BMC Pediatrics - Latest articlesThe latest articles from BMC Pediatrics (ISSN 1471-2431) published by BioMed CentralHIV prevalence in severely malnourished children admitted to nutrition rehabilitation units in Malawi: Geographical & seasonal variations a cross-- May 21, 2008 Background: Severe malnutrition in childhood associated with HIV infection presents a serious humanitarian and public health challenge in Southern Africa. The aim of this study was to collect country wide data on HIV infection patterns in severely malnourished children to guide the development of integrated care in a resource limited setting. Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted in 12 representative rural and urban Nutrition Rehabilitation Units (NRUs), from each of Malawi's 3...http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2431/8/22 The diagnostic work up of growth failure in secondary health care; An evaluation of consensus guidelines- May 13, 2008 Background: As abnormal growth might be the first manifestation of undetected diseases, it is important to have accurate referral criteria and a proper diagnostic work-up. In the present paper we evaluate the diagnostic work-up in secondary health care according to existing consensus guidelines and study the frequency of underlying medical disorders. Methods: Data on growth and additional diagnostic procedures were collected from medical records of new patients referred for short stature to the.http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2431/8/21 Oxidative stress in children late after Kawasaki disease: relationship with carotid atherosclerosis and stiffness- May 8, 2008 Background: Persistent arterial dysfunction in patients with a history of Kawasaki disease (KD) and an integral role of oxidative stress in the development of cardiovascular disease are increasingly recognized. We sought to test the hypothesis that oxidative stress is increased in KD patients and related to carotid atherosclerotic changes and stiffness. Methods: We compared the serum levels of oxidative stress biomarkers, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), and carotid stiffness index among...http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2431/8/20 Algorithms for converting estimates of child malnutrition based on the NCHS reference into estimates based on the WHO Child Growth Standards- May 5, 2008 Background: The child growth standards released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2006 have several technical advantages over the previous 1977 National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)WHO reference and are recommended for international comparisons and secular trend analysis of child malnutrition. To obtain comparable data over time, earlier surveys should be reanalyzed using the WHO standards; however, reanalysis is impossible for older surveys since the raw data are not available...http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2431/8/19 |