Journal of tropical pediatrics
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Pneumococcal meningitis in Taiwanese children: emphasis on clinical outcomes and prognostic factors.
Pneumococcal meningitis causes high morbidity or mortality in childhood despite the progress in medicine. Children with pneumococcal meningitis were identified and retrospectively reviewed. Forty-nine children were eligible, with mortality in 24.5% of all and neurological sequelae in 40.5% of survivors. ⋯ Besides, CSF protein (p = 0.006) was higher in survivors with neurological sequelae. Initial dexamethasone usage and disease severity did not affect the occurrence of neurological sequelae. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that CSF leukocyte count
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Birth interval and risk of stillbirth or neonatal death: findings from rural north India.
Short birth intervals have been associated with adverse birth outcomes. This study examines the association between preceding interval and risk of stillbirth or neonatal death in rural north India (n = 80 164). ⋯ Neonatal death was associated with birth intervals of <18 months (OR 4.12; CI 3.74-4.55) and 18-35 months (OR 1.78; CI 1.63-1.94), compared to births spaced 36-59 months. Previous history of either stillbirth or neonatal death was significantly associated with risk of stillbirth and neonatal death, respectively, as were multiple births.
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Infantile encephalitic beriberi (IEBB) is a rare form of thiamine deficiency and is poorly described. A proportion of Leigh's disease (LD) patients have similar clinical picture and response to thiamine as beriberi, leading to confusion in diagnosis and management. Data on IEBB and LD is scarce and status of thiamine deficiency in India is controversial. ⋯ However, presence of characteristic lesions on brain imaging and residual damage in several patients on follow-up does not rule out LD completely. Our study highlights the importance of thiamine deficiency in India, especially in the breast-feds and its overlapping features with LD. Awareness of this common mode of presentation may save patients' lives by early diagnosis and timely thiamine supplementation.