering was not observed. Compared with 1990, the prevalence in 2016 decreased from 46.8% to 43.0%, and the YLD rate decreased from 16.5 per 100,000 to 14.8 per 100,000. Given the slight decrease in dental caries burden, the prevalence and disease burden remained high among Chinese children. Strategies for addressing the spatial inequity of childhood dental caries require geographical targeting.

Diarrhea Disease among Children under 5 Years of Age: A Global Systematic Review

Diarrhea diseases remain the second leading cause of death among children under five years globally. Nearly one in every five child deaths, about 1.6 million each year, are due to diarrhea. Further, diarrhea kills more young children than malaria, measles and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) combined. As a result, better understanding of childhood diarrhea occurrence can perhaps help reduce associated morbidity and mortality rates. Therefore, this study conducted a global systematic review on occurrence of childhood diarrhea. The broad objective of this study was to review present and past researches on childhood diarrhea and most importantly for children under 5 years of age. The review focused on understanding the burden of diarrhea, causes of childhood diarrhea and solutions to the disease. A systematic literature review was conducted using the databases of PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Search key terms used were childhood diarrhea, risk factors and intervention practices. Journal articles and related reports were filtered and limited from 2005 to 2020. Sixty-one reports and articles that met inclusion criteria were used in this review. Review found that, childhood diarrhea imposes economic costs on the health system and families. Also, repeated bouts of diarrhea can lead to malnutrition, stunting and delayed brain growth later in life and can lead to stress and tension to the affected households. The dependence on open water sources which are often contaminated with fecal materials was found as the major cause of the rising prevalence of childhood diarrhea. Other important factors were poor hygienic practices and lack of sanitation facilities contribute to the spread of diarrhea diseases. Improvements in the quality of drinking water, sanitation facilities and hygiene practices especially in low and middle income countries have been suggested by many studies as an intervention to reduce childhood diarrhea.

Stereopsis after Implantation of Intraocular Lens in Patients under 40 Years Old with Unilateral Cataract

Purpose:.To investigate the stereopsis after single focus intraocular lens (SIOL) implantation in patients aged < 40 years with unilateral cataract. Methods: In total, 36 patients (36 eyes) were divided into emmetropia and myopia groups. Twenty seven subjects with good uncorrected distance visual acuity (UCDVA) after surgery were enrolled in the emmetropia group..The myopia group consisted of 9 subjects whose one eye had mild myopia postoperatively and the other was emmetropic or myopic. Visual acuity,.distance and near stereoacuity were measured post-operatively. Results:.In the emmetropia group,.uncorrected near visual acuity (UCNVA) did not differ significantly between eyes (t=1.87,P>0.05)..The LogMAR UCNVA of the operated and fellow eyes were (0.71±0.12) and (-0.05±0.07, t=28.4,P< 0.001) respectively..Distance stereoacuity was 60";.the near stereoacuity with uncorrected visual acuity and BCNVA in the operated eyes were 200" and 30" respectively (Z=-4.121,P< 0.001). In the myopia group,.the BCDVA did not differ significantly between the operated and fellow eyes (t=-0.636,P > 0.05)..The UCNVA of the operated eyes (0.18±0.12) was significantly better compared with that of the fellow eyes(-0.04±0.10,.t=4.2252,.P<0.001)..The distance stereoacuity with uncorrected visual acuity and BCDVA in the operated eyes were 200" and 60" respectively (Z =-2.371,P<0.05). The near stereoacuity with uncorrected visual acuity was 50". Conclusion:For patients with unilateral cataract aged<40 years, stereopsis is closely associated with refractive status after IOL implantation..Near stereoacuity in emmetropic eyes can be improved with refraction,.and that in mildly myopic eyes can be enhanced by leaving myopia uncorrected.