Articles: health.
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Prevalence of malnutrition among pre-school children can be used to determine the need for nutrition surveillance, nutritional care, or appropriate nutritional intervention programmes. Such data also indicate the target groups and where interventions are required. ⋯ These results show that malnutrition is still a serious public health problem in Kenya and requires urgent attention. The problem since the first survey in 1977 shows an upward trend, suggesting deterioration over the years. Well thought out and targeted intervention programmes are long overdue. The results of this survey and others emphasize the importance of having a well established surveillance system which would ensure necessary and timely action.
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As stated by the Committee on Adolescence of the AAP, All pediatricians who choose to see teenagers should be able to provide counseling about sexual behavior, education on contraceptive methods and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, and assistance with access to family planning services, preferably in the office or, if necessary, by referral. Expansion of skills and office capabilities to provide routine reproductive health care for adolescents, including pelvic examinations, annual Pap tests, diagnoses of pregnancy, diagnoses and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, and the prescription of contraceptives, is also encouraged. Pediatricians who have longstanding relationships with their patients, and who are admired and trusted are ideal for providing this care.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Early two-dose measles vaccination schedule in Guinea-Bissau: good protection and coverage in infancy.
Previous studies from Africa have suggested that there is little benefit to be gained from early two-dose measles vaccination schedules. Two-dose schedules have been associated with no improvement in coverage due to immunization of the same individuals on both occasions, low return rate, high refusal rate, low vaccine efficacy, and fear of blunting of the antibody response. Because of the poor results achieved previously with two-dose measles vaccination schedules, we studied patterns of participation, reasons for non-participation, vaccination coverage and relative efficacy of a one-dose versus a two-dose schedule in connection with the implementation of an early two-dose trial in Guinea-Bissau. ⋯ In this study of a two-dose measles immunization schedule at 6 and 9 months of age there was no sign of low participation or poor return rates. The risk of not being vaccinated was lower in the two-dose group than in the one-dose group, and the relative efficacy of a two-dose versus a one-dose schedule was high. Although our results were obtained within a trial where dedicated personnel informed every participant personally about the study, we believe our results indicate that with thorough information about the population it may be possible to achieve a higher coverage with a two-dose measles vaccination schedule than a one-dose schedule. A two-dose schedule may be a feasible way to resolve the problems of low coverage and severe measles infection among infants.